by Caryl Buckstein

Created on: April 12, 2009

It started in the 19th Century by a pioneer naturalist. Edwin Carter needed a place to house his collection of Colorado birds and mammals. He started with a log cabin.

Today, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science www.dmns.org is one of state's top tourist destinations, housed in a 500,000 square-foot building over 100 years old. Its collections contain more than a million objects.

Like Carter, visitors continue to explore. Only now, the scientific territory stretches from the Earth's core into outer space, from aboriginal culture to human inner space.

In many ways, the museum allows guests to discover for themselves. Hands-on exhibits invite young and old visitors to hear, see and feel science. It is learning at its best, because it hardly feels like learning at all. It just seems like fun.

For example, take "Expedition Health," a permanent exhibit that opened in April 2009. If you take this tour personally, you're doing it right.

It's all about the human body, but not just any human body. It's yours, on an imaginary trip up Mount Evans.

In this expedition, you use your senses to discover how your body works. Just part of the experience:

n See microscopic cells from your own body in a laboratory.

n Jump on a bicycle and start pedaling on a virtual ride through the Rockies.

n Watch how your body protects you against wind chill.

n Look at your own unique network of blood vessels.

Through your exploration, a "buddy" takes you in hand. Before you leave, stop to tell the story of your own health on video. Print a "Peak Pass Personal Profile" to take home, to recall your personal discoveries.

Youngsters have a special Tykes Peak experience, where they can scramble up a mini mountain and tunnel themselves through a log. They have a chance to learn about nutrition, as well as see a mirror image of guts and bones of their growing bodies.

The museum excels at children discovery areas. One of the most popular past exhibits was entitled "Grossology," and delved into basic, basest human anatomy.

The experience at many of the exhibits defies age restrictions. The Space Odyssey exhibit on the first floor is a blast of experience. On the same floor, the gems and minerals exhibit shows objects from throughout the world, in a setting that feels like an expedition through a mine.

This museum goes well beyond Carter's naturalist vision. Egyptian mummies may be viewed on the third floor. Immerse into Native American cultures, in sight and sound, on the second floor.

Not to be overlooked are the wildlife dioramas that have inspired generations of visitors.

The mountain views from the atriums are inspirational.

It's OK to take an appetite. The food in the T-Rex Caf (in honor of cutting edge dinosaur displays) is fine and reasonably priced. The selection of souvenirs at the museum shop is broad for what seems like a relatively small space.

Come ready to explore and have fun.

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