CELL - The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab
CELL - The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab
CELL - The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab
3.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) is dedicated to preventing terrorism through education, empowerment and engagement. As a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution, its one-of-a-kind exhibit, renowned speaker series and training initiatives provide a comprehensive look at the threat of terrorism and how individuals can play a role in preventing it, ultimately enhancing public safety.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience CELL - The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
1,614 within 5 kms
Attractions
503 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.5
42 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
6
Average
4
Poor
5
Terrible
6
Shawntae V
Arlington, TX41 contributions
July 2015
This was a cool mini museum, if you will. If you're prior service, this is basically an upscale version of terrorism training.
This is well organized and a clean place. We were the only ones there on a Friday morning so we had plenty of time to read each part of the exhibit. However, there are several pieces that can be read within the area. Excellent interactive graphics.
This is well organized and a clean place. We were the only ones there on a Friday morning so we had plenty of time to read each part of the exhibit. However, there are several pieces that can be read within the area. Excellent interactive graphics.
Written 10 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
quartzlynn
Los Angeles, CA21 contributions
July 2014 • Business
Incredibly informative, unique and well presented. Very interesting experience that I don't believe exists anywhere else in the country if not the world!
Written 3 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RobsJourney
Westchester County, NY22 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
Like many of the other reviews i thought there could have been more.It doesn't take long to get through the entire place, probably an hour or so. Some of the images can be pretty graphic. It really does help to raise your awareness of what great lengths these terrorists go to in order to accomplish their mission. Pretty scary if you actually think about it.
Written 22 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PBond
7 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
I'd passed this many times when going to the Denver Art Museum and finally looked it up and got a ticket. I appreciated this unique exhibit. It includes both interactive and posted information about terrorist acts. Including personal stories and ideas of what we can do if we see or hear something suspicious.
I initially worried that it might be scary and would possibly support increased surveillance of the public or laws that limit privacy. The exhibit did NOT do this. The two tour guides/docents Lily and James were wonderful - very attentive and knowledgeable. I was lucky to be one a very few visitors which allowed me to go at my own pace and get good attention from them.
While I would not take younger family members to this (they suggest 14 years or older) and don't anticipate seeing it again; I do appreciate the work they're doing in schools.
I initially worried that it might be scary and would possibly support increased surveillance of the public or laws that limit privacy. The exhibit did NOT do this. The two tour guides/docents Lily and James were wonderful - very attentive and knowledgeable. I was lucky to be one a very few visitors which allowed me to go at my own pace and get good attention from them.
While I would not take younger family members to this (they suggest 14 years or older) and don't anticipate seeing it again; I do appreciate the work they're doing in schools.
Written 12 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruce E
Denver, CO1 contribution
Feb 2015 • Family
I made the mistake of visiting this exhibit with my kids. It was free the weekend of February 7 -8, and since I thought it was some kind of art installation (it's across a pedestrian plaza from the Denver Art Museum), we went it.
What a mistake: this exhibit is a bad kind of propaganda, internally claiming to be educational and fair, but really just an attempt to instill fear into people to make them easier to control. There's a talking head that claims that if we (US citizens) only hold onto the values that made us great, we'll survive this whole war on terror just fine. There's also mention that terrorism isn't confined to single religion: *archival* footage of Klu Klux Klan marches and meetings is shown, along with stereotypical chanting Muslims and a kippa-wearing "Jewish terrorist".
There's no mention of any of the abuses that the US government itself has fallen into, which range from massive 4th Amendment violations (TSA warrantless searches and other abuses at airports to NSA/FBI dragnet surveillance of the entire population), to outright war crimes like "extraordinary rendition" and torture ("enhanced interrogation techniques").
The whole exhibit amounted to trying to instill fear of anything not officially approved and mainstream - a "war on the unknown" as it were. The worst example is the didactic "How to recognize terrorism" section towards the end. The very first step, "Surveillance" basically called upon all victims of this exhibit to call the authorities when anyone takes pictures of something that's not a scenic vista. While I enjoy scenic vistas as much as the next person, I'm also an ex-aerospace engineer, and I enjoy watching airplanes and helicopters take off, fly and land - this is the kind of "suspicious" behavior the exhibit recommends reporting to the authorities.
It's no mistake that the designers of the exhibit herd you through it with doors that close behind you and only open when the multi-media presentation finishes, and that the guard warns you not to take pictures because of "copyright" - the entire exhibit is about control, someone else's control over you, your family and your life.
Unless you enjoy snickering at propaganda, or deconstructing complex messages, or chafing at "irritainment", don't bother with this rubbish. Especially don't pay to go in. Not worth it.
What a mistake: this exhibit is a bad kind of propaganda, internally claiming to be educational and fair, but really just an attempt to instill fear into people to make them easier to control. There's a talking head that claims that if we (US citizens) only hold onto the values that made us great, we'll survive this whole war on terror just fine. There's also mention that terrorism isn't confined to single religion: *archival* footage of Klu Klux Klan marches and meetings is shown, along with stereotypical chanting Muslims and a kippa-wearing "Jewish terrorist".
There's no mention of any of the abuses that the US government itself has fallen into, which range from massive 4th Amendment violations (TSA warrantless searches and other abuses at airports to NSA/FBI dragnet surveillance of the entire population), to outright war crimes like "extraordinary rendition" and torture ("enhanced interrogation techniques").
The whole exhibit amounted to trying to instill fear of anything not officially approved and mainstream - a "war on the unknown" as it were. The worst example is the didactic "How to recognize terrorism" section towards the end. The very first step, "Surveillance" basically called upon all victims of this exhibit to call the authorities when anyone takes pictures of something that's not a scenic vista. While I enjoy scenic vistas as much as the next person, I'm also an ex-aerospace engineer, and I enjoy watching airplanes and helicopters take off, fly and land - this is the kind of "suspicious" behavior the exhibit recommends reporting to the authorities.
It's no mistake that the designers of the exhibit herd you through it with doors that close behind you and only open when the multi-media presentation finishes, and that the guard warns you not to take pictures because of "copyright" - the entire exhibit is about control, someone else's control over you, your family and your life.
Unless you enjoy snickering at propaganda, or deconstructing complex messages, or chafing at "irritainment", don't bother with this rubbish. Especially don't pay to go in. Not worth it.
Written 9 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
XXXXXVXXXXX
Kingston-upon-Hull, UK73 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
As an expert in the study of terrorism and asymmetric warfare, I was intrigued by the concept of an educational "lab" devoted to informing the public on these topics. Given their incredible complexity, I must admit that I was dubious about anyone claiming to cover this topic in a single exhibit, but curiosity won out, and I stopped by.
Unfortunately, it was far worse than I'd anticipated. The entire space is arranged in such a way that it comes off as a sort of expensive high school level poster project. The exhibit barely even scratches the surface of a topic that has incredible depth and breadth and can only be reasonably understood with far more research than the curators seem to have mustered.
CELL trivializes or ignores the primary drivers behind terrorism and essentially gives the United States and Europe a pass on their responsibility for the power vacuums that have led to the growth of al Qaeda and ISIL. Likewise, it glosses over the easily identifiable origins of Islamic terrorism in Israel. There is essentially no discussion of important terrorist networks in Africa, of the Tamil Tigers, of Islamic terrorism in China, of Islamic separatists in Mindanao, etc. It seems the people who put this exhibit together have little to no understanding of the topic they are trying to address.
Ultimately, CELL's "education" is pure fear-mongering. It is an incredibly shallow and poorly-researched look at a very deep and complicated topic, and the few facts that are presented are nowhere near enough to justify a visit.
Do yourself a favor. Ignore CELL, and go to the Denver Public Library just across the way. They are sure to have books on terrorism that are far more enlightening, comprehensive, and accurate than anything you will find at CELL.
Unfortunately, it was far worse than I'd anticipated. The entire space is arranged in such a way that it comes off as a sort of expensive high school level poster project. The exhibit barely even scratches the surface of a topic that has incredible depth and breadth and can only be reasonably understood with far more research than the curators seem to have mustered.
CELL trivializes or ignores the primary drivers behind terrorism and essentially gives the United States and Europe a pass on their responsibility for the power vacuums that have led to the growth of al Qaeda and ISIL. Likewise, it glosses over the easily identifiable origins of Islamic terrorism in Israel. There is essentially no discussion of important terrorist networks in Africa, of the Tamil Tigers, of Islamic terrorism in China, of Islamic separatists in Mindanao, etc. It seems the people who put this exhibit together have little to no understanding of the topic they are trying to address.
Ultimately, CELL's "education" is pure fear-mongering. It is an incredibly shallow and poorly-researched look at a very deep and complicated topic, and the few facts that are presented are nowhere near enough to justify a visit.
Do yourself a favor. Ignore CELL, and go to the Denver Public Library just across the way. They are sure to have books on terrorism that are far more enlightening, comprehensive, and accurate than anything you will find at CELL.
Written 21 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonnie C
The Villages, FL25 contributions
June 2014 • Family
Unless you are a voyeur or devotee of acts of terrorism ad nauseum, or have way too much time on your hands, don't bother! Once inside, you are trapped as they move you from gory video to talking heads to exhibits of pipe bombs, suicide vests and Molotov cocktails by opening and closing doors to rooms as you shuffle along at their snail's pace. They warn you that this is not for children, pregnant women or people with high blood pressure. Actually, it's not for anyone.
Written 13 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alan G
Houston, TX155 contributions
Dec 2013 • Solo
For the most part, the Cell didn't really engage me. While it's a good thing to be reminded of the atrocities carried out by terrorists, some of the material on display seems to be made with the view of inducing fear or paranoia e.g. "Be scared! Terrorists are potentially all around you right now!". A sense of proportion is lacking. Some of the interactive material (e.g. can you spot suspicious behavior?) is so simplistic as to be risible. By all means try to educate people and raise awareness of terrorism and how you might be able to help stop it but I'm not sure the Cell is doing the best of jobs in that regard. Definitely not for young children.
Written 13 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rockieswon
Denver7 contributions
July 2012 • Friends
Stumbled into this museum on a bright sunny day...and I have to say, it pretty much ruined my day. It was disturbing, and not in a good way...seems like the whole point of many of the exhibits was to frighten you into never setting foot in a public place again. I'm all for contemplative, thoughtful discussion of this topic, but the scare tactics at the Cell were over the top.
Written 4 January 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lostcolorado
Castle Rock, CO107 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
Thought this looked interesting during a recent Denver open house weekend for buildings downtown. This could be so much more, but we found it ever elementary, little new information, disorganized and generally a waste of time. Cannot recommend this for anything but a grade school field trip.
Written 29 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing