Skyspace
Skyspace asks you to look up and embrace a new perspective. Experience the natural beauty of Colorado’s ever-changing sky and get closer to nature through this one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit.
Skyspace
Experience skyspace
Built on a butte overlooking Gazebo Lake and bathed by the rustling of pine trees, the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace is a harmonious addition to the charming town at the foothills of Pikes Peak—an extension of the landscape, preserved in its natural setting. Your experience begins with an inspirational mountain journey via two new trailheads that deliver hikers directly to the sheltered Skyspace on the butte above.
Be enveloped in a kinetic light and color encounter—a sensory and contemplative experience unlike anywhere else in the world. The Skyspace stands at 18-feet-tall and is one of the few in the world with a retractable roof, allowing for “closed roof” shows to occur outside of our Sunrise and Sunset experiences.
Tickets for Skyspace experiences through April 2023 are now available
skyspace Shows
Check the ticketing page for specific dates and times of public shows. For schools and other groups, email: info@greenboxarts.org
Outside of formal show times the trail system is open daily. The Skyspace is available to visit without a ticket, in its natural state after Sunrise and before Sunset on days the Skyspace is open, unless the trail system is closed due to weather or maintenance.
3 unique experiences
A special musical
performance
Our current Artist-in-Residence, composer and santur player Amir Amiri, will perform his santur to the Skyspace closed roof show. This is a one-of-a-kind, exclusive and intimate opportunity to hear live music in the Skyspace! A limited 3 performances happening on Saturday, March 4th, each performance 20 minutes in length.
Know before you go
The Skyspace is part of the natural habitat of Green Mountain Falls, which sits at 7,800 feet above sea level. Hiking to the Skyspace is recommended and Colorado weather can change quickly so here’s a few tips to help you prepare for your adventure.
Arrive early to get to the Skyspace on time
Mountain attire recommended
We recommend wearing appropriate hiking shoes and to be prepared for inclement weather by bringing appropriate rain gear. If you are attending a sunrise or sunset show, please note that it will be dark when you arrive or leave. Even though our paths are lit, feel free to bring your own headlamp or flashlight.
Rides are available for those who need it
For individuals who need support in accessing Skyspace, an ATV is available. ATV transportation must be scheduled at least 48 hours before your scheduled visit if you registered for a showing. Please email info@greenboxarts.org for more information.
Weather happens
NOTE: If for any reason, we need to cancel a Skyspace show, you will be notified via email and on this website.
- Please remain seated, if possible, during closed roof shows. During sunrise and sunset shows, you are welcome to leave and return to the space throughout the experience.
- You are welcome to move position throughout the experience, and if there is room, you may lie down on the benches, or on the floor itself.
- Skyspace shows are best experienced in silence. Please be considerate to your fellow visitors.
- Stay Hydrated! Bring water. We also have water bottle refill stations available (at the Green Box Workshop, Church in the Wildwood, and at the Town Overlook).
- Feel free to bring your own cushion to sit more comfortably during your showing.
- No photography or recording of any kind is allowed inside the Skyspace.
- Please silence or turn off your electronic devices.
- No food or drink, except bottled water, is allowed inside the Skyspace.
- No smoking is allowed in the Skyspace or anywhere on the Red Butte Recreational Area.
- Pets, bicycles and skateboards are strictly prohibited inside the Skyspace.
The Skyspace is under 24-hour video surveillance to ensure the safety of those who visit the installation, and the preservation of the Skyspace itself.
Directions & parking
Getting to the Skyspace
Our Skyspace has multiple viewing times each week, some at formal times, with other opportunities to happen upon it. To access the Skyspace, you can find trailheads located just North of Gazebo Lake, and at the Eastern end of the Joyland parking lot. Take a look at our campus map and trail map to find preferred trailheads and parking lots.
Parking areas and directions
Red Butte Recreational Area WEST | Joyland/Pittman Trailhead
10605 Green Mountain Falls Rd.
Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819
Get directions
Red Butte Recreational Area EAST | Lower Turrell Trailhead
10392 El Paso Ave.
Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819
Get directions
Suggested routes for showings
Closed roof/Mid-day shows
- Park in the Red Butte Recreational Area WEST parking lot.
- You can descend the same way you came, or walk down to the EAST trailhead, and walk through town to get back to your vehicle.
Sunset showings
- Park in the Red Butte Recreational Area EAST parking lot or on street parking throughout the center of Green Mountain Falls.
- You can then either walk through town to the WEST trailhead and, following the show, hike down to the EAST trailhead right back to your vehicle or hike up and down the EAST trailhead.
Sunrise showings
- Park in the Red Butte Recreational Area EAST parking lot.
- We welcome guests to hike back down the way you come up; or, hike down to the WEST trailhead and then walk back through town to your vehicle.
Skyspace FAQ's
The Skyspace is a permanent installation.
Please arrive to begin your journey between 30 and 60 minutes before your reservation time.
Our Skyspace is located on the new Red Butte Recreation Area, above the center of town. There are two trailheads on either side of the Butte that will provide access. The Pittman Trail, accessed via the Joyland Parking Lot is the more scenic route. The Turrell Trail is shorter, but steeper, and is accessed behind Gazebo Lake on Ute Pass Avenue.
Base your starting point on the maps shown on the ticketing page.
We will not allow entrance to the Skyspace during Closed Roof shows if you arrive after the lighting sequence has started. For sunrise and sunset shows, the door to enter the Skysapce remains open, and you are welcome even if you arrive after the show has started.
The Skyspace remains open in inclement weather, but if the temperature is below 25 degrees, we will cancel showings and close the trail. Because our Skyspace is one of the few in the world with a retractable roof, some Sunrise and Sunset shows will be replaced by closed roof shows in significant weather situations. In any event, to get to and from the Skyspace, you will probably get wet in the event of rain.
Layered clothing, hiking shoes, flashlight/head lamp, hat/sunglasses, bottled water. Additionally, you are welcome to bring a seat cushion and/or blanket into the Skyspace with you. Read our Skyspace Do’s and Dont’s below for more specific information.
The hike from the center of town to the Skyspace is moderate for expeienced hikers and is between 15 and 30 minutes based on your speed. Keep in mind that the hike includes steeper sections with an increase in altitude from the base of town which is already 7,800 feet above sea level. Trails are marked thoroughly.
For those who are unable to hike to the Skyspace and back, a vehicle (ATV) driven by Green Box staff is available for transport.
Reservations for vehicle access are limited and must be made at least 48 hours before your scheduled visit. Email info@greenboxarts.org for more information.
For those who have secured ATV transport, the ATV will pick you up at the Red Butte Recreational Area EAST Trailhead 30 minutes before the show’s scheduled start time. The ATV will be on its way if it is not there when you arrive.
Yes! There’s always more to explore in Green Mountain Falls. Check out our events calendar, trip planning page, and additional information on Green Mountain Falls to learn more.
Our Skyspace is the newest addition to James Turrell’s Skyspace series. It is the first Skyspace built on the side of a hill and the first one in Colorado. Visit James Turrell’s website to learn more about the artist.
meet James turrell
For over half a century, the American artist James Turrell has worked directly with light and space to create artworks that engage viewers with the limits and wonder of human perception. Turrell, an avid pilot who has logged over twelve thousand hours flying, considers the sky as his studio, material and canvas. New Yorker critic Calvin Tompkins writes, “His work is not about light, or a record of light; it is light — the physical presence of light made manifest in sensory form.”
Reserve your skyspace visit today
With sunrise and sunset shows being the most dynamic time to visit the Skyspace, and seating limited to 25 per showing, we suggest reserving well in advance.
