The short version
- The City of Aurora's A.R.I.S.E. program runs adaptive classes and can assess your child for inclusion support in regular recreation programs. Call 720-859-4985.
- Residents on limited incomes can get 50 percent off A.R.I.S.E. fees. Developmental Pathways members may be able to use program funds for A.R.I.S.E. activities.
- Red-tailed Hawk Park has an inclusive playground and sprayground, and Aurora Reservoir has beach access with water wheelchairs.
- The Colorado Symphony and Phamaly Theatre Company hold a sensory-friendly holiday show at the Community College of Aurora on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 2 p.m.
- The Air & Space Museum in Denver holds free sensory-friendly Sunday mornings. Pre-register, and check the events page for the next date.
Sensory-friendly places in Aurora, Colorado are easier to find if you start with the City of Aurora’s adaptive recreation team, then look at inclusive parks and a few one-off events. Nothing here is a guarantee of a quiet day. Schedules shift and most programs ask you to register, so confirm with each organizer before you go. Everything below was listed on the organizer’s own page in late October 2026.
Which Aurora recreation programs support autistic kids?
The city’s A.R.I.S.E. program, short for Adaptive Recreation and Inclusion Services for Everyone, has two parts. One is adaptive programming in arts and culture, aquatics, excursions, sports and fitness, and Special Olympics. The other is inclusion services, which help people with and without disabilities take part in regular recreation programs together. An assessment decides which modifications or inclusion aide support your child needs.
To ask, call 720-859-4985 or email arise@auroragov.org. The city asks for a participant intake form and a “Get to Know Me” form before your child joins. You can register online, by phone, or at the Central, Moorhead or Southeast recreation centers.
What the fall 2026 program guide lists for children (the guide abbreviates one site as SERC, the Southeast Recreation Center):
| Program | Ages | When and where |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptive swim lessons, one instructor to two participants | 4 to 12 | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 5:30 p.m. in half-hour blocks, through Dec. 3 |
| Adaptive pool fun and games | 4 to 15 | Wednesdays, Dec. 2 to 16, 4 to 4:45 p.m., Central |
| Adaptive martial arts self-defense, taught with a martial arts master | 5 and up | Mondays, 4:30 to 5:15 p.m., SERC, through Dec. 14 |
| Special Olympics Unified Red Shirt Rookies | 3 and up | Thursdays, Nov. 5 to 19, 12:45 to 2 p.m., SERC |
The guide says swim lessons are designed for children who are not ready for group lessons, with the goal of moving into them. The martial arts listing asks families to be ready to help, and the Red Shirt Rookies listing says caregivers need to stay on site for personal care.
What are the limits?
The city says participants who need help with feeding, dressing, medication or the restroom must arrange that help on their own. It can also put a participant on a behavior plan, or ask them to withdraw, if behavior is detrimental to the group. If your child has a behavior plan, send it with the inclusion request.
Is there help with cost?
The city can provide 50 percent off program fees for residents on limited incomes. Call a recreation center for eligibility and an application. The page also says active Developmental Pathways members may be able to use their program funds for A.R.I.S.E. activities. Ask your caseworker. Our Medicaid and CES waiver guide explains who your case management agency is.
Which Aurora parks have inclusive play features?
The city’s accessible parks list names these:
- Red-tailed Hawk Park: an inclusive playground and a sprayground. The city calls it a first-of-its-kind inclusive playground and places it in Southeast Aurora.
- Aurora Reservoir: beach access, water wheelchairs and an accessible fishing pier.
- Great Plains Park: a sprayground.
- Hampden Run, Highland Hollows, Norfolk Glen and Terrace parks: musical features. Hampden Run also has a wavy walk.
- Nome Park and Sand Creek Park: a dish swing and a hillside slide. Sand Creek also has a lookout and nature trails.
The list describes accessibility features, not noise or crowd levels, so scout a park on a weekday morning before a weekend trip.
Where can we find sensory-friendly performances and museum hours?
Colorado Symphony and Phamaly Theatre Company. The symphony’s 2026/27 sensory-friendly concert is a holiday cabaret with a live string quartet and actors from Phamaly. Accommodations include partly dimmed house lights, reduced capacity, free fidget tools, captions, an adapted program and a quiet room, plus ASL interpretation and audio description. It runs Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Community College of Aurora’s Larry Carter Theater, and Tuesday, December 8 at 7 p.m. at the Lone Tree Arts Center. Questions go to CEILearning@coloradosymphony.org.
Air & Space Museum, Denver. Wings Over the Rockies holds Sensory Friendly Hours in a lower-sensory museum environment. Its page says admission is free for children or adults with sensory processing sensitivities and their families, and it welcomes anyone on the autism spectrum. Activities include a scavenger hunt through the hangar, discovery carts and sensory activities. The sessions listed in 2026 were Sunday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Registration is required through the event page. The museum also posts a social narrative and map on its accessibility page, which is a useful way to preview the visit.
Other events. The Autism Society of Colorado lists upcoming events for individuals and families on its website.
What is coming up soon?
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Adaptive pool fun and games begins (4 to 4:45 p.m.) | Central recreation center, Aurora |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Sensory-friendly holiday cabaret, 2 p.m. | Larry Carter Theater, Community College of Aurora |
| Tue., Dec. 8 | Sensory-friendly holiday cabaret, 7 p.m. | Lone Tree Arts Center |
| Mondays through Dec. 14 | Adaptive martial arts, 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. | SERC, Aurora |
How do we make an outing go smoothly?
Short and planned beats long and ambitious.
- Look at photos or the museum’s social narrative together a few days ahead.
- Pick a quiet time and a short visit. Leave before your child is done, not after.
- Bring what helps at home: headphones, a fidget, snacks.
- Know where you will take a break and how you will leave.
- If your child tends to run off, plan how you will keep eyes on them. Our wandering safety guide covers this.
Can ABA help with outings?
A therapist can come along to practice waiting, crowds and leaving, and then step back as your child gains confidence. That is what our community-based ABA does, and social skills training works on skills for groups and classes like the ones above. We accept all major insurance, including Medicaid, have no waitlist and start families within two weeks of approval. Contact us to ask about community sessions.
Sources
- City of Aurora, Adaptive Recreation and Inclusion Services (A.R.I.S.E.)
- City of Aurora, A.R.I.S.E. Sept-Dec 2026 Program Guide
- City of Aurora, Accessible Parks and Open Spaces
- Colorado Symphony, Sensory Friendly concerts
- Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Sensory Friendly Hours
- Wings Over the Rockies, Sensory Friendly Hours event page
- Autism Society of Colorado