Best Things to Do in Denver

Denver has seven professional sports teams: basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, rugby and, of course, Major League Baseball. If you've got baseball in your blood, you have to make a pilgrimage to Coors Field. Not only is it a great stadium, it's also one more place to find local craft brews and food and a fine way to enjoy Denver's warm days and cool evenings. By the way, if you're in row 20 of the upper deck, you'll find yourself in a purple seat, indicating that you're exactly a mile above sea level in the Mile High City. Modestly priced tours are offered but times vary and COVID has affected availability so call ahead to confirm.

With a season that lasts just two months during which only a handful of plays are staged, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is the second oldest Shakespeare festival in the country and has been recognized as one of the top three in the United States. Part of its indisputable charm is its popular setting in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, tucked into a serene grove on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. There is an indoor theater as well, where typically half of the productions are staged. Shows go on even during summer rain showers and are rarely cancelled, so bring a rain jacket just in case. Shows are typically at either 7 or 8 p.m., depending on the day.

Denver Botanic Gardens includes two facilities. The main gardens are on York Street, 24 acres on the east side of Denver's Cheesman Park, just 10 minutes from downtown. Chatfield Farms is south of the city in Littleton. The York Street facilities showcases several kinds of gardens including Gardens of the West, Internationally Inspired Gardens (Japan, South Africa and the tropics supply some of the inspiration), Ornamental Gardens, Shady Gardens and Water Gardens. Mordecai Children's Garden is a place for families with young children to learn about plants and nature through hands-on experiences and play. Also interactive is the Science Pyramid. A variety of tours are available at the Gardens, and the summer concert series and seasonal plant sales are Denver traditions. In summer, the Botanic Gardens also offers guided wildflower hikes on a moderately difficult trail on Mount Goliath, a mountain peak section of Mount Evans.

Denver has embraced its vibrant street art scene in recent years, even commissioning street artists to paint on city walls and buildings. While you can find examples of this urban art form in many parts of the city, RiNo, as befitting its art-centric roots, is at the heart of it. Denver Graffiti Tour started with one tour in RiNo but now also offers a second tour with a midway stop at a local bar. You can explore much of the street art on your own, but the beauty and power of taking the Denver Graffiti Tour is how much you'll learn about the artists, history, backstory of some of the works and artists and the different styles of street art. You'll leave with a new appreciation for these talented creators who make Denver more colorful and visually interesting. Tours are weekends only.

With rides named Mind Eraser, Tower of Doom and Brain Drain, it's clear that Elitch Gardens is a thrill-seeker's paradise and, not surprising, a perennial teen favorite. But there's a little something for everyone at this park that first opened in 1890. Twister II, the popular 10-story wooden coaster, perfectly evokes the park's old-school/new-thrill vibe. A portion of the grounds are devoted to a summer water park with about a dozen attractions including high-speed slides and drops, rivers and wave pools. Onsite parking is pricey; consider visiting via RTD bus or Light Rail, which stop just outside the park. Do note that height requirements are enforced on rides, so measure your child and check the park's website for specific requirements. There's plenty of food available but not much for those with dietary restrictions or a desire to eat healthfully. The surrounding area, though, has lots of options.

Denver Art Museum is highly regarded for its collection of Indigenous art of North America, which includes over 16,000 pieces from more than 100 tribes. The original seven-story contemporary building, designed by Gio Ponti, reopens fall 2021 with expanded galleries and new spaces for interactive and creative activities. The revamped Martin Building showcases impressive displays of ancient American and Latin American art and textiles, a fascinating Asian collection, photography, textile and fashion art, and an assortment of American and European pieces. The Architecture and Design galleries are also notable, as is the Western American Art collection. In 2006, the Frederic C. Hamilton Building, a wondrous titanium-clad structure designed by Daniel Libeskind, opened its doors across 13th Street from the original building. Libeskind's deeply angled edifice dramatically increased the museum's gallery space while redefining the Denver skyline and the way in which art can be exhibited.

Denver Zoo's conservation projects here and in the wild are impressive. "We value all animals, big and small, from all over the world. We envision a world where all people appreciate, respect and conserve animals and their habitats globally." Supporting the zoo helps fund that vision and mission--and you can do it while enjoying a day with friends, family and an assortment of cool creatures. In addition to strolling past bears, birds, big cats, hyenas, monkeys and more, you can get up close with zoo residents via behind-the-scenes tours and experiences (extra fee). Depending on the day or season, there are up-close experiences with rhinos, sloths, giraffes, reptiles, lamas, parrots, birds of prey and others, for ages six and up. All ages can join interactive activities (extra fee) at Stingray Cove and Lorikeet Adventure and there's a train and carousel to ride as well as a 4-D theater.

History isn't just in the distant past. It's happening now and Denver's History Colorado Center bridges the gap between the history of the state and American West and how what came before impacts the here and now. The museum is designed with multi-generations and cultures in mind. More than 15 changing exhibits across four floors tell the state's diverse stories, the stories of Colorado's Native peoples, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, men and women who came West in search of a better life, Japanese citizens sent to Colorado's internment facility, miners, politicians and more. Not all of the history is pretty. It's full of triumphs, tragedies, courage, perseverance, cruelty, mythology, battles and discoveries. This museum offers a full and honest portrait of Colorado through the centuries including perspective on issues we face today. It's a well-thought-out and thought-provoking place to spend a few hours, with something for all ages.

It's called the most acoustically perfect natural amphitheater on the planet. But it's not just the exceptional acoustics and music played here that make Red Rocks so special. Dinosaurs once roamed this geologically compelling landscape; did they hear one another's rumbling grunts from far, far below? We'll never know. But we do know that to sit among the towering sandstone formations as the music rises against the backdrop of a sunset or billions of stars, Denver's lights twinkling below, is an experience found nowhere else on earth. If you haven't experienced Red Rocks, you haven't experienced the best of Denver. Better yet, It's not just about the music. Red Rocks is a 738-acre park with hiking trails, a visitor center, trading post, and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Locals work out on the amphitheatre steps, and there are yoga classes, movies and a spectacular non-denominational Easter sunrise service, too.

Why should a train station be on Denver's top attractions list? Simply put, it's more than a station. Yes, Amtrak trains come and go and Union Station serves as a hub for local buses and light rail. But it's also Denver history remade, a gorgeous Beaux Art building meticulously renovated and reopened with shops, restaurants from top local chefs, two bars, a boutique hotel and more. It's a place to gather before or after a baseball game--perhaps at Terminal Bar, set where passengers once bought train tickets--or at any of the excellent restaurants inside or out. There's a seasonal farmer's market Saturdays on the station plaza, and come winter Union Station is a setting for holiday markets and events. Souvenir? Check out the station's retail shops. Or just grab a coffee to go and sit in the Great Hall, where the Wi-Fi and people watching are free.