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Everyone’s familiar with a library stocked with reading material, but what about one where you can check out a butterfly-catching kit or camping gear along with books? People in Colorado now have that option at the Anythink Nature Library in Thornton, outside of Denver. The 33,000-square-foot branch opened in August 2026 on a 15-acre campus next to Aylor Open Space. Along with nature-focused books and gear, it offers immersive, interactive outdoor-inspired areas for you to explore. There’s no other library like it anywhere else in the country.
It’s been a long journey to get the library built, with the project about a decade in the making. It’s all about showing visitors how the natural world works, how we impact our environment, and how we can make it better. The Environmental Kinship Model, which is a “holistic approach to teaching and learning about, in, with and for the whole of the natural world,” was used as a guide, and local Indigenous groups were consulted for input on the focus and design…