20 Best Things to Do in Denver for First Time Visitors

Denver does something few cities can: it puts a world class concert venue carved from red rock, a free tour of the United States Mint, and a national park day trip inside one itinerary. This guide covers 20 things to do in Denver, from the mile high step of the State Capitol to floating between the murals of the RiNo Art District, complete with addresses, ticket notes, and one good to know tip per stop. One warning before the list: Denver sits at 5,280 feet, so the sun is stronger and the air thinner than you expect. Drink water, wear sunscreen, and let the first day run slower than the plan. The rest of the trip will thank you.

How to Use This List of Things to Do in Denver

Entries 1 to 18 sit in or near the city, and the final two are the classic short trips: Lookout Mountain above Golden and Rocky Mountain National Park. Most things to do in Denver are downtown or a short ride from it, and Union Station is the hub that ties the list together. The tickets worth booking ahead are the zoo, the Botanic Gardens, Molly Brown House, and Meow Wolf; almost everything else you can walk up to. If your time is short, group the Golden Triangle museums into one day and give Red Rocks its own evening.

1. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

Red Rocks is a naturally formed amphitheatre between two towering red sandstone fins, Ship Rock and Creation Rock, in the foothills town of Morrison, about 15 miles west of downtown. The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and U2 have all played under the stars here, and the venue runs more than 150 ticketed events a year, from concerts to Film on the Rocks and Yoga on the Rocks.

On non event days the park is free to enter: hike the trails, walk the amphitheatre steps, and stop at the Visitor Center and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame inside the Trading Post. As first time things to do in Denver go, nothing else looks or sounds like this place.

Address: 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80465

Good to know: The venue sits above 6,000 feet and the walk from the lots is steep. Arrive early, wear real shoes, and pace yourself on the stairs; doors usually open 60 to 90 minutes before showtime.

2. Denver Botanic Gardens

Twenty four acres of themed gardens from around the world, a tropical conservatory under glass, and the honeycomb Science Pyramid make the York Street gardens the city’s green living room. Rotating art exhibitions fill the Freyer-Newman Center galleries, and in winter the whole garden returns as Blossoms of Light, the holiday display that has run for over 30 years.

Entry is ticketed, with timed tickets sold online in advance; members and children two and under go free, and SCFD Free Days run several times a year. Allow two to three hours. Peaceful things to do in Denver start here, especially on a weekday morning, and the conservatory alone earns it a place on any winter list of things to do in Denver.

Address: 1007 York Street, Denver, CO 80206

Good to know: Hours change by season, generally opening at 9 AM and closing later in summer. Check the day’s hours on the official site before you set out.

3. Denver Art Museum

One of the largest art museums in the West, with more than 70,000 works across two landmark buildings: the Martin Building and the jagged titanium Hamilton Building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The collection is famous for its Indigenous arts of North America, with strong Western American, Latin American, photography, and fashion galleries behind it.

Admission is ticketed for adults, but members and everyone 18 and under enter free through the Free for Kids program, and Free First Saturdays open the whole museum free. The museum stays open late on Tuesdays, until 8 PM. Art first things to do in Denver anchor on this museum, with the Clyfford Still Museum and the Colorado History Museum steps away in the same Golden Triangle.

Address: 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy, Denver, CO 80204

Good to know: Plan two to three hours, and pair it with the Capitol a short walk north for a full Civic Center day.

4. Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Denver’s big natural history museum fills City Park with dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies, gems and minerals, the Space Odyssey and Expedition Health hands on galleries, the Gates Planetarium, and a giant screen theater. The Anschutz Family Sky Terrace frames the payoff view: the downtown skyline held up against the Rockies.

The museum is ticketed and strongly encourages advance timed tickets online; planetarium and theater shows cost extra. It is open daily 9 AM to 5 PM, most Fridays to 9 PM, and closed December 25. About a dozen SCFD Community Free Days a year need no ticket at all. Family things to do in Denver rarely beat a free day here.

Address: 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205

Good to know: Last entry is 60 minutes before close. The museum and the zoo share City Park, so the two pair into one full day for families.

5. Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance

The zoo has been running in City Park since 1896 and now spreads across 80 acres with about 2,500 animals, run as a conservation nonprofit. The headline habitats are Toyota Elephant Passage, Predator Ridge with its lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs, Tropical Discovery, and Primate Panorama, with keeper talks and feedings through the day and Zoo Lights on winter evenings.

Tickets are timed for non members and must be booked online; members enter any time. General admission starts from $26 for adults in the zoo’s recent pricing, with children two and under free. Book before you go, above all in summer, and arrive at the 10 AM opening when the animals move most. Lively morning things to do in Denver begin at the zoo gates.

Address: 2300 Steele St, Denver, CO 80205

Good to know: Parking is free in the garage off 23rd Avenue. The zoo closes only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

6. Denver Union Station

The 1914 Beaux-Arts station in LoDo was reborn in 2014 as Denver’s living room: a working transit hub whose Great Hall runs on restaurants, bars, and shops, with the Crawford Hotel in the rooms above. Sit under the chandeliers, order a Colorado beer at the Terminal Bar, which pours from the old ticket windows, and watch the trains do the rest.

It is free to enter and wander; the hall closes only briefly overnight, from 12:00 to 5:30 AM, for cleaning. Trains from here include the A Line to the airport and the seasonal Winter Park Express ski train. Nearly every route through the things to do in Denver in this guide starts or ends at this station.

Address: 1701 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202

Good to know: The free 16th Street shuttle starts right outside the doors, and the Tourist Information Center inside stocks free visitor guides.

7. 16th Street

Downtown’s mile long pedestrian spine runs 13 blocks from Market Street to Broadway, lined with shops, patios, play features, and public art. Long known as the 16th Street Mall, it was rebuilt in a roughly $175 million project and fully reopened on October 4, 2025 under a new name: simply 16th Street, also branded The Denver Way, with more than 200 new trees planted along it.

Everything on it is free to enjoy, including the RTD MallRide shuttle that runs its length and ties Union Station to Civic Center Park and the Capitol. Evenings and weekends are liveliest. Everyday things to do in Denver do not get more central than a slow walk down this street, and every visitor ends up on it whatever their list of things to do in Denver.

Address: 16th Street, between Market Street and Broadway, Denver, CO 80202

Good to know: Most older guides still call it the 16th Street Mall. Same street, new name, and a finished streetscape instead of construction.

8. Larimer Square

The 1400 block of Larimer Street is where Denver began in 1858, saved in the 1960s as the city’s first major preservation project and designated its first historic district in 1971. The Victorian buildings now hold chef led restaurants and independent boutiques under a famous canopy of string lights, with seasonal events from the Denver Chalk Art Festival to evening bazaars.

Strolling is free; you pay for the dinner and the shopping. Come at dusk when the overhead lights switch on and the block turns into the city’s favourite evening photograph. Romantic things to do in Denver start on this block, a short walk from both 16th Street and Union Station.

Address: 1430 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202

Good to know: The block is one short stretch, so pair it with dinner reservations; the best tables book out on weekend evenings.

9. Colorado State Capitol

Colorado’s gold domed statehouse, its gold leaf first applied in 1908 to honour the gold rush, is built of Colorado white granite with interiors of rare rose onyx and Yule marble. The west steps carry the famous marker, One Mile Above Sea Level; three markers exist from successive surveys, and the 13th step is now considered the true 5,280 foot point.

The building is free and open Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 5 PM, with free guided tours on the hour from 10 AM to 3 PM covering the chambers, the rotunda, Mr. Brown’s Attic, and the 99 step climb to the dome. Tours cap around 30 people, so arrive about 20 minutes early. Essential free things to do in Denver include standing on that step.

Address: 200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203

Good to know: Tours are weekdays only. Weekend visitors still get the grounds, the views, and the mile high step, just not the interior tour.

10. Molly Brown House Museum

Margaret Brown survived the Titanic, then came home to this 1889 stone mansion on Capitol Hill and kept working as an activist and philanthropist for the rest of her life. Historic Denver runs the house as a museum furnished to the Browns’ era, with guided tours of about 45 minutes, self guided visits with an audio guide, and rotating exhibits on her activism and the ship.

It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursdays to 7 PM, with tickets priced on the museum’s site at $17 for a self guided adult visit and $22 for the guided tour. Entry times sell out, especially in summer, so buy ahead. Note there is no air conditioning, and backpacks and strollers stay outside. Small, human scale things to do in Denver shine here.

Address: 1340 Pennsylvania Street, Denver, CO 80203

Good to know: Colorado residents get a $2 discount, and children five and under and members enter free.

11. Meow Wolf Denver: Convergence Station

Convergence Station is Meow Wolf’s permanent Denver exhibition: four floors of interconnected worlds built by hundreds of artists, part art installation, part walk in science fiction story, centred on an alien transit station. There is no fixed route through C Street, Eemia, Numina, and the Ossuary; the payphones, hidden rooms, and side passages are the point. The Perplexiplex venue adds concerts and 21 plus dance nights.

Entry is ticketed with timed entry, booked online in advance, and weekends and event nights sell out. Give it two to three hours and go on a weekday if you can. Immersive things to do in Denver do not come stranger or more fun than this.

Address: 1338 1st St, Denver, CO 80204

Good to know: Parking on site is limited and worse on Broncos home game days. The RTD station at Empower Field at Mile High is the easier arrival.

12. Downtown Aquarium Denver

A million gallons of exhibits and more than 500 species sit on the South Platte River, an improbable ocean in a landlocked city. Habitats run from rainforest to desert, Sumatran tigers prowl one gallery, rays take food from your hand at the Stingray Reef touch tank, and the Aquarium Restaurant seats you around a 50,000 gallon tank with a 4D theater beside it.

The aquarium is ticketed, with tickets sold online and at the door, and it is included in Denver CityPASS. Budget two to three hours inside. Rainy day things to do in Denver are a short list, and this tops it for families comparing indoor things to do in Denver.

Address: 700 Water Street, Denver, CO 80211

Good to know: Parking is across the street and validates free after 6 PM with a restaurant receipt.

13. Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park

Elitch Gardens has run for more than 130 years and remains the only amusement park in a downtown core in the country: coasters like the Twister III wooden coaster and Mind Eraser on the theme park side, and the Island Kingdom water park included in the same admission through summer.

It is a seasonal park, roughly late spring through October for the rides, with the water park from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, plus Fright Fest in fall and holiday lights in winter. Day tickets are cheaper online than at the gate, and children two and under are free. Classic summer things to do in Denver include a full day of coasters and slides without leaving downtown, and it remains one of the most purely fun things to do in Denver.

Address: 2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204

Good to know: The park runs cashless, with Cash to Card kiosks on site, and parking is a separate paid charge. The Ball Arena Elitch Gardens RTD station drops you at the door.

14. Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum

Colorado’s official air and space museum fills a 1930s hangar at the former Lowry Air Force Base with dozens of aircraft and spacecraft, from a B-1A Lancer you can stand beneath to the Star Wars X-wing prop. Flight simulators and a VR lounge run for small extra fees, and cockpit demo days land on the second Saturday of the month.

Admission is ticketed, with discounts for seniors, military, veterans, first responders, and children, ages three and under free, and $1 admission with an EBT card. It is open daily 10 AM to 5 PM and part of Denver CityPASS. Aviation minded things to do in Denver centre on this hangar in Lowry, a drive east of downtown, making it one of the quieter things to do in Denver.

Address: 7711 East Academy Blvd, Denver, CO 80230

Good to know: This is the one city entry that really wants a car. Pair it with a Lowry lunch and make an afternoon of the east side.

15. Colorado History Museum

The state’s flagship history museum stands in the Golden Triangle with four floors of interactive exhibits: a giant floor map in the atrium, a Dust Bowl simulation, a 1920s plains town, and Colorado’s story told through 100 objects. A note on the name: in October 2026 the museum announced it is returning to its earlier name, the Colorado History Museum, after years as the History Colorado Center, so listings appear under both.

Admission is ticketed, but kids 18 and under enter free every day. It is open daily 10 AM to 5 PM, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. History first things to do in Denver fit neatly here, a short walk from the Art Museum and the Capitol.

Address: 1200 N Broadway, Denver, CO 80203

Good to know: Admission is free statewide on Colorado Day, August 1, if your trip lines up.

16. RiNo Art District

RiNo, the River North district, turned its warehouse blocks into Denver’s street art capital: hundreds of murals along Larimer Street, densest roughly from 25th to 38th streets and through the alleys between Larimer and Walnut, plus galleries, breweries, and the Denver Central Market and Source food halls. First Fridays run the gallery night, and each September the Denver Walls festival paints new walls live.

Wandering is free; you pay for the food, drinks, and any guided tour. Murals are repainted constantly, so the district you photograph this season will differ from the next. Creative things to do in Denver start with a daylight mural walk that ends in the taprooms.

Address: Larimer Street corridor, Denver, CO 80205 (38th and Blake A Line station serves the north end)

Good to know: Shoot the murals in daylight, then stay for the evening. There is no single address because it is a neighbourhood, not a venue.

17. Washington Park

Wash Park is Denver’s beloved 165 acre backyard: a mile long rectangle of lawns, flower gardens, and two lakes in the south central city, often called its smaller Central Park. Rent a paddle boat on Smith Lake by the 1913 Boathouse, run or ride the 2.2 mile paved loop, or claim a patch of grass among the tennis courts, lawn bowling, and volleyball lawns.

The park itself is free; boat rentals and the recreation centre with its indoor pool are paid. Summer weekends fill early with picnics and nets, so arrive in the morning. Local life things to do in Denver are best sampled here on a Saturday.

Address: 701 S Franklin St, Denver, CO 80209 (the Boathouse)

Good to know: Parking is limited to the surrounding neighbourhood streets. The gravel perimeter loop runs 2.6 miles if you want the longer circuit, one of the prettiest runs among things to do in Denver.

18. United States Mint at Denver

One of only two U.S. Mints with public tours, and the only tour in this guide that is both free and unforgettable: a guided walk over the production floor where billions of circulating coins are struck. Check your change afterwards; every coin with a D mint mark was made in this fortress like 1904 building, modelled on a Florentine palazzo and rooted in gold rush assay office history.

The rules need care, because the booking system has changed over the years: the Mint’s own site currently describes same day, first come tickets from the Tour Information Window on Cherokee Street, opening 7 AM Monday to Thursday, five tickets per person, visitors aged seven and up only. Confirm the current method on usmint.gov before your trip. Unusual things to do in Denver do not beat watching money being made.

Address: 320 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 (tours enter from Cherokee Street)

Good to know: Bags, purses, and backpacks are prohibited and there are no lockers; phones and cameras stay off and there is no photography on tour. Leave everything at the hotel. Peak season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, sells out fastest.

19. Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill Museum, Golden

Twelve miles west, the Lariat Loop winds up Lookout Mountain to 7,377 feet, where William F. Cody is buried where he asked to be: above Golden, with Denver and the plains on one side and the high Rockies on the other. The museum covers his life as scout, buffalo hunter, and Wild West showman with posters, costumes, firearms, and Sitting Bull artifacts.

The gravesite and the park are free; the museum is one of the cheapest tickets in this guide, at $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $1 for children 6 to 16, with summer hours daily 9 AM to 5 PM. Budget about 30 minutes of driving from downtown. Day trip things to do in Denver start with this mountain, and it is the gentlest of the mountain things to do in Denver.

Address: 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road, Golden, CO 80401

Good to know: The summit is colder and windier than the city and the road is steep and shared with cyclists. Take it slowly and stop at the observation decks on the way down.

20. Rocky Mountain National Park Day Trip

Colorado’s flagship national park is the closest one to Denver and the only one realistically done as a day trip: about 1.5 to 2 hours each way to the Estes Park entrances. Inside sit elk filled meadows, the Bear Lake corridor with its walks to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake, and Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States at 12,183 feet, generally open from late May to mid October.

The planning rules matter: a park pass is required ($30 for a one day vehicle pass), and in the busy season a separate timed entry permit is needed too. For 2026, permits run May 22 to October 12 for entry between 9 AM and 2 PM, with a separate Bear Lake Road permit from May 22 to October 18 for 5 AM to 6 PM entry, booked on Recreation.gov for a $2 fee. Entering outside the windows needs no permit. Pick one area for a day trip, Bear Lake or Trail Ridge Road, and start early; the peak things to do in Denver finish with the park that towers over the whole list.

Address: Beaver Meadows Entrance, US Highway 36, Estes Park, CO 80517

Good to know: Much of the park sits above 10,000 feet. Hydrate, take the altitude gently, and hike early to beat both the crowds and the afternoon thunderstorms.

Best Hotels for These Things to Do in Denver

Five central bases, each tied to a cluster of this list:

• The Crawford Hotel, 1701 Wynkoop St: boutique rooms inside Union Station itself, above the Great Hall.
• The Oxford Hotel, 1600 17th St: Denver’s oldest hotel, opened 1891, a minute from Union Station with the Cruise Room bar.
• The Brown Palace, 321 17th St: the grande dame since 1892, famous for its atrium lobby and afternoon tea, near 16th Street.
• Four Seasons Hotel Denver, 1111 14th St: the luxury benchmark by the Theatre District, with a rooftop pool and spa.
• The Ramble Hotel, 1280 25th St: a boutique stay inside the RiNo mural district, home to a Death & Co cocktail bar.

Final Words

Denver rewards a simple structure: one museum day downtown, one evening at Red Rocks, one neighbourhood day between RiNo and Wash Park, and one mountain day if the season allows. Book the timed tickets early, respect the altitude, and let Union Station be your front door. If you are stringing Western cities together, the things to do in Leavenworth Washington guide covers a very different mountain town, and the summer vacation destinations in USA roundup places Denver’s park country in the national picture. Save this list of things to do in Denver on Pinterest, drink some water, and start at the mile high step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the absolute must do things to do in Denver?

Red Rocks, Union Station, the Capitol’s mile high step, one Golden Triangle museum, and an evening on Larimer Square. Add the Mint tour if your days fall Monday to Thursday. Those six things to do in Denver cover the city’s identity in a first weekend.

How many days do you need in Denver?

Two full days cover the downtown list at a fair pace. Three days add the zoo or Meow Wolf and a neighbourhood day. Four days make room for Lookout Mountain, and five turn Rocky Mountain National Park into an unhurried day trip instead of a dash. Most visitors find the list of things to do in Denver longer than the trip.

Are things to do in Denver good for solo female travelers?

Yes. Downtown, LoDo, and the museum districts on this list are busy and well lit, the free 16th Street shuttle and RTD rail make getting around simple without a car, and guided options from Capitol tours to Mint tours keep exploring social. Book central lodging near Union Station or 16th Street, keep the usual city awareness at night, and things to do in Denver make an easy solo trip. Remember the altitude affects everyone on day one.

What is the best time of year for Denver?

Late spring through early fall gives you the full list: Elitch Gardens open, Red Rocks in concert season, Wash Park in use, and Trail Ridge Road open in the national park. Winter swaps in Zoo Lights, Blossoms of Light, and the Winter Park Express ski train from Union Station. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms, so front load outdoor things to do in Denver into the mornings.

How do you handle the altitude in Denver?

Take the first day gently, drink more water than feels necessary, go easy on alcohol, and use sunscreen, because the sun at 5,280 feet is stronger than at sea level. Save Rocky Mountain National Park, where roads pass 12,000 feet, for later in the trip once you have adjusted to the city. Most visitors feel normal by the second day of things to do in Denver.

What should you book in advance in Denver?

Zoo timed tickets, Botanic Gardens timed tickets, Molly Brown House entry times, Meow Wolf timed entry, and any Red Rocks concert. In season, the Rocky Mountain National Park timed entry permit is the critical one: it releases in batches on Recreation.gov, with a final batch the night before. Everything else on this list of things to do in Denver can stay flexible.