American Museum of Western Art

The American Museum of Western Art will be free to visit during Doors Open Denver, but timed reservations are required to manage building capacity. Timed entry reservation link is coming soon.

In 1889 the Brinker Collegiate Institute was sold, and the building was turned into the Richelieu Hotel, a gentleman’s club with dining and gambling. It was soon lost in a card game and renamed The Navarre after the French King Henry IV or Navarre, a devotee of decadence and high living. In 1892, the Brown Palace Hotel was built across the street. The two buildings had the same architect and shared an undergrown tunnel to transport coal. Legend has it that the tunnel was used to transport people who preferred to be seen entering the gambling house and alleged brothel. In the 1940s it became Johnny Ott’s, a fine dining establishment. In the 1960s Peanuts Hucko, a well-known jazz clarinetist, ran the Navarre as Denver’s hottest jazz club. In the 1980s, William Foxley opened an art museum inside The Navarre. The building was sold again in 1997 and renovated to its Victorian roots. The American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection, opened to the public in 2010.

Doors Open Denver 2026 Activities: The Museum will provide free Self-Guided tours all day. Self-Guided tours come with an optional audio guide. Docents will be in each gallery to talk about The Navarre Building, and the art collection (The Anschutz Collection). Please note that the Museum does not allow children under 8 years of age, including those in carriers or strollers.