Denver Attractions
Things to do in Denver
Denver Attractions. Looking for something fun to do with your family? Want something kid friendly? Need to find a good park to play with your dog? Then look no further because HelloDenver.com has you covered. We've sought out the best attractions in Denver and have detailed information about parks, museums, festivals, zoos and more.
In 1920, Hammond’s Candies opened in downtown Denver as a family-run factory producing handmade candy canes, lollipops and other hard candies. The main ingredients were the same ones used by candy-makers in the 1800s: corn syrup, sugar and water. Today, the location has changed, but those recipes are still intact, along with the cooking process. Take a free, 30-minute tour and you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. ..yup, that’s where the guided expeditions end.
The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities claims to the largest multidisciplinary arts center in the country. It features a spectrum of amateur and professional music, dance and theater opportunities, art exhibitions and educational programs for all ages, and special events held at an outdoor amphitheatre and two indoor stages. With the number and variety of programs and participants here, its multi-use label is entirely accurate.
In 1859, a log cabin was built alongside Cherry Creek to serve as a stopover for stagecoach travelers and Gold Rush pioneers. Located just four miles from the burgeoning town of Denver, today Four Mile House is the oldest remaining structure in the city, as well as the showpiece of Four Mile Historic Park. Here, the frontier comes to life with historical artifacts and living-history portrayals of life in the Old West.
Pennies from heaven? Nope, Americans who live west of the Mississippi River get their coins from the U.S Mint in Denver (Philadelphia for East Coast residents). Until the 1950s, Denver's Mint churned out only pennies with a signature "D," but these days production includes any circulating currency that jingles. Learn about the process in a 30-minute tour…that doesn't cost a penny.
With 3,300 items on display, the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is a visual cornucopia of 20th-century designs -- a pleasure to explore. But take time for a docent-led tour to hear about the anecdotes and art practices of Colorado painter Vance Kirkland (1904-1981), and prepare to be completely fascinated. “If I’m going to eat off something, drink out of something or sit in something, it’s going to be a great design," he's quoted as saying.
Store owners, professional buyers and interior designers throughout the region know the Denver Mart as a go-to wholesale marketplace. The 841,000-square-foot venue houses 450 permanent showrooms that carry 3,500 lines of gifts, home furnishings, apparel, plus extensive Western wear and gear. Its biannual Gift, Jewelry and Resort Show is a must-attend event for industry professionals. But the Denver Merchandise Mart also opens its doors to the public for tradeshows and special events.
Venice on the Creek doesn’t technically take its passengers along Cherry Creek in gondolas. The boats are British punts. So when the organization began offering downtown float trips in 1996, the rides were called “Punt the Creek.” In football-crazed Denver, that meant only one thing—a summer camp for kickers. Today, the name more closely conveys the experience: transporting passengers past downtown scenery with accompanying history vignettes…and candlelight excursions full of romance.
Pure and simple, Coors Field was built for baseball—a grand slam for Colorado Rockies players and fans since its ceremonial first pitch in 1995. Original plans called for 43,800 seats, but the team attracted amazing attendance numbers during its inaugural year at Mile High Stadium and seating was increased to 50,000-plus. Coors Field hosted its first World Series in 2007 and when tickets went on sale online, the system crashed in the first hour from sheer demand.
In 1878, legislators allowed the city to acquire state land that would be the foundation of a municipal park system. First up: City Park, fashioned after New York City's Central Park. City Park offers the most activity options of Denver’s urban playgrounds, beginning with the expected landscaped open space, tennis courts, bandshell and ballfields. But add golf, the Denver Zoo, the Museum of Nature & Science, IMAX Theater, planetarium and water activities…and it's an entertainment haven.
For those who think in dollar signs as well as those who may need some monetary sense, the Money Museum offers a straightforward education about the U.S. financial system. Visitors can spend time—but won’t spend cash since admittance is free—viewing an informative video and checking out interactive Money Museum displays. Most popular? Cold, hard cash: $30 million in $100 bills--a photo opportunity unlike any other.
In 1980, big-hearted Boulder farmer Pat Craig sent out letters across the country offering a refuge for wild animals. Freckles, a jaguar cub from South Carolina, became The Wild Animal Sanctuary’s first rescue story, living out a happy 24 years at the virtual Club Med for critters. Today, the public has a unique opportunity to view (yes) lions and tigers and bears…and other species. They also gain an education about the plight of an estimated 30,000 wild animals nationwide.
Some may feel that terrorist attacks happen elsewhere, but The CELL (Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab) aims to educate and promote understanding with its ongoing exhibit entitled “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: Understanding the Threat of Terrorism.” A nonpartisan, nonprofit museum, The CELL presents a dramatic multimedia, hands-on display that is simultaneously powerful, uncomfortable, perceptive and thought-provoking … designed to help visitors combat a continuing world-wide threat.
When Denver’s central business district went into decline in the 1970s (along with most other metropolitan areas across the country), city officials went into gung-ho “save downtown” mode. Several studies, task-force meetings and consultations later, a federal grant gave the city the money necessary to make positive, long-lasting changes. The first bright spot on the horizon was the completion of a mile-long pedestrian walkway in 1982: the 16th Street Mall.
The inspiration for Chick Crawl began simply enough in Manitou Springs, Colo., when Sara Keller had a flash that shopping with friends in an organized pub-crawl format would be a kick. Drinks and food included, of course. Gifts from each merchant, too. That was 2008, and less than three years later, Chick Crawl began expanding into other cities. Shoppers, get out your charge cards. Denver is an official Chick Crawl destination.
With 1.8 million square feet, 500 concessions stands and 76,125 seats, Invesco Field at Mile High is well equipped to handle outdoor concerts, sports and special events. A slew of plush indoor suites and rooms are available for private functions year-round. It’s a versatile venue. But permanent fixtures such as a white horse sculpture atop the stadium and painted seats that form a horse’s head in the north stands make it clear: First and foremost, this is home of the Denver Broncos football team
In 2008, the Pepsi Center served as main hub for the Democratic National Convention and was the site of Barack Obama's nomination for president of the United States. The pressure was on to be excellent and problem-free, and Denver’s favorite indoor event arena delivered. It was just another day at the office for a venue that utilizes 1,000 employees at most of its 200 events each year.
The Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion was originally built in 1908 as home of the Cheesman-Evans family and became a true Denver showpiece. Claude Boettcher purchased it in 1923, and he and wife Edna traveled the world adding treasures to the home until their deaths. Edna bequeathed the house and land to the state of Colorado for use as the governor’s residence, but inexplicably the offer was declined for two years. In 1959, Gov. Stephen McNichols stepped forward to accept.
In November 2009, Denver downtowners began noticing upright pianos placed somewhat randomly about the 16th Street Mall area. Each one was painted with vibrant colors and diverse themes, and promoted as public art. Better yet, the pianos were fully functional. Anyone could play them at no charge…and did. The pianos were such a hit during their holiday run that they were brought back as a permanent series of constantly changing displays.
One of the most popular Denver area attractions won’t have you reaching for your wallet unless you decide to purchase a souvenir. If you’re a beerdrinker, head to the foothills of Golden for a MillerCoors Brewery tour. Indeed, some of the best things in life are free.
In 1990, the Colorado Convention Center opened amid hoopla and high hopes of energizing tourism in downtown Denver. The gorgeous, sleek design was unanimously admired. But when out-of-state meeting planners visited, they voiced concern about more space and the lack of a nearby, convention-sized hotel…then took their business elsewhere. Denver listened. In 2004, a $310 million expansion doubled the venue—followed by a super-sized hotel across the street and more than 8,000 rooms just a walk away.
Margaret Tobin Brown might not ring a bell with most people, but mention “Unsinkable Molly Brown” and they will probably flash back to her heroics on the Titantic...or at least the movie that bears her name. As Molly’s legend grew through the years, so did poetic license and subsequent discrepancies about her life. For instance, she never actually went by the name Molly. To get the real story, you might read a carefully researched historical account—or you can visit her house in Denver.
Flamboyant showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody was the epitome of the adventurous spirit of the Old West, and city-run Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave takes pride in celebrating his life with videos, photos and artifacts. Buffalo Bill’s actual gravesite is located at the museum’s secluded Lookout Mountain site and ghost stories abound—to the point that TV ghost-hunters dropped in to investigate.
The Denver Zoo has come a long way from its simple beginning in 1896, when an orphaned black bear named Billy became the first official resident in City Park. Currently housing 3,500 animals on 80 acres, viewing has shifted from a minimal number of indoor enclosures to open, naturalistic habitats. Today, the zoo presents its visitors with a myriad of animal interaction, education and special events.
Magical. Inspiring. Amazing. Try to describe the concert experience at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and you can end up running the gamut of superlatives. The Beatles, U2 and the Grateful Dead are just a few of the music icons who have played “on the Rocks” since its official opening in 1947. Talk with industry performers both past and present, and they are positively reverent about a 9,000-seat venue literally carved into natural rock formations just 15 miles west of Denver.
Located near the Aquarium, just off I-25 near downtown, the Children’s Museum Denver is the place to take your young kids if you’d like to see them learn through play.
The Museum of Contemporary Arts Denver strives to bring the hottest new art to a city once called a cow town.
At Water World, when you’re out in the newly revamped Thunder Bay and the Big Wave finally sweeps over you like a tsunami, you’ll probably live to tell about it — and then to come back for more.
Those who think of opera as stuffy entertainment might want to check out an Opera Colorado production to see why this traditional art form can be fun.
Now in its 49th season, the Colorado Ballet continues to delight Denverites with classical works such as "Swan Lake" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" — and aspires to make this company of world-class dancers one of the most innovative choreographic showcases in the United States.
If you've traveled to the Mile High City, you might want to spend a day going just a little farther — all around the earth, out into space and back into time at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
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