Denver attractions

Home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, Empower Field at Mile High is renowned for its vibrant game-day atmosphere and Rocky Mountain backdrop. Opened in 2001, the stadium seats 76,000 fans, offers state-of-the-art amenities, and also hosts concerts and cultural events in addition to football games.

Denver’s Coors Field offers views of two types of Rockies: the state’s famous Rocky Mountains, naturally, and the Colorado Rockies, the Major League Baseball team. One of the league’s best stadiums, Coors Field fits more than 50,000 spectators for a rousing day at the ballpark, right in Denver's trendy LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhood.

Set in the northern corner of Denver’s City Park, the Denver Zoo is the city’s most visited family-friendly attraction. This 80-acre (32-hectare) site is home to over 700 species, including some of the world’s rarest animals, like the Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, and black rhino. Most animals live within naturalistic habitats, an idea the zoo pioneered with its construction of Bear Mountain in 1906.

Embrace the spirit of the great Colorado outdoors in Grand Lake, home of the state’s largest natural lake, located at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. At an 8,300-foot (2,530-meter) elevation, enjoy brisk mountain air and year-round outdoor activities ranging from hiking and biking to fishing, golfing, and lake tours.

From the heart of Washington Park—surrounded by serene gardens, lakes, and lawns—it is hard to believe you are in the middle of Denver, Colorado. The 115-acre (60-hectare) park includes a replica of George Washington’s Mount Vernon garden, an extensive network of running trails, and a boathouse overlooking the lake.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow-gauge historic railroad that runs between Georgetown and Silver Plume, Colorado. One of the state’s first tourist attractions, the railroad takes passengers on a 4.5-mile (7-kilometer) ride through spectacular scenery in the rugged Rocky Mountains.

History Colorado was established in 1879 and currently operates four historic sites and seven museums, including History Colorado Center. Here you’ll find exhibits, artifacts, and hands-on activities about the history of the state and the American West. The center also hosts regular lectures, rotating exhibits, and other events for kids and adults.

A green oasis east of busy Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park’s 80 acres (32 hectares) consist of grassy lawns, a Greek-style marble pavilion, and winding paths popular among joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers. If you don’t stumble upon one of the many community events held at the park throughout the year, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy among the playgrounds, picnic tables, and views of the surrounding mountains.

A fixture of Denver’s LoDo neighborhood, the Dairy Block is a walkable micro-district of bars, restaurants, shops, and a boutique hotel—all with a backdrop of art installations by Colorado creatives. The mixed-use space is named after the old Windsor Dairy and nods to its past with the Denver Milk Market food hall, which, along with a weekly events calendar of Taco Tuesdays and trivia nights, offers something for every crowd.

Gaze at paintings of wide open landscapes, gold-seeking cowboys, and other emblems of the American West at Denver’s American Museum of Western Art. Housed in the Victorian-era Navarre building, the museum tells the story of the West through the lauded Anschutz Collection’s more than 600 paintings, drawings, and sculptures from the 19th century to the present day.

In the heart of downtown Denver, Elitch Gardens is an amusement park featuring rides, activities, and entertainment for all ages. From exhilarating roller coasters and plunging towers to gentle kid-friendly rides and refreshing water slides, the park is a family favorite and a popular summer attraction for locals and visitors alike.

This downtown destination is more than just a state-of-the-art aquarium with over 500 species of fish and sea animals. It's also a dining and entertainment complex, as well as a place for aquatic adventures. Host to sea otters, a Stingray Reef touch tank, and even a dive tank where you can snorkel or scuba dive with the sharks, the Downtown Aquarium is one of Denver’s most popular family attractions.

Catering to young kids (up to about age 8), the Children’s Museum of Denver is a fully interactive space designed to inspire future leaders and adventurers. Exhibits encourage children to learn about nature, science, the arts, and more through hands-on fun. There’s also a daily offering of workshops and special activities like storytime, crafts, and even cooking classes for kids.

The Denver Botanic Gardens fill more than 24 acres (10 hectares) with a diverse collection of plants from across the world, offering a natural haven in the middle of the Mile High City. The dynamic grounds showcase drought-resistant gardening techniques suited to the local climate as well internationally inspired gardens such as Japanese gardens and a tropical conservatory.

Colorful flower beds bloom amid a lineup of historical monuments in Civic Center Park, a green space bordered by some of the city’s most important landmarks. Its tree-shaded paths lead to the Denver Art Museum, the State Capitol, and the City and County Building. A stop on many city tours, it’s a great place to start exploring downtown.

A lively district of restaurants, shops, and nightlife, Lower Downtown Denver (or LoDo) is a buzzy destination, especially on the weekends. Look beyond its people-watching and vibrant cultural scene, though, and you’ll notice something surprising: LoDo is home to some of the city’s best-preserved historic architecture and some of the finest commercial Victorian–era buildings in the American West.

Thousands of visitors travel to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs each year, and the academy’s all-faiths Cadet Chapel is the most visited man-made attraction in Colorado. Among the best examples of modern academic architecture, the striking 150-foot-tall (46-meter-tall) chapel is designed with 17 spires created from aluminum, steel, and glass.

Though it’s just a short drive from downtown Denver, this mountain feels like another world. Once used as a lookout by the Ute tribe who lived in the region, the 7,300-foot (2,225-meter) peak has miles of hiking and mountain biking trails—from easy walking paths to strenuous switchbacks—that attract outdoor enthusiasts from the city and beyond. From the summit, you can see the Denver skyline 12 miles (19 kilometers) away.

The Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave commemorate the legendary cowboy at his resting place atop Lookout Mountain overlooking Golden, Colorado. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody was buried on the mountain in 1917 and the original museum at the site was opened a few years later. The museum’s Buffalo Bill artifacts and exhibits have been attracting Wild West enthusiasts ever since.

Just outside of Colorado Springs, the towering Pikes Peak—at 14,115 feet (4,302 meters) high—is full of national lore. Katharine Lee Bates wrote the song “America the Beautiful” after gazing over the landscape from the top of this very mountain, and today, visitors can enjoy the same view that inspired Bates, looking down across the rolling plains and jagged peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

As you wind your way up the Pikes Peak Highway, prepare for an awe-inspiring vertical climb up to the 14,115-foot (4,302-meter) summit. Known as “America’s Mountain,” the drive is lined with countless scenic vista points, plus lakes, picnic areas, trails, and even gift shops, restaurants, and a historic lodge at the mountain’s base. It’s a high-elevation mini world of things to do.

The Garden of the Gods encompasses 1,341 acres (542 hectares) of Colorado’s unique high-desert wilderness, Great Plains grassland, and juniper woodlands—it's also a designated National Natural Landmark. Highlights include the red rock formations of Balanced Rock, Gateway Rock, and the Three Graces, as well as petroglyphs left by the original American Indian inhabitants of the area, the Ute people.