Jurassic Oceans and Angkor Wat at Denver Museum of Nature and Science 

The two current special exhibitions featured at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science create a full day of fun for adults and kids alike. Walking into the oceanic atmosphere of the opening room as if stepping into a Jurassic Ocean 150 million years ago makes visitors immediately feel as if they could go for a swim among Pliosaurs. And just across the way on the same floor, an entry into the jungles of Cambodia complete with a replica of a part of Angkor and life size photographs of locals from the site immerse in you into the largest know religious complex in the world. Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia consists of both an expansive exhibit as well as a companion film that can be viewed on the second floor Infinity Theater with a separate ticket. Viewing Angkor is included in museum admission, and Jurassic Oceans is a separate special exhibit ticket that can be purchased at either the main desk or near the entrance to the exhibit on the third floor.

Jurassic Oceans comes from the Natural History Museum in London, with collaboration from the Field Museum in Chicago, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science’s contributions to create a unique experience for it’s visitors. The overall exhibit has a classic science museum feel while incorporating both original and replicated artifacts to feel and interact with. The favorite of the exhibit by parents and children alike? A piece of coprolite (aka fossilized poop). This small piece of the past was one of Paleontologist Marie Anning’s claims to fame. Prominent in the 19th century as one of the pioneering forces in her field, Denver Museum of Nature and Science decided to create and include a feature of this often overlooked historical figure, as she was mentioned briefly in the original exhibit materials. 

Another large contribution Denver Museum of Nature and Science was able to create for Jurassic Oceans includes many independent or volunteer led interactive stations that include puzzles, graphics, and parts of the museums extensive fossil collections. You are able to compare your hand to some marine reptiles fins of the past, and create your own timeline of the creatures of the oceans of both the Jurassic and modern eras. If you want to get the most out of this exhibit, definitely ask the volunteers about their fossils, you may get to hold a piece of a Megalodon, which is not from the Jurassic, but is iconic nonetheless the less. 

One of the most interesting themes of the exhibit is the comparison of the past with the present. Throughout the space there are some much more recognizable marine animals throughout including an amazing preserved leatherback turtle, and horseshoe crab to show how we reached our current understanding of the se marine reptiles that inhabited our oceans by looking at both the past and present. 

Children will especially enjoy this exhibit as it is incredibly interactive and features many fun animations to accompany fossils and artifacts so you can better understand what you are looking and reading about. This would be a fantastic exhibit to view as an accompaniment to the Prehistoric Journey permanent exhibit on the same floor to see both the land and oceans of the distant past.

Moving across the third floor to a more recent history that is now embedded in Cambodian jungles, Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia, puts you in the footsteps of the capitol of the Khmer Empire. An expansive society stretching across a large portion of Southeast Asia between the 9th and 25th centuries. Angkor Wat was built from 1113 and 1150 and housed approximately 700,000 people at its peak. 

This exhibit was completed in partnership with the National Cambodian Government that sent experts from the site to install all of the artifacts from Angkor Wat. The exhibit features room after room of pieces of this religious complex as both small feature selections to represent specific aspects of the visual iconography of Angkor, as well as recreations of temple entrances and the roads leading to different places in the Khmer Empire. One special case study even features a large statue that is a part of a group that was looted, but Cambodia has managed to return six of the nine original statues. All artifacts, large or small, create a story of this ancient place from the perspective of both the higher echelons and the mundane life of most of the inhabitants. 

One of the highlights of the entire exhibit is a hallway that feels as if you have stepped into the River of A Thousand Lingas. Water was one of the aspects Angkor architecture and life revolves around due to the weather patterns of the region. This river is outside of Angkor and has engraved symbols on the rocks of the riverbed to bless the water. Another unique experience we would recommend is asking a volunteer if you may see a demonstration of the special instrument Denver Museum of Nature and Science commissioned especially for this exhibit from Cambodian artisans called a Kse Diev (pronounced sigh dyoo). This instrument would have been played in Angkor and the practice was almost lost entirely during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. 

The interactive elements of this exhibit feature a demonstration of LiDAR, one of the most prominent tools used in the study of Angkor Wat, shows aspects of the large complex that are hard to reach even on the ground. This tool and many other stories revolving around the present day research being done at the site of Angkor Wat are included in the accompanying film at the Infinity Theater which also features some very cute animal helpers that were not included in the exhibit but crucial to helping field workers access certain parts of the site. To get a full picture of both the past and present of this awe inspiring cultural site we highly recommend experiencing both the exhibit and the film. There is also an opportunity to build your own temple, and view a replica of the Bilan Wall, which helped inform archaeologists of the everyday life of Angkor.

This exhibit was definitely a labor of love for the Cambodia culture from ancient to modern times through its inclusion of special artwork from Cambodia’s Ute Chantan Worksop, a section featuring the culture of modern Cambodia, curators having discussions with the cultural ambassadors sent from Cambodia while installing the exhibition, and holding a special opening for the Cambodian community in Colorado. The amount of care and work crafted into this space is apparent. This exhibit is designed for those interested in history and cultural practices from around the world and has some unique interactive elements that will interest both kids and adults alike.

Both of these exhibits feature fascinating looks into the past with a combination of artifacts and scientific study to illustrate elements of the world we live in today. If you’re interested in stepping into an ancient ocean or the jungles of the Khmer Empire, you can now at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. 

Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodian is included in general admission and closes August 24th, 2025

Jurassic Oceans requires a special ticket and closes September 7th, 2025