Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

At our museum, we spark curiosity, inspire discovery, and promote active engagement to achieve our vision: inspiring inquisitive thinkers and encouraging responsible stewardship of the past, present, and future. Through fun hands-on experiences, we cultivate learners skilled in both traditional subjects (i.e. history and physics) and the 21st century skills needed for long-term self-sufficiency (i.e. critical thinking and innovation). In all we do, we strive to build hope and provide tools for a future of engaged citizens and lifelong learners.

To achieve our goals, FCMoD stewards long-term exhibits in music, science, live animals, history, and more. We are the only organization in Fort Collins who collects, manages, and interprets artifacts relating to our local history. Each year, we deliver over 400 learning programs and serve about 200 school groups. In Northern Colorado's only Digital Dome Theater, we offer the immersive experience of a planetarium (in shape) and an IMAX (in sound and image). In our Music & Sound Lab, visitors become rock stars as they build and play instruments. In our pioneer cabins and one-room schoolhouse, each visitor adds their voice to our ongoing history. Indeed, FCMoD offers something for everyone, as our high rate of members and repeat visitors attests.

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is the result of a partnership between the city-owned Fort Collins Museum (established 1941) and the nonprofit Discovery Science Center (1989). After merging operations in 2008, our capital campaign met all fundraising goals and built a new 43,000 square-foot facility. This building has obtained the highest certification (Platinum) by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Program – one of only 4 museums in the country to do so. As Northern Colorado's only discovery museum, ASTC-certified museum (Association of Science-Technology Centers), and Digital Dome Theater, FCMoD serves a pivotal role in the cultural life of our region.

FCMoD is delighted to have served over 740,000 visitors since opening in November 2012. We are proud to be a cornerstone museum for Colorado. We remain committed to welcoming all visitors regardless of income level, and the 56,000+ low-income family members we have hosted testify to this. In 2016, we hosted our first major traveling exhibition, which attracted new constituents into the museum, and we continue to strengthen our temporary exhibit schedule, hosting exhibitions traveled by National Geographic, the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History. In 2018, we received accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums, cementing our reputation as an institution embodying the best practices of our industry.

However, large funding needs remain. We remain dedicated to supporting free experiences for low-income children and families, and continue to engage diverse community supporters to ensure the access provided by the Opportunity Program remains sustainable. We continue cultivating support for a regular schedule of traveling exhibitions, so we may give Northern Colorado the leading-edge experiences they deserve. And we face the challenges of a growing staff and increase programs offering, collaborating with our local government partners to identify opportunities to honor our growth.