Denver Museum Nature Play & Box Canyon Waterway Project Breaks Ground

By Lauren Weiderspon, ECI Site Construction Management

As part of its mission to build interactive outdoor spaces that enhance communities, ECI Site Construction Management, Inc. (ECI) celebrated the groundbreaking of its Nature Play and Box Canyon Waterway project at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. The project is a collaboration between DMNS and the City and County of Denver and will cover four acres across the southwest corner of the museum in City Park.

This multisensory outdoor venue will include numerous unique elements that will appeal to multiple generations, including swings, slides, climbing features, seating and gathering spaces, a 20-foot bighorn sheep sculpture, and accessible pathways. Additionally, the historic waterway in the southeast corner of City Park will be restored and highlight Colorado’s ecosystems through play experiences.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this project is how much the Denver community has driven its overall vision. As part of the 2018 City Park Master Planning Process, more than 800 community members were surveyed so the end result could best match the public’s needs. Feedback included the desire for accessibility, native Colorado plants, water features, and much more.

With more than 1.7 million people served annually by the DMNS onsite, offsite and virtually, it goes without saying that the institute is a fundamental landmark for families in the Denver area. This new outdoor space will provide learning opportunities and gathering spaces for all ages and abilities for years to come.

It is expected to open to the public in late 2024. ECI will serve as the project’s general contractor and Dig Studio as the primary landscape architect.

Visit the DMNS website at dmns.org to learn more about the project and vision behind it. Learn more about ECI and its projects at www.ecisite.net.