When most people hear that the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus’ new exhibit, Catawampus, is dark—illuminated primarily by googly-eyed monsters that glow in black lights and the lanterns that swing from tiny visitors’ hands—they might think it would be too scary for kids. Most people, however, don’t live with four-year-olds. Or, at least, they don’t live with my four-year-old.

At least once a week, he insists on pulling down the shade in his room, hitting the switch, and turning on every illumination device he’s collected over his short life. These include, but are not limited to, toy emergency vehicles with flashing lights, LED foam wands left over from wedding receptions, and utility flashlights pilfered from our junk drawer. For Christmas this year, he got a new bike, Nike’s Giannis Immortality 4 sneakers, and a Toniebox—but all he talks about is the $5 laser pointer I, er, Santa slipped into his stocking.

So, I was pretty sure he’d be into Catawampus, and when we went to the museum shortly after its May 13 debut, we beelined for the second-story space called Gallery Uno. Catawampus is the second rotating tactile exhibit, inspired by a single word, to call the 1,000-square-foot room home. (Previously, it was Snug, which featured a cozy floor-to-ceiling furniture maze.) The rack outside that holds the lanterns was empty, but he dove in through the black pool noodle curtain anyway. “Mom, I’m nocturnal, remember?” he deadpanned. “I have night vision.”

The author’s son holds a lantern and sits on a fuzzy monsterat <em>Catawampus</em>, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus’ new exhibit.
The author’s son at Catawampus, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus’ new exhibit. Photo by Jessica LaRusso

I’ll admit, though, I got a little nervous when we were immediately confronted with shrieking children materializing and disappearing around a towering, glowing neon owl. My son pulled up short and seemed to be having second thoughts as well—until he spied a glimmer from under a blanket flap along the wall to our left. By then, our eyes were adjusting, and he got on his hands and knees to peer into the nook, which held a sprawling octopuslike critter.

I noticed a big group leaving and snagged him a lantern. “Mom, let’s explore!” he said and excitedly led me through the dangling foam tentacles. (My son later compared them to the stinging tendrils of a siphonophore, which tells you a lot about the kind of nerds his parents are.) The charmingly alarming creatures and their habitats were created by artist Bree Angela—she also worked on the museum’s tactile-focused infant and toddler space, Bloom—and exhibit designer Aidan Krempetz. Adults will appreciate touches like a sock-hoarding monster on a dryer and a strategically placed copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

purple googly-eyed octopus
Catawampus features googly-eyed monsters in a dark space. Photo courtesy of the Children’s Museum of Denver

And kids? I can only speak for mine and the others we encountered bumbling through the dark—but they all seemed delighted and not at all frightened, if only for 10 or so minutes at a time. (I was glad we were there on a weekday; I can imagine the small space would be less fun if you kept running into someone’s back behind every tentacle or had to wait in a line to sit on the giant chair-shaped monster.) After a visit to the fire truck and climbing to the top of Adventure Forest outside, my son did ask to go back to the “lantern place,” where he and a newly made friend bravely explored together. There was a dicey moment deciding who would be the leader, but the other child had light-up shoes, which won him the job—and my son’s adulation.

Catawampus will be open through summer 2026 and is included with memberships (starting at $147 per year) and general admission (age one, $16.75; ages two to 59, $18.75; ages 60-plus, $16.75) at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive.