DENVER, CO.- The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has announced its newest exhibition, Changing Landscapes: Inside Venice, Mesa Verde, and Rapa Nui, which explores UNESCO World Heritage Sites facing challenges in a changing climate. The temporary exhibition opens to the public on Friday, June 12, 2026, and will run through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027.

“Changing Landscapes invites visitors to experience some of the world’s most culturally significant places and understand the climate challenges they face,” said Emmy Dawson, PhD, anthropology research assistant at the Museum. “By combining full-sensory digital environments with real-world climate science and cultural heritage, from deciding whether to raise Venice’s flood barriers to tracing ancient rock art from Rapa Nui, this exhibition makes complex environmental issues both engaging and accessible while highlighting how communities around the world are responding with ingenuity and resilience.”

Presented in both English and Spanish, this family-friendly exhibition transports visitors to Venice, Italy; the island of Rapa Nui off the coast of Chile; and the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in southwestern Colorado. Through large-scale projections and advanced photogrammetry technology, these culturally significant places are brought to life in detail. Hands-on activities and immersive media experiences help visitors visualize how climate hazards like flooding, drought, wildfires, erosion and rising sea levels are impacting both nature and cultural heritage, and how communities are taking action to protect what matters to them.

Details and Highlights:

• Immersive projections that transport visitors to Venice, Mesa Verde and Rapa Nui, including protecting Venetian storefronts from flooding and tracing rock art from Rapa Nui


• A decision-making activity where visitors determine whether to raise Venice’s MOSE flood barriers

• A tactile model of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde and hands-on puzzles exploring how climate impacts damage cultural artifacts


• Reflection stations where visitors can explore how climate change is affecting places they value


• Real-world stories of communities taking action to address climate challenges


• All exhibition content presented in both English and Spanish

Changing Landscapes: Inside Venice, Mesa Verde, and Rapa Nui is free with Museum admission and included with Museum membership.