The United States Mint has been manufacturing money in Denver for nearly as long as the city has been around. The Mint is located at West Colfax Avenue and Delaware Street in downtown Denver.
Denver was founded in 1859, a year after gold was first discovered in Colorado. On April 21, 1862, the Denver Mint was established. Once the gold was discovered, there needed to be a place to make amazing gold coins. Today, the Denver Mint makes coin dies, stores silver bullion and mints coins. They share in producing the circulating coins with the Philadelphia Mint, which covers the eastern half of the country, while Denver takes care of the west.
The Denver Mint is one of the most historic buildings in Colorado. Listed on the national and Denver historic register, it’s modeled after the Medici Riccardi Palazzo, a Renaissance palace located in Florence, Italy. It’s one of the top ten places to visit in the metro area.
Mint coins made here include:
- Circulating coins
- Numismatic products, such as annual uncirculated coin sets
- Commemorative coins as authorized by Congress
United States Mint Tour at Denver Facility
Free guided tours are offered year round. See how the United States Government produces billions of coins every year. There’s a Mint Gift Shop, with unique souvenirs and historic coins. Everyone on the tour gets a free bag of shredded dollars.
Six tours per day are available: 8am, 9:30am, 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and 3:30pm. Tours last about 45 minutes. Adults need photo ID. Please arrive 30 minutes for scheduled tour time. The tour is ADA accessible.
Requirements
Children must be 7 years or older. Pick up your free tour ticket at the tour booth, located by the Gift Shop entrance on Cherokee Street, tucked in between West Colfax and 14th Avenue. The tour booth is open Monday to Thursday at 7am, until all the day’s tour tickets have been allotted.
Only same day tours are available, first-come, fist-serve. Limit is five tickets per person. Peak times are all summer, Memorial Day through Labor Day, Spring Break in march, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Visitors often come at 5am just to get their spot.
Purses and bags are prohibited and they do not have lockers for storage. Strollers, food, drinks, tobacco and lighters are also prohibited. Everyone will pass through a security screening. There’s no parking provided, yet you can find metered spots on the street nearby, as well as pay lots. Cameras must be off while on the tour and photography is not permitted.
The follow 2020 days tour are closed or limited:
- February 13, 2020 (8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. tours available)
- February 17, 2020
- April 23, 2020
- May 25, 2020
- July 3, 2020
- August 24, 2020 through September 7, 2020
- October 12, 2020
- November 11, 2020
- November 26, 2020
- December 21 through December 24, 2020
- December 31, 2020
If you want to learn more about the history of money, head down to Colorado Springs for the ANA Money Museum.
Details
Address: 320 West Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 303-572-9500
Season: Year round
Fee: Free
