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The Crawford Hotel, Denver

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Denver

Updated 7 October 2026 · 16 things to do

Pictured: The Crawford Hotel

Denver sits exactly a mile above sea level, where the Great Plains run out and the Rocky Mountains begin. The air is thin and dry, the sky is a deep, high-altitude blue and the snowy peaks of the Front Range line the western horizon like a stage set. It started as a gold-rush camp and has never quite lost the frontier optimism.

Many visitors treat the city as a gateway to the ski slopes and national parks, and miss a good thing. Denver has a first-rate art museum, a revived warehouse district covered in murals, more breweries than you could visit in a month and, in the foothills, the most spectacular concert venue in America. Give it two or three days before you head for the hills.

Don't miss

  1. 1Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
  2. 2Union Station
  3. 3Denver Art Museum
  4. 4RiNo Art District
  5. 5Rocky Mountain National Park

The big sights

From a natural amphitheatre to a golden dome.

  1. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

    Landmark

    Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado
    Photo: Sarbjit Bahga, CC BY-SA 4.0

    In the foothills west of the city, two colossal slabs of red sandstone tilt towards each other, and between them sits an open-air amphitheatre with acoustics so good that musicians dream of playing it. The Beatles, U2 and just about everyone since have performed here, with the lights of Denver twinkling on the plain beyond the stage.

    Go even if there is no concert. By day the venue is open to visitors, locals run up and down the steep rows of seats for exercise, and trails wind off among the rock formations.

    Tip: If you can get tickets for a show, do. Bring a warm layer: evenings cool quickly at this altitude, even in summer.

  2. Union Station

    Landmark

    Denver Union Station
    Photo: Missvain, CC BY 4.0

    Denver's grand old railway station has been reborn as the city's living room. Under the high white ceiling of the Great Hall, people sink into leather sofas with a coffee or a cocktail, play shuffleboard and wait for trains, including the one to the airport. Restaurants, bars, an ice-cream counter and a bookshop fill the wings. The glowing orange sign outside urges you to travel by train.

  3. Larimer Square

    Neighbourhood

    Larimer Square in Denver
    Photo: Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0

    This is where Denver began, and its oldest commercial block was the first in the city to be saved from the bulldozers. The Victorian buildings now hold independent shops, cocktail bars and some of the best restaurants in town, under a canopy of lights strung across the street. It is at its prettiest after dark, and it links easily with a wander round LoDo.

  4. Colorado State Capitol

    Landmark

    The Colorado State Capitol in Denver
    Photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0

    The Capitol's dome is covered in real gold leaf, a nod to the gold rush that founded the state, and it catches the sun for miles. On the west steps, a marker shows the exact point one mile above sea level. Stand on it for the obligatory photograph, then turn around for a view across Civic Center Park to the mountains.

  5. Denver Art Museum

    Museum

    The Hamilton Building of the Denver Art Museum
    Photo: Daniel Hartwig, CC BY 4.0

    Two remarkable buildings face each other here: a castle-like tower clad in grey glass tiles by the Italian architect Gio Ponti, and Daniel Libeskind's jagged, titanium-covered extension, which looks like a crystal that has crashed to earth. The collection is especially strong on Indigenous arts of North America and on art of the American West, with plenty for children to do.

    Tip: The Clyfford Still Museum next door, devoted to one of the great abstract painters, is small and superb.

Museums and gardens

  1. Denver Museum of Nature & Science

    Museum

    The Denver Museum of Nature & Science
    Photo: Avrand6, CC BY-SA 4.0

    On the eastern edge of City Park, this is the big family museum, with dinosaur skeletons, Egyptian mummies, glittering gems and minerals from Colorado's mines, and a planetarium. Don't leave without stepping onto the terrace on the west side: the view across the park lake to the Downtown skyline, with the Rockies behind, is one of the finest in the city.

  2. Denver Botanic Gardens

    Nature

    A view across Denver Botanic Gardens
    Photo: Daderot, Public domain

    A calm, beautifully designed garden near Cheesman Park, with a tropical conservatory, a Japanese garden, water-lily ponds and beds that show what thrives in Colorado's dry, sunny climate. Sculpture exhibitions and summer concerts add to the appeal. It is a soothing place to recover if the altitude has left you a little short of breath.

  3. Meow Wolf Convergence Station

    Activity

    Meow Wolf's Convergence Station in Denver
    Photo: DutchTreat, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Hard to describe and harder to forget. Behind an ordinary-looking facade near the stadium, an arts collective has built four floors of interlinked fantasy worlds: neon alleyways, an ice palace, a swamp, secret doors and hidden passages, all to be explored at your own pace. Part art installation, part playground, it suits teenagers and curious adults particularly well.

Neighbourhoods to wander

  1. RiNo Art District

    Neighbourhood

    River North, RiNo for short, is a former industrial zone of warehouses and foundries north of Downtown that artists moved into and never left. Now almost every wall carries a mural, repainted and added to each year, and the old buildings hold breweries, cider houses, coffee roasters, galleries and food halls. Come hungry, wander the alleys with a camera and stay for the evening.

  2. LoDo and Coors Field

    Neighbourhood

    Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies
    Photo: Troutfarm27, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Lower Downtown is Denver's old warehouse quarter, its red-brick buildings turned into lofts, bars and restaurants around Union Station. At its northern end stands Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, a handsome ballpark with mountain views from the upper deck. One row of seats is painted purple to mark exactly a mile above sea level.

Eat and drink

  1. Craft beer

    Food

    Denver takes beer as seriously as other cities take wine. The modern craft-brewing boom has deep roots here, and the city hosts the Great American Beer Festival each autumn. Taprooms are scattered through every neighbourhood, thickest in RiNo and LoDo, pouring everything from crisp lagers to sour ales. Remember that alcohol hits harder at altitude, and pace yourself.

  2. Green chile

    Food

    Denver's favourite flavour comes from the south-west: a thick, pork-laced stew of roasted green chillies, ladled over burritos, eggs, burgers and more or less anything else. Order your breakfast burrito smothered and you'll fit right in. In late summer and autumn, the smell of chillies roasting in big metal drums at roadside stands drifts across the city.

Day trips

The mountains are the point. Here is how to reach them.

  1. Rocky Mountain National Park

    Day trip

    Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park
    Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0

    North-west of Denver, beyond the town of Estes Park, lies one of America's great national parks: a high country of granite peaks, alpine lakes, pine forest and open tundra. Trail Ridge Road climbs above the treeline to more than 12,000 feet, with pull-offs that leave you speechless. Elk graze in the meadows, and trails range from lakeside strolls to serious climbs.

    Tip: In the busy months the park uses timed-entry reservations, and the high road closes for winter. Check both before you set out.

  2. Golden

    Day trip

    A former gold-rush town tucked between two flat-topped mountains at the mouth of a canyon, a short drive west of Denver. An arch over the main street welcomes you to the place 'where the West lives', the Coors brewery sits by the creek, and Buffalo Bill is buried on Lookout Mountain above. In summer people float down Clear Creek on rubber rings.

  3. Boulder

    Day trip

    The Flatirons at sunrise, seen from Chautauqua in Boulder
    Photo: Tyler Cipriani, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A university town with the Rockies in its back garden. The slanting sandstone slabs known as the Flatirons rise straight from the edge of town, with trails starting from the meadows of Chautauqua Park. Down below, the pedestrianised Pearl Street Mall has buskers, bookshops, outdoor-gear stores and restaurants. Boulder is fit, outdoorsy and a touch eccentric, and makes an easy day out.

  4. Garden of the Gods

    Day trip

    Sunrise on the red rocks of Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
    Photo: mark byzewski, CC BY 2.0

    South of Denver at Colorado Springs, great fins and spires of red rock stand up from the scrub with the snowy mass of Pikes Peak behind them. Paved paths and trails loop among the formations, and climbers pick their way up the faces. It pairs well with a trip up Pikes Peak itself for a full day out.

Where to stay in Denver

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Denver →

Getting around

A train links the airport with Union Station, and Downtown, LoDo and the museums are walkable from there, with buses and light rail for longer hops. RiNo and Cherry Creek are a short taxi ride. For Red Rocks, Golden and the mountains, hire a car or book a tour or shuttle.

When to go

Denver is famously sunny all year. Summers are warm and dry, with the odd afternoon thunderstorm, and are the season for Red Rocks concerts and mountain drives. Winters bring snow that usually melts quickly in the city. The altitude is noticeable at first: drink plenty of water and take the first day gently.

Questions about visiting Denver

What is Denver best known for?
Being the Mile High City, a mile above sea level at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, craft beer, sunshine and easy access to Colorado's ski resorts and national parks.
Is Denver worth visiting?
Yes. It is a lively, outdoorsy city with a strong art and food scene, and it makes an excellent base for day trips to Red Rocks, Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park.
What is there to do in Denver with kids?
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Meow Wolf Convergence Station, the hands-on areas of the Denver Art Museum, a baseball game at Coors Field and a walk among the rocks at Red Rocks.
How many days do you need in Denver?
Two days for the city itself, plus one or two more for Red Rocks, Golden, Boulder or Rocky Mountain National Park.
Do you need a car in Denver?
Not in the centre, which is walkable and connected to the airport by train. A hire car or tour is the easiest way to reach Red Rocks and the mountains.

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