Denver Tour

The U.S. Mint seeks to upgrade its public tour displays at its Denver facility. The Denver Mint is open to the public during set hours where visitors can observe coins being produced. The Denver Mint is located in the heart of downtown at an excellent and convenient location-across from the Colorado State Capitol building. Because of the Denver Mint's location, the U.S. Mint is presented with a perfect opportunity to showcase how coins are made, to educate tourists about the history of coins and to properly present a positive image of the Federal government. The Denver Mint tour has become very stagnant and requires improvement and development. With only minor and cosmetic upgrades to exhibits and the building infrastructure, the Denver Mint tour has only had tenant renovations since it opened in 1906. While the Denver tour still attracts approximately 42,500 visitors per year, the exhibits are not compelling. In the current environment, visitors to facilities offering public tours expect bright, dynamic and informative displays. They also expect video presentations and interactive exhibits, especially for children. Visitors to a government facility should also experience a feeling of confidence in the agency that they are visiting. In the case of the Denver Mint, visitors should depart the tour feeling confident in an agency that plays a key role in the functioning of the nation's economy. We believe the potential to improve and tell a compelling story here to be exponential. Although there is a viewing area on the current tour that allows visitors to see coins being manufactured, the viewing area does not provide insight into the entire process. In essence, the process is truncated and the full coin-making process is not provided. The U.S. Mint seeks to install a range of exhibits that would make the public tour route more exciting, engaging and informative-and to provide a fuller perspective of the coin-making process. Static, inter-active and audio/video-based displays are envisioned.