Entry No. 71 — the Denver file — filed under: public-art
Laughing Escalator
Ride the escalator down from the exhibit-hall level at the Colorado Convention Center and you'll start hearing laughter bubbling up through the cracks between the steps — a different voice every eight feet. It's a hidden 4-channel sound piece artist Jim Green slipped in back in 2004, a 'call and response' volley of giggles bouncing between speakers under your feet. There's no plaque, no fanfare; people either don't notice or assume they're imagining it. Green passed in 2024, but his sneaky little joke keeps running.
The move: Time a visit when the Convention Center is open and quiet, ride the escalator down, and see whose face cracks first as the laughter creeps up through the steps.
📍 Before you go This is hidden inside the Colorado Convention Center near the 14th Street lobby — ride the escalator down toward the ballroom and exhibit-hall level, since the laughter only plays as you descend. There's no plaque or signage, so know what you're hunting for. It's audible only when the building is open to the public, which depends entirely on the event calendar; quiet weekdays between conventions are your best bet for actually hearing it over crowd noise — call ahead, as access shifts with the schedule. Pair it with the giant blue bear ("I See What You Mean") peering into the same building, and you're steps from the 16th Street Mall and the Performing Arts Complex.
- 📍 Downtown Denver (Colorado Convention Center)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St, Denver, CO 80202 (escalator from the exhibit-hall level; no signage)
Hours: Accessible only when the Convention Center is open to the public (varies by event schedule); no posted hours, free.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: denverconvention.com · denverpublicart.org · Westword
last checked: 2026-06-07