Spookadelia: Doubt's Echo

Winter is in full swing here in Colorado with lots of snow and grey days. You know what grey snowy days need? Color! Lots of color! 

And do I have a lot of color for you today!

At the end of Winter Break we visited Spectra Art Space in Denver to check out the immersive, and incredibly colorful, exhibition Spookadelia: Doubt's Echo.

As you can probably guess from the name, Spookadelia is actually Spectra's annual Halloween exhibition, but as luck would have it this popular exhibition runs through the end of February. So, if you're like me and you can't get enough of spooky vibes and all the color then this is the exhibition for you!

Let's go check it out...

Now, first up, let me just say that Spookadelia is totally family friendly. You will find a few slightly spooky details like skeletons, skulls, crows, spell jars, and colorful spiders, but no horror or gore. It's cute spooky in a whimsical way! No jump scares or anything that you'd expect from a haunted house. I honestly don't think it even occurred to my kids that it was a Halloween event - especially given that we visited in January. They were too in awe of all the color and wonder surrounding them. Plus, we are a family that tends to watch a lot of spooky-ish movies and tv shows so my kids aren't phased by that short of thing. Of course, you know your kids best and what they might find scary, so please keep that in mind if you plan on visiting. You can see some of the spookier details in the pics below.

Still here? Good!

Let's take a look at what else you can expect at Spookadelia...

The exhibition is located both indoors and outdoors. Make sure to keep this in mind and dress for the weather when you visit. I mistakenly thought that it was all indoors and didn't make sure that the kids dressed warmly. Oops! You may have noticed snow on the ground in some of my pics. It was pretty chilly the day we visited. Luckily, Spookadelia is not one way like many other exhibitions, so if you need to step back inside to warm up for a bit it's no problem. 

The indoor parts of Spookadelia feature interactive light and sound displays in rooms with cloud like ceilings. You'll also find a character in a mirrored suit who will lead you through the displays and onto the outdoor exhibition area. 

Outside you'll find a whimsical land filled with various little houses, each with a different theme. The first house you'll see features a large face and you enter through the mouth. This was definitely one of our favorites! Colorful streamers (and the odd limb or two) hand from the ceiling while the floor features a swirled rainbow motif. A swing hangs from the center and you'll find a cozy knitted monster to sit inside of. Make sure to look up to spot its brain! A mirrored fox puffs steam out at intervals and the whole places feels magical!

Outside of this area you'll find a bear blowing bubbles, a giant blue robot, tentacles that reach up to the sky, whimsical plants, murals and so much more. You'll also meet another friend! You probably already  spotted them in pics above! 

There they are!

This colorful one eyed streamer monster lead us around the outdoor areas pointing out hidden details, showing us how to interact with certain installations (like a drum that made mechanical bees flap their wings), pushed us on the swing, and they did lots of dancing! What a friendly monster!

As well as the big colorful house in the center of the outdoor area, another one of my favorites was a house featuring an interactive spell book, enchanted botanical displays, skeletons, fairy houses, spell jars, and more whimsy than you can poke a stick at! The level of detail in this house was amazing. Everywhere we looked there was something new to see.

You'll find many other houses in the outdoor area including a darkened room with a giant Furby like creature and 3D like images on the walls that change as the lighting changes. You'll find a house reminiscent of a Day of the Dead altar with skulls, marigolds and colorful flags. There are several houses with underwater themes with giant tentacles and fish like creatures. You'll find teeny tiny kids sized play houses. There really is so much to see and experience.

When you enter Spookadelia, one of the staff members will give you a map with a secret message on it. Throughout the outdoor areas of the display you'll find clues to crack the code. Each one of the clues looks like a numbered eye on a round plaque. You can see them in the pics below. You'll find a QR code to scan on each one to reveal a hidden message.

While Spookadelia was the drawcard for our visit, there was so much more to see at Spectra Art Space. Their gallery space is currently showing the exhibition "Tiny Art Big Ideas". You'll find dozens of tiny art works on display and they're all for sale. Lola brought home a tiny painting of a sea bunny. 

You'll also find a gift shop full of amazing artworks, prints, stickers, toys and so much more. 

Spookadelia: Doubt's Echo runs through the end of February and is open daily expect Tuesdays. Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays are open from 11am to 9pm. Thursdays through Saturdays are open 11am to 11pm. 

Tickets can be purchased online at https://spectraartspace.com/spookadelia/. Timed entry tickets start at $20 for adults (ages 11+) and $12 for kids (10 and under). Priority tickets are $30 and allow entry at any time. Priority tickets also come with swag including a sticker, pin and Super Special Activation Glasses that allow you to experience the exhibition in a more magical way.

Tickets may be available at the door for an extra cost.

Spectra Art Space is located at 1836 S Broadway, Denver.

For more information visit https://spectraartspace.com/spookadelia/.