A place for research and education — free and open to the public!
There’s nowhere in the world like CSU Spur. CSU Spur is home to real science and research, and opens its doors to welcome visitors to see it all happen! From field trip opportunities to summer camps, to services open to the community, CSU Spur is a place for all.
A day at CSU Spur has something for all ages — it’s a laboratory, veterinary clinic, market, museum, art studio, classroom, garden, innovation center…all in one!
If you like…
ART
- Explore Spur’s one-of-a-kind art installations, created by eight artists from around the globe.
- Grab a cup of coffee and observe artists at work in-studio at the restored McConnell building, an historic building attached to Hydro.
- Engage with a variety of temporary art offerings, available at Spur on a rotating basis.
ANIMALS
- Watch horses walk on underwater treadmills to build their strength and rehabilitate in the Vida building.
- Marvel at an active surgery suite as veterinarians help dogs and cats at the Dumb Friends League clinic at Vida.
- Learn about animal anatomy at one of Spur’s many interactive exhibits.
LEARNING
- Sign the kids up for summer camp or a virtual learning experience.
- Join a cooking or gardening class — some of Spur’s many community offerings.
- Attend an event like the Water in the West Symposium — focused on water challenges and solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our time.
THE OUTDOORS
- Walk or bike along the newly-restored South Platte River.
- Bring a picnic or a book to the backyard at Hydro.
- Explore the rooftop greenhouses at Terra — and check out the amazing view of Denver.
Spur is a platform
CSU Spur hosts programming from many partners — including the Dumb Friends League, Denver Water, the Temple Grandin Equine Center, and the CSU College of Agriculture — so every time you come to Spur, expect something new!
National Western Center or CSU Spur?
CSU Spur is a campus within the reimagined National Western Center.
The National Western Center (NWC) is a 250-acre redevelopment project; it hosts the National Western Stock Show each year and is a year-round destination for concerts, conferences, farmers markets, and more.
A strong partnership yesterday, and tomorrow
CSU’s history with the National Western Stock Show goes back to the first show in 1906. Back then, CSU Fort Collins closed campus for students to attend the show, and the college won so many awards that it was banned from competing — a ruling that luckily wasn’t enforced.
The CSU System and the Stock Show have a long-standing partnership, and the National Western Center partnership ensures a strong future ahead.
A strong partnership yesterday, and tomorrow
CSU’s history with the National Western Stock Show goes back to the first show in 1906. Back then, CSU Fort Collins closed campus for students to attend the show, and the college won so many awards that it was banned from competing — a ruling that luckily wasn’t enforced.
The CSU System and the Stock Show have a long-standing partnership, and the National Western Center partnership ensures a strong future ahead.
150 years in the making
NOV. 3
2015
MEASURE 2C IS APPROVED
Denver voters approve the revamp of the National Western Complex to create a new, year-round campus.
Dec. 13
2019
SPUR IS NAMED
CSU System unveils its new brand, CSU Spur, for the university system’s campus at the National Western Center.
MAY 5
2020
SPUR BREAKS GROUND
CSU System hosts the official groundbreaking for CSU Spur.
JAN. 7
2022
VIDA OPENS
Vida, the first of the CSU Spur buildings, opens during the 2022 National Western Stock Show.
June 8
2022
Terra OPENS
The Terra building, focused on food and agriculture, opens in June 2022.
Jan. 6
2023
CSU Spur is fully open as Hydro opens
The CSU System celebrates the Hydro building opening and the Spur campus completion!
CSU Spur partners
CSU SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS
The Colorado State University System has three campuses, each with very distinct roles and missions. Find out more about our institutions.
FOUNDING PARTNERS
As one of the five founding partners of the National Western Center, CSU Spur has been working alongside a number of like-minded partners since 2014 to bring CSU Spur and the National Western Center to life.
PROJECT PARTNERS
CSU Spur is working with many important partners, who help bring relevant, educational, and inspiring programming to the campus year-round.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
CSU Spur takes its role as a neighbor to the communities surrounding the campus seriously and works to engage with community partners who are doing important work in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods and beyond.
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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
© 2024 Colorado State University System.
All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Equal Opportunity Statement
JOCELYN HITTLE
Associate Vice Chancellor for CSU Spur & Special Projects, CSU System
Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on helping to create the CSU System’s new Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting campus 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.
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.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (April 13)! The theme is the Big Bloom.
Hope to see you there!