Denver Mint
The Denver Mint is the U.S. Mint’s branch on West Colfax Avenue, where billions of coins stamped with the famous “D” mint mark are made every year. Free guided tours take you inside the historic building to see how America’s pocket change is made.
Denver Mint in Denver, CO
Denver’s mint story starts with the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Gold was found in 1858, and in 1862 Congress created a branch mint in Denver and bought the private mint of Clark, Gruber & Company at 16th and Market Streets. For decades it worked only as an assay office, where miners brought gold to be melted, refined and cast into bars. In 1904 the operation moved into the building on West Colfax that it still uses today, a grand Renaissance-style building modeled after the Medici-Riccardi Palace in Florence, Italy. The first coins were struck there in February 1906, and by the end of that year the mint had produced more than 2.1 million gold and silver coins. The building has its share of legends too: in 1922 gangsters stole $200,000 in $5 bills from a truck parked outside in the “Great Mint Robbery,” and in the 1930s gold shipments arrived for safekeeping. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and in fiscal year 2000 it produced a record 15.4 billion coins.
Tours are free but you must reserve online through the Mint’s Tour Reservation System. In-person tickets are no longer offered. Reservations open up to 30 days ahead, released at 1 a.m. Denver time, with a limit of five tickets per request. Tours run Monday through Thursday, except federal holidays, at 7:15, 8:30 and 9:45 a.m., and at 11:30 a.m., 12:45 and 2 p.m. Each lasts about an hour, holds up to 50 people, and everyone must be at least 7 years old. Coin production schedules vary, so the presses may not be running during your visit. Arrive at the tour entrance on Cherokee Street on time with your confirmation, because late arrivals aren’t admitted. The Mint doesn’t offer parking, so plan to use meters or pay lots nearby. Afterward, the Gift Shop is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with coins, sets and souvenirs.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: U.S. Mint in Denver, CO IMG 5527 by Billy Hathorn (CC BY-SA 3.0); Denver Mint at Night by Patcris2264 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Denver Mint by Nur (CC BY-SA 4.0); Denver Mint (40212263814) by Paul Sableman (CC BY 2.0); Us-mint-denver-colorado by Detroit Publishing Co (Public domain); "View taken September 26, 1935, looking west from Cherokee Street." – NARA – 293493 by U.S. National Archives (NARA) (Public domain). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
Check tour availability, closure dates and Gift Shop news on the official Denver Mint tour page from the United States Mint. Tours and the Gift Shop are closed Nov. 11, Nov. 26, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do at the Denver Mint?
- Free guided tour: Spend about an hour learning the history of the Mint and how circulating coins are made.
- See the production floor: Watch coin production when the presses are running.
- Historic architecture: Admire the 1904 building modeled after Florence’s Medici-Riccardi Palace.
- Gift Shop: Shop for coins, annual sets and one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
- Virtual tour: Can’t get a reservation? Watch the Mint’s 360-degree virtual tour videos online.
What is nearby the Denver Mint?
- Colorado State Capitol: Climb to the gold dome a few blocks east on Colfax.
- Denver Art Museum: One of the West’s biggest art museums, a few blocks southeast in the Golden Triangle.
- Colorado History Museum: Hands-on state history galleries on Broadway.
- Civic Center Park: Denver’s central park, right across the street from the City and County Building.
- Union Station: Downtown’s restored rail hub, a short ride away.
Do you need reservations to tour the Denver Mint?
Yes. Tours are free, but you must book online through the Mint’s Tour Reservation System. In-person tickets are no longer available. Reservations open up to 30 days ahead at 1 a.m. Denver time, you can book up to five tickets per request, and all visitors must be 7 or older. The staff can’t take reservations by phone or email.
When is the Denver Mint open for tours?
Tours run Monday through Thursday, excluding observed federal holidays, at 7:15 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 2 p.m. Each tour lasts about an hour. The Gift Shop is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tours and the Gift Shop are closed Nov. 11, Nov. 26, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, 2026.
Are there any tips for visiting the Denver Mint?
Book as soon as dates open, since tours fill quickly. Bring your printed or mobile confirmation to the Cherokee Street entrance and arrive early, because late arrivals aren’t admitted. No curbside drop-offs or pickups are allowed around the Mint, so park at a meter or nearby pay lot. From Dec. 7, 2026, to March 4, 2027, the elevator at the end of the tour is out of service, and staff will walk visitors back to the entrance instead of using the stairs.
The Denver Mint is located at 320 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80204, with the tour entrance on Cherokee Street. Call 303-405-4761 for tour information or visit usmint.gov to plan your visit.