Denver “The Mile High City” as sits exactly 1 mile above see level, is the beautiful capital of Colorado and it’s definitely worth a visit. We spent a couple of days at the end of May 2019 and we loved walking around, admiring architecture and enjoying nice food.
The main attractions are all walking distance and located around 16th Street Mall.
Useful website is https://www.visittheusa.co.uk/destination/denver
The below map is from :
https://maps-denver.com/denver-attractions-map
- 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver is a mile-long, pedestrian-friendly street packed with shops, restaurants and attractions. When tired you can just hop on the Free shuttle bus the “MallRide”, stopping on every corner. 😊 . If you like live music a good venue we went to was Live at Jack ar 500 16th Street on the top floor of the Denver Pavillions. https://www.liveatjacks.com
- LoDo Historic District ( Lower downton) is Denver’s oldest neighborhood and home to some of the city’s best-known restaurants, art galleries, shops and boutiques. Don’t miss historic Larimer Square with its elegant Victorian buildings, trendy boutiques and sleek restaurants and bars. In LoDO you can find Colorado’s first brewpub Wynkoop Brewig Company located in 18th street. If you like Jazz you must visit El Chapultec Denver’s oldest jazz and blues club. http://www.thepeclodo.com/
- Union Station in LoDo, is Denver’s most iconic historic landmark. The renovated 1914 Beaux-Arts train station is home to restaurants, bars, boutiques and the Crawford Hotel
- Coors Field is the home of the Colorado Rockies and is Major League Baseball’s highest-altitude ball field. When in the USA we always try to see local events and we managed to get tickets for the Rockies playing at home against the Baltimore Orioles. Even though the Rockies lost, we loved the game, the field & the atmosphere. Official Rockies website is https://www.mlb.com/rockies
- Confluence Park marks the area where William Greeneberry Russell’s party began the search for gold in May 1858. The discovery started the Colorado Gold Rush, and the encampment became Denver.
- Colorado Convention Center (in 14th street) is home to the 40-foot tall Blue Bear, designed by Lawrence Argent and formally named “I See What You Mean.”
- Civic Center park bordered by the Colorado State Capitol, the City and County Building, and the Denver Art Museum, is the centerpiece of Denver’s green space. You can stand exactly one mile above sea level on the 13th step of the gold domed Colorado State Capitol with its “one mile above sea level” marker
- Molly Brown house museum ( in 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, CO 80203) is the home of Titanic heroine, the unsinkable Margaret “Molly” Brown. When we visited in May 2019 all tours were guided. Official website is https://mollybrown.org/visit-us/
- Cherry Creek is a tree-shaded neighborhood just two miles from downtown and easily accessible by bike on the Cherry Creek Bike Path. Cherry Creek Shopping District with more than 500 department stores boutiques
- Denver ZOO https://denverzoo.org/
- Denver Botanic Garden is an oasis in the middle of the city, has 45 different garden such as the Japanese Garden & the Rock Alpine Garden. https://www.botanicgardens.org/
- U.S Mint can produce more than 50 million coins a day, each one stamped with a little “D” for Denver. Free guided tours show every step. https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-tours-facilities?action=startreservation
Further Afield but worth a visit if you can
- Boulder is a lovely town 30 miles west of Denver on Hwy. 36 described as the “the city nestled between the mountains and reality.” According to a recent study Boulder it the “happiest” city in America. Visit Pearl Street Mall.
- Red Rock Park & Amphitheater Around 30 minutes drive from Denver. It’s open year-round for free self-guided tours, beginning one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset however if an event is scheduled for the evening the venue will close around 2:30 so check if you are planning to visit. Unfortunately we were not able to visit as we arrived too late 😢 https://www.redrocksonline.com/
- Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave in Lookout Mountain Road, Golden, CO 80401 around 30 minutes drive from Denver town center http://www.buffalobill.org/
- Coors Brewery Tours Taste the Rockies!” The world’s largest brewing site still uses the same Rocky Mountain spring water that Adolph Coors discovered in 1873. Self-guided tour & free samples for those over 21. The brewery is located in Golden (13th St. & Ford St.) around 20 minutes drive from Denver town centre. https://www.coorsbrewerytour.com/ Golden is Colorado’s first capital.
- Accommodation we stayed at the Renaissance hotel near 16th Street located within Denver’s former Colorado National Bank building, one of Colorado’s most gorgeous and historic buildings. Even if you don’t stay in the hotel, the lobby is definitely worth a visit. The old fixtures of the Bank have been kept and incorporated in the hotel. https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dendr-renaissance-denver-downtown-city-center-hotel/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2&y_source=1_MjgxODE3My03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24uZ29vZ2xlX3dlYnNpdGVfb3ZlcnJpZGU=
Enjoy Denver 🙂
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