21 best things to do in Denver with kids

Denver is a thriving city that will wrap visitors around its clean, green and creative fingers. With its active lifestyle, kilometres of bike trails and creative and educational kid-friendly attractions, there is so much to do in Denver with kids.

Enjoying 300 days of sunshine, Denver is a great family holiday destination year-round and makes for a great stopover on your way to one of Colorado’s many ski resorts. Nicknamed The Mile High City due to its 1609-metre elevation above sea level, it is the perfect place to acclimatise before hitting the slopes. Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, not only does the city boast a breathtaking mountain backdrop but it also offers an array of activities for all ages. Attractions range from hiking among 120-metre-high boulders to watching a pro ice hockey game from the Pepsi Center bleachers.

Denver Art Museum

One of the best things to do in Denver involves getting in touch with your creative side. Head to Denver Art Museum for high-tech interactive exhibits. It is the heart and soul of the city’s thriving cultural scene with hands-on activities and gallery games. Kids will love the Western and American Indian art collections on display and parents will love the fact that kids under 18 get in for free and free for all on select days. Other times, tickets are $19 for adults.

Little Man Ice Cream Company

Shaped like a milk jug, Little Man Ice Cream Company on 16th Street is an iconic Denver attraction. Sundaes come with unlimited toppings and the shop has multiple non-dairy options available.

For every scoop of ice cream purchased, Little Man matches that scoop with a donated scoop of rice, beans, or other essentials to a community in need worldwide.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

You’ll find the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in City Park. It has a kids’ Discovery Zone, space museum and dinosaur exhibit.  See an allosaurus and stegosaurus battle and discover Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible inventions. The museum will scratch the kids every inquisitive itch.

Historic Denver walking tour

Historic Denver offers in-person and virtual walking tours. The walking tours take place in nine different neighbourhoods in Denver. The 90 minute LoDo Walking Tour takes place in the Lower Downtown Historic District. It focuses on Denver in the late 19th and early 20th century. You’ll see historical hotels and buildings and learn about Denver’s culture at that time.

Children’s Museum of Denver

Little ones will no doubt drag grown-ups to the interactive Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus. Highlights include an enclosed three-storey climbing structure, a kids’ kitchen with hands-on cooking classes, an art studio, a life-size marble run and a huge outdoor playground. Exhibits have been designed for kids learn through play and storytelling.

Cost: under one: free, one: $15, 2 – 59: $17

Molly Brown House Museum

Molly Brown House Museum teleports visitors back to the 20th century where you and your little ones will be intrigued learning about this Titanic survivor of ‘unsinkable’ fame. As a bonus, children under six years gain free entry, with a small fee for adults and juniors aged six to 18.

History Colorado Center

The History Colorado Center tells the story of Colorado and the American West through artifacts, stories, and art. Home to amazing examples of indigenous peoples craft and tool making.

Immersive Art Experiences at Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf’s immersive Convergence Station is a four-storey gallery packed with 70+ unique installations, rooms and portals into imaginative new worlds. You don’t look at the art here, you immerse yourself in it.

Denver Zoo

If you’re travelling with animal-crazy kids in tow, pay a visit the world-class Denver Zoo. It’s home to more than 700 animal species all housed in enclosures designed to mirror their native habitats. Residents include rhinos, gorillas, Asian elephants, lions, penguins, leopards, anacondas, grizzly bears and even Komodo dragons.

Downtown Aquarium Denver

Are your kids interested in what happens under the sea? Journey beneath the waves into the world of sharks and stingrays at the Downtown Aquarium. The aquarium also has daily mermaid shows, a 4D theatre and educational programs.

Downtown Aquarium Restaurant is a feast for both the eyes and tummies, where families can dine surrounded by a 190,000-litre aquarium.

Become a professional sports fan

Denver is big on sport and is home to some of the country’s most successful professional sporting teams. Be sure to catch a game and cheer on the Colorado Rockies (baseball), the Denver Broncos (football), the Colorado Avalanche’s (hockey) or the Denver Nuggets (basketball), or take a behind-the-scenes tour of a stadium.

Plan ahead – and book – to see the Colorado Avalanche’s play a home game at the Ball Arena, located right in the heart of the city.

Combine fun and learning

The Clyfford Still Museum hosts special art adventures for kids aged five to 10 and their parents. Then take to the streets and head to the Art District on Sante Fe or the exciting RiNo (River North) Art District. You’ll see some incredible street art. While you’re there, be sure to stop at foodie meccas Denver Central Market and The Source.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Spend a few hours following the winding paths through Denver Botanic Gardens, a lush oasis in the middle of the city with a conservatory, themed gardens and interactive nature exhibits. One of the highlights of the gardens is the Mordecai Children’s Garden, a playful and interactive space designed specifically for children. The garden features a variety of educational exhibits and activities, including a butterfly house, a sensory garden, and a vegetable garden.

Enjoy one-of-a-kind neighbourhoods

All with their own unique flavour, Denver has many name-worthy and creative neighbourhoods, such as RiNo (River North) Art District, Highlands, Art District on Sante Fe, Cherry Creek, South Broadway and the Golden Triangle (just to name a few!), offering eye-catching street art, independent boutiques, great eateries and craft breweries. There’s a vibe for just about anybody and any family, and kids will love having a night or two out on the town.

You can take a 2.5-hour Ultimate Urban Denver tour by electric tuk tuk to discover the city’s secrets

Shop till you drop

A large collection of international brands (think Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany) line the corridors of Denver’s high-end shopping haven, the Cherry Creek Shopping Centre. Now boasting a movie theatre and indoor play area, it’s your one-stop shop for parents’ retail therapy and kids’ fun. Across the street, check out Cherry Creek North, an outdoor shopping area with locally-owned boutiques, hotels and great restaurants.

For last minute snow supplies check out online giant, Evo’s flagship store on 860 Broadway.

 Georgetown Loop locomotive

Take a ride on the Georgetown Loop narrow-gauge steam locomotive (operating from May to December) for something a little out of the ordinary. Chugging along this historic route is an entertaining way to enjoy the views over Clear Creek Valley.

Places to visit an hour from Denver

Fort Collins

Fort Collins is the town that provided the picturesque inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street USA. Stunningly restored buildings, museums and inspired local cuisine set the scene, but the main attraction here is adventure.

Colorado Springs

At Colorado Springs marvel at Seven Falls’ natural beauty, go wild at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo or howl with the wolves at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center. Head for the heights as you ride the world’s highest cog railway, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, or don a hard hat and delve 100-storeys deep below the earth’s surface in a skip elevator to explore a real historic gold mine. And take time to enjoy the interactive exhibits at the one-of-a-kind US Olympic & Paralympic Museum.

Loveland

Loveland is a quintessential family community. The Benson Sculpture Garden is a beautiful park crammed with magical and mystical sculptures – kids will love uncovering the army of animal sculptures hidden in its midst. Then saddle up at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch. The authentic working horse and cattle ranch offers a selection of trail rides through gentle terrain as well as tougher rides with ridge-top views.

Rocky Mountain National Park is just 90 minutes from Denver, making it the perfect day trip. Get among the outdoors on the 571 kilometres of  scenic hiking trails, spotting wildlife and enjoyomg views of the 147 lakes, and 124 mammoth peaks along the way.

Alternatively, visit the Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, just 24 kilometres out of Denver, to walk amid towering rust-coloured sandstone boulders – some up to 120 metres high! These stones create amazing acoustics; many artists have recorded live albums here and the 9,000-seat theatre draws big-name bands all summer. During the day, the park is free and offers easy hiking trails and a visitor centre filled with music memorabilia and geological history or take a self-guided tour among the footprints and sandstone-encased fossils that make up Dinosaur Ridge. If little legs are too exhausted, there is a guided bus tour on offer.

Sking and snowboarding from Denver

Denver is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorado Ski Country. Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Winter Park are all between 120 and 160 kilometres away. Steamboat is 250 kilometres northwest (a three-hour drive) and Aspen Snowmass is a 50-minute flight or a 3.5-hour drive. Telluride, in southwestern Colorado, is more than a six-hour drive. Spend at least two days acclimatising in Denver before hitting the slopes to minimise your chances of altitude sickness.

Easy and accessible transport

The first thing families will notice when visiting Denver is the easy access via train from the airport with plenty of room for luggage. The train whizzes you into town to the gorgeously restored Denver Union Station. The station is now an attraction in its own right, with several cafes, a bookshop and the stunning Art Deco Crawford Hotel. Once you’ve arrived, jump aboard one of the free 16th Street Mall Electric Shuttles to explore more of downtown.

Where to stay

Only a 30-minute drive from Denver airport, Omni Interlocken Hotel is a haven for children and parents alike. Kids receive a backpack filled with crafts and activities, milk and cookies delivered to their room on the first night and a menu to colour in during meal time. Have Denver at your fingertips at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver. From complimentary morning coffee, bicycles, yoga mats and free Wi-Fi to social hour in the evening, the hotel focuses on smaller luxuries that make a big difference. The Ritz-Carlton, Denver is in the heart of Downtown Denver, where little ones will be stimulated with a scavenger hunt and parents can unwind at the spa.

What to eat

Whether you’re looking for something fancy or laid-back, Denver caters for all tastes, ensuring it’s kid-friendly too. Little ones can don their chef’s hat at Proto’s Pizza to try their hand at pizza-making. Stress less about picky eaters at Park Burger Rino with its large selection of burgers and desserts.

This article was produced in partnership with Colorado Tourism and Visit Denver and is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive. Be the first to see more exclusive online content by subscribing to the enewsletter here.

Main image © Stevie Crecelius