Rocky Mountain Arsenal Visitor Center
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Denver, Colorado

Located just east of Denver, this property has an extraordinary history, having been transformed from virgin prairie into farm fields, to a chemical munitions manufacturing facility, to a pesticide and insecticide production plant, and finally to one of America’s most polluted Superfund sites. But the Arsenal’s most recent transformation may be its most striking and significant: after a massive two decades-long cleanup effort it is now a National Wildlife Refuge. The story of this remarkable place is one of resilience and adaptation, continuity and change. Bald eagles now roost where chemical weapons were produced, and this former high-security Army facility now welcomes recreational visitors. The focus of the exhibition is on human interaction with this landscape over time, using immersive environments, interactive media, audio soundscapes, artifact and object displays, and replicated habitats and natural history models.

Project Partners

URS
architecture and landscape architecture
Available Light
lighting
Northern Light Productions
audiovisual and multimedia
Institute for Human Centered Design
accessibility

Testimonials

I think you captured the story well and have come up with a
nice set of exhibits that will engage the public.

Mark Cornyn, PMP
General Engineer
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service