Planning a trip to the Mile High City and not sure what activities you should include? We have you covered, here are 6 things you should do on your first visit to Denver to really get a taste of the area. Denver has something for everyone from hiking and biking trails to great live shows and of course, some amazing restaurants to try out. Check out our favorites below.
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Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain, located in Golden, Colorado is a great way to get a taste of the mountains without having to really go too far. It is 7,300 feet above Golden and has incredible sweeping views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains, it is quite the view from the top. There is a nature center with volunteer naturalists and some great interactive displays with information about the flora and fauna of the area. There is also a nice walking trail in the nature preserve. The Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave are also located here and has some great exhibits on what life was like in the wild west.
I like Lookout Mountain because it is easy to get to from Denver without the full day commitment that going all the way up into the mountains takes. Also, this is a great stop for if you have kids, plenty for them to do and the nature center is a nice spot to stop and relax for a minute. If you are feeling adventurous, you can bike or hike up to Lookout Mountain from Golden but be prepared, it is a steep trail.
Something to Remember When in Denver
***Also, something to please consider – the Denver area is at a higher elevation and altitude sickness can happen (even my kids still sometimes get it when we go higher up into the mountains). I urge you to read up on it and be prepared, especially if this is your first visit. I do think a visit to Denver can be more comfortable with a great water bottle and being prepared with some layers. ***
Red Rocks
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater is something you should definitely see on your first visit, even better would be if you could plan your trip around a show that you want to catch there. Seeing a show at Red Rocks is probably one of the coolest ways I have ever been to a concert, there is nothing quite like seeing the beautiful Colorado landscape while listening to awesome music. They also host other events, such as Yoga on the Rocks and Film on the Rocks. If you can’t make going to an event work with your trip, it is still a great time to walk around the park and amphitheater.
Red Rocks is a geologically formed and acoustically perfect natural amphitheater – the only one in the world. It opened in 1941 after being You can walk around and explore the amphitheater on non event days. In addition to the amphitheater, there are 5 different hiking trails in the park that you can explore. They also have a visitor’s center, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, the Trading Post, where you can buy some Red Rocks merchandise and a couple of places that you can get some food, such as the Ship Rock Grille and Row 71.
Pro Tip – It can get a little chilly at night – even in the summer. I always bring a light sweatshirt with me just incase I need it.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has something for everyone and is a great place to spend the day, especially if you are travelling with a large group. It’s a large museum and I would plan on either bringing a lunch with you or buying lunch at the museum cafe so that you can enjoy your day without having to rush to see everything. They also have a little coffee shop up on the 2nd floor but be advised that you can’t bring the coffee into any of the exhibits, so plan accordingly if you want to grab a latte at some point.
There are plenty of interactive areas in the museum, so plenty of hands on learning and fun – even though we have been here a ton of times, we still grab the card at Expedition Health and check out our heart rate, see our veins, and check out our arm span, among other things you can do. The do have a planetarium and an IMAX theatre as well, so check out the show times if you want to do those things as well.
Museum History and Facts
The museum started out as just a nature museum focused on Colorado flora and gemstones in 1908 and continued to grow into the nature and science museum that it is today. The museum not only has world class exhibits but is an active member of the scientific community, making contributions to science and hosting amazing education opportunities for the public to have hands on experiences with science. They also have volunteers all over the museum, so if you have any questions about any of the exhibits, they can answer them for you.
In addition to permanent exhibits, such as Gemstones, and Minerals, Expedition Health, Prehistoric Journey, North American Indian Cultures, Space Odyssey, Egyptian Mummies, and the Discovery Zone (for ages 3-8) and the Wildlife Halls, they host travelling temporary exhibits. Sometimes the temporary exhibits are included and sometimes they are an extra cost on top of your admission – you should check out their website before going to see what they have going on on the day of your visit.
I’ve seen some cool stuff at the temporary exhibits, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, South American mummies and an exhibit on Pompei, so be sure to see what is there on your visit. Also, you shouldn’t miss the amazing wildlife halls. There are 89 wildlife dioramas that showcase animals and their habitats from around the world. We have spent hours upon hours in these halls through the years – it’s my daughter’s favorite exhibit in the museum. I would save this exhibit for the end of your visit, the halls are quieter that the rest of the museum and is a relaxing way to end your visit.
Where to Eat After Your Visit
If you are hungry after the museum, you are close to some great places to eat, such as Hopdoddy or Snooze but my number one place you should stop is Bonnie Brae Ice Cream. This place has some of the best homemade ice cream I’ve ever had, my go-to flavor is Grand Marnier chocolate chip. Splurge and get your ice cream in a house made waffle cone!
Garden of the Gods
The Garden of the Gods still amazes me every time I visit, it is majestic and vibrant and awe inspiring. Located at the north end of Colorado Springs, it is an easy day trip from Denver, only an hour and half drive, and worth heading to the Springs for. Garden of the Gods gets you out in the outdoors with the amazing Colorado scenery without having to be an avid outdoors person. The main path is paved, making it easy for strollers, young kids, and persons with disabilities to access this amazing view. There are also bathrooms at the parking lots, but not on the main loop, so I would stop there if needed before taking your walk through the rocks.
History and Facts about Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is a 480 acre park gifted to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909 from the Perkins family to be enjoyed by all and for it to always be free to explore. You can explore by foot, bike, horse, jeep tours, segway tours, and by audio tour. You can rock climb but you must get a permit before doing so. The main section of the park is a paved loop, which is a great start to exploring the area. If you are feeling more adventurous, there are numerous hiking trails that you can also do in the area.
There is also a Visitor’s Center where you can get maps of the park, learn about programs and events that the park offers, such as the Junior Ranger’s Program, as well as a cafe and gift shop. This is usually our first stop before we head out into the park, just to get oriented, have visitors check out some cool history of the area and make sure our water bottles are full and ready for the day.
Rockledge Ranch
Also in the area is Rockledge Ranch, a living history museum that educates visitors on the the development of the the Pikes Peak area through tours, activities and artifacts. If you have time, this is a great stop to learn about the history of the area, the volunteers are all great and The Chamber’s Family Rock Ledge House tour is really cool. They also host educational opportunities, events, camps and workshops, so if you have interest in the area’s history, check out their website to see what is happening when you are visiting. Also note – there is a small admission fee.
Where to Eat in Colorado Springs
While you are in Colorado Springs, take some time to check out some great food. We love going to Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant – our favorites are the shepherd’s pie served in a bread bowl and the chicken boxty . If you are lucky, they have a live band playing while you are there. For dessert, head over to Josh & John’s for some homemade, delicious ice cream- we love the salted peanut butter cup and the oatmeal cookie.
Brewery Tours
Can you come to Denver and not do a brewery tour? If you have interest in Colorado craft beer, you should plan on taking at least one brewery tour. If you have interest in touring multiple breweries, I suggest that you plan on doing a guided tour through Denver, such as the LoDo Craft Beer Tour, a walking tour run by Denver Microbrewery Tour. This tour includes 4 brewery visits, tons of samples and some history of microbrewing in Denver, plan on about 3 hours for this tour.
Coors Brewery and Where to Eat After the Tour
If you are looking for a classic brewery tour, you can tour the Coors facility in Golden, established in 1893, it’s the largest single site brewery in the world. They offer guided tours Thursday – Sunday each week which you need to reserve on their website. They also have a tasting room and a gift shop, which you can buy tickets to just their tasting room if you don’t have any interest in the tour portion.
Golden has some great restaurants as well, one we like is Table Mountain Grill and Cantina-be sure to try the Crispy Hatch Style Relleno or the Green Chili Fries. They also have burgers and sandwiches on the menu, so a little bit of everything to satisfy all in your group
Individual Tours to Arrange on Your Own
If you want to just tour your favorite brewery in the area, check out their website to see if they offer one. Some great single tours that we like are:
Wynkoop Brewery tour : Colorado’s first brewpub, offering tours Tuesday- Saturday at 3pm and 4pm
Odell Brewing Company tour: Located in Fort Collins, they offer free tours Monday – Saturday at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. No reservations needed but you should plan on being there about 30 mins before the tour starts.
Avery Brewing tour: Located in Boulder, they offer free tours Monday-Friday at 4pm and Saturday-Sunday at 2pm. No reservations and there is a patio and food for purchase in addition to just beer.
Left Hand Brewing tour: Okay, a little bias, but this is my favorite brewery tour of the area. It is located in Longmont and they offer free tours every Saturday at 1pm and 2pm. You can make reservations for the tour on their website. If you like stouts, you should try the nitro milk stout – still my favorite one even after trying many others.
**Please enjoy these tours if you are 21 or older and drink responsibly**
Afternoon Tea at the Brown Palace
Something that I would prefer doing than a brewery tour is have tea at the iconic Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. We have done tea here quite a few times and I never get tired of the beautiful lobby that the tea is held in, the beautiful live music, or the amazing service. I highly recommend reservations and if you would like to have tea in the holiday season, you will need to make reservations as soon as they open up.
History and Facts about The Brown Palace
The Brown Palace hotel opened in 1888 and was the tallest building in Denver at the time that it was built. It was one of the first hotels to have an open atrium design and hHas 736 filigreed iron panels that make up the railings around the atrium-all installed upside down. It has been serving High Tea since 1910, first in the Ladies Lounge and now, it is held in the beautiful atrium.
What Comes with Your Afternoon Tea
You can purchase a couple of different variations of tea but they all come with scones, some of the best I have ever tasted, finger sandwiches and some petite desserts and an unlimited amount of the tea of your choice. Something to note, if you are a party larger than 4 then you will not get an individual pot of tea but they will serve you a couple of carafes of tea for the table, so you will have to agree on the flavors you want to get.
Each party gets 2 plates of sandwiches and 1 plate of the scones and desserts but you can buy additional items to add on if you want. We usually buy extra scones to take home. Something fun that my grown children still like to do is take the stairs all the way up to the top floor, it’s a tradition for them. Hopefully, you can go and experience making some traditions there as well.
Final Thoughts on Planning Your First Trip to Denver
This list is just the start of many adventures that you could have in Denver but they are a great place to start to get a taste of all that the Denver Area has to offer- you will just have to plan more than one trip to the area! Hope you enjoy these 6 things to do on your first visit to Denver! Did we miss one of your favorite Denver activities? Let us know in the comments!
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