Entry No. 74 — the Denver file — filed under: oddities
Chicky the Prairie Dog
In the Gems and Minerals hall sits a roughly nine-foot Brazilian amethyst geode, and if you crouch and look into the hole at its base you'll find Chicky, a taxidermied prairie dog frozen mid-wave from inside the crystals. The geode arrived from Montevideo in an anonymous hardwood crate with no paperwork and sat in storage for years; once identified, the hole at the bottom became an opportunity for a little institutional mischief. Westword named it Denver's Best Hidden Gem in 2025, and people still walk right past it.
The story
Most visitors marching through the first-floor Gems and Minerals hall at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science look straight up at a massive, nine-foot Brazilian amethyst geode, admiring the deep purple quartz at eye level. But if you drop down to a crouch and peer into the rough hole at the base of the rock, you'll find Chicky: a taxidermied prairie dog frozen mid-wave from deep inside the crystal cavity. It's a quiet, subversive piece of institutional humor embedded right into a formal earth sciences display.
The geode itself arrived in Denver from Montevideo inside an unlabelled hardwood crate—no shipping manifest, no return address, and zero paperwork. After languishing in museum storage for years, curators finally identified the specimen and put it on display. Recognizing that the empty void at the base of the stone was an open invitation, staff bypassed standard plaster filler and placed Chicky inside, turning a mystery shipment into an insider Easter egg that Westword named Denver's Best Hidden Gem in 2025.
What it's like
Finding Chicky requires buying general museum admission and navigating past the crowds in the main floor galleries. The catch is simple momentum: because the geode stands roughly nine feet tall, almost everyone walks right past the base without glancing down. You have to physically bend low to catch the little taxidermied mound waving back at you. Morning visits on weekdays offer the quietest access before school groups arrive. Once you've spotted Chicky, stop by the main lobby information desk to pick up the free "Hidden Elves" scavenger hunt sheet, which guides you to tiny figures painted into diorama backdrops by artist Kent Pendleton back in the 1970s.
The move: Make a game of it, race to be first to spot Chicky in the giant amethyst before telling each other where he is, then go hunt the hidden elves in the same trip.
📍 Before you go Chicky lives inside the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in City Park, so you'll need general museum admission to reach him. Head to the Gems and Minerals hall on the first floor, find the giant amethyst geode, and crouch low to the hole at its base — he's easy to miss otherwise. Parking in the museum's lots is free but fills up on weekends and free days, so arrive early. Grab the free "Hidden Elves" scavenger-hunt sheet at the lobby information desk to fuel the elf-hunting half of your visit. Pair it with a walk around City Park's lake right outside. Hours shift seasonally — check ahead.
- 📍 City Park
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Gems and Minerals exhibition (first floor), Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205 (in City Park); look for the hole at the base of the large Brazilian amethyst geode
Hours: Inside DMNS; requires museum admission (about $25.95 adult). Open daily 9am-5pm; the geode is a permanent display in the Gems and Minerals hall. Confirm hours on the museum site.
Pair it with
- The Learned Lemur — Pair a taxidermy Easter egg inside a geode with a visit to East Colfax's dedicated Victorian oddities shop for ethically sourced specimens and curiosities.
- Glowing Wild at Denver Zoo — Stay right inside City Park after your museum run to transition from hidden hall secrets to an evening walk among illuminated animal lanterns.
- The Cherry Tomato — Drive just over half a mile east into Park Hill for neighborhood Italian comfort food inside an unpretentious historic brick corner building.
- Park Hill Treasures — Head a mile down Colfax to browse vintage curiosities tucked inside a converted bank branch that uses the original vault for display.
Good to know
Do I need a separate ticket to see Chicky?
No separate ticket is required beyond general museum admission (about $25.95 for adults), as the geode is part of the permanent Gems and Minerals hall.
Where inside the museum is the amethyst geode located?
You'll find it on the first floor inside the Gems and Minerals exhibition; look for the nine-foot-tall purple geode and check the hole near floor level.
What is the hidden elf scavenger hunt?
It's an official museum scavenger hunt based on secret elves painted into wildlife dioramas by artist Kent Pendleton during the 1970s. You can pick up a free clue sheet at the lobby info desk.
What are the museum's hours and parking options?
The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm (and until 9pm on most Fridays). On-site parking lots are free, though they fill up quickly on weekends, so arriving early is best.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Westword · 9news.com · Atlas Obscura
last checked: 2026-06-07