Since 1906, the National Western Stock Show has been a staple of Denver in January, and CSU has been a close partner since the beginning. Together, the two organizations work to boost education about food and agriculture. In recent years, this partnership has taken on new meaning with the development of the National Western Center and the CSU Spur campus.
The National Western Stock Show will return January 10-25, 2026 — but you don’t need to wait until then to see all that CSU Spur has to offer! CSU Spur is FREE and open to the public, focused on engaging PreK-12 students, families, and visitors around the topics of food, water, and health through hands-on experiences, exhibits, special programs, and more.
Check out pictures of the 2025 Stock Show and plan your visit below!
We need your help!
Help us welcome visitors to CSU Spur as a volunteer during the National Western Stock Show in January! No prior experience needed.
CSU Spur is open every day during the Stock Show!
CSU Spur is open to the public seven days/week from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during the National Western Stock Show Jan. 11-26. Activities and programs are FREE unless otherwise indicated.
CSU Spur is focused on engaging PreK-12 students, families, and visitors around the topics of food, water, and health through hands-on experiences, exhibits, special programs, and more.
Check out what’s happening in all three buildings every day below, and find information for timed demonstrations and special events on the CSU Spur calendar.
Visit Spur during the Stock Show (Jan. 11-26)
- 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, including weekends and holidays.
- No admission required to visit CSU Spur.
- Buy Stock Show tickets.
- Parking is limited during the Stock Show. View a parking map and driving directions.
- Food and drinks are available for purchase at Western Daughters Kitchen in the Hydro building. Open 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily.
CSU Spur is turning 2!
Please join the CSU Spur team on Jan. 11 to celebrate two years since the campus fully opened to the public!
Enjoy free desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, and hands-on family-friendly CSU activities: see horses walk on treadmills, veterinarians at work, scientists working in labs, and kitchen demonstrations.
Celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; CSU Spur is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. CSU Spur will provide bus transportation from different locations in Globeville and Elyria-Swansea. Plan your day.
Bring your school group to Spur!
Be sure to include CSU Spur in your National Western Stock Show field trip.
Hydro (water)
Daily activities at Hydro include:
- Playing in the stream table and the mock water lab.
- Bringing a project to life using tools in the Makerspace.
- Observing growing trout.
- Exploring Colorado watersheds in the Backyard.
Terra (food and agriculture)
Daily activities at Terra include:
- Interactive kitchen demonstrations.
- Strolling through the rooftop greenhouses.
- Exploring the Impact(o) map.
- Playing in the mock kitchen.
Vida (animal and human health)
Daily activities at Vida include:
- Watching veterinarians perform surgery on dogs and cats.
- Playing in the mock vet clinic.
- Exploring virtual reality (ages 9+).
- Meeting Esperanza, our 9-foot-tall interactive kitten.
Getting to Spur
Parking (download the map)
- Dumb Friends League and Temple Grandin Equine Center clients park in client parking on the west side of the Vida building.
- There is a parking checkpoint as you enter National Western Drive from E. 46th Avenue; tell the parking attendant that you are visiting CSU Spur, and follow signs to CSU Spur parking near the Terra building.
- The parking lot on the north side of the Vida building is NOT AVAILABLE during Stock Show.
Driving directions
- Take I-25 to I-70 east
- Travel east on I-70 to Washington St. (exit 206)
- Turn north onto Washington St.
- Turn east onto E. 47th Ave.
- E. 47th Ave. turns into E. 46th Ave.
- Turn north onto National Western Drive
Address for GPS: 4777 National Western Drive, Denver, CO 80216
Alternative transportation
- Download a walking map from the Stock Show.
- The South Platte River bike trail connects directly to CSU Spur, and the campus has bike racks.
- The Denver Connector Microtransit Program offers free rides within the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods weekdays between 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
Hours
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
2nd Saturday of every month: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (closed all other Saturdays)
Closed Sundays
Location
4777 National Western Dr.,
Denver, CO 80216
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TONY FRANK
Chancellor, CSU System
Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.
Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.
Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
JOCELYN HITTLE
Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University
Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.
Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 10), and we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with all kinds of spring activities, including mariachi performances, songwriting labs, a Temple Grandin Equine Center equine-assisted therapy demonstration, a visit from the Sci on the Fly truck, and more!