Visiting Denver, The Mile High City ?
Start here with an Overview for Visitors including Introduction, Airport, Getting around, Weather, Map, and History.
Denver top sightseeing sites
State Capitol
Built in 1908, Colorado’s State Capitol Building is best known for its brilliant dome, which is covered with 200 ounces of 24K gold leaf. However, the really priceless material is the Colorado onyx that was used inside as wainscoting. The entire world’s supply of this unusual rose-colored stone was used in the building and no more of it has ever been found. Free tours of the Capitol offer a visit to the Senate and House of Representative chambers.
Another highpoint of the tour is the step on the west staircase that is exactly “one mile above sea level.” The marker was carved into the steps in 1947, but in 1967 some students discovered that the measurement was wrong, and a geodetic survey marker was placed in the correct spot, three steps above the original marker.
LoDo – Lower Downtown Bar & Entertainment district
20 years ago, it was skid row.
Today, this historic area on the northern edge of downtown Denver is the hottest entertainment district in the West. 26 square blocks of restored Victorian buildlings that now house an assortment of over 100 lively sport bars, brew pubs, saloons, restaurants and cafes, more than 30 galleries and a squadron of shops. It’s called LoDo, short for Lower Downtown.
For years , it was an area of old turn-of-the-Century warehouses and showrooms. Today LoDo is alive with throngs of peolple every night.
The once empty three and four story warehouses have been gutted and transformed.
There are elegant restaurants with exposed brick walls, hard wood floors and large airy windows. There are energetic sports bars with big scree televisions and roch bars you can dance the night away to live bands.
And then there are brew pubs.
Maybe it’s because of the great tasting Rocky Mountain spring water, but for whatever reason, never has become the brewing capital of the nation. And LoDo is ground zero of the brewing industry. A brew pub is a restaurant, that brews and serves its own beer, usually fresh beer that is not bottled.
Here to is the largest brew pub in the nation, the Wynkoop Brewing Company, and the worlds only brew pub in a baseball stadium, the Sandlot Brewery, which is built right into the Coors Field. But through all this, LoDo hasn’t forgotten its historic roots.
There are 127 historic structures still standing in the district, dating back as early as the 1860’s. A walking tour has been laid out with 33 bronze plaques that explain the history of the area.
16th Street Mall
16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian promenade through the heart of downtown Denver, lined with shops, department stores and outdoor cafes. Free buses leave either end as often as every 90 seconds with 1,400 chairs placed out daily, making this the best spot for “people watching” in the city.
In summer, the Mall is decorated with 25,000 flowers including 8,400 impatiens, 6,528 petunias, 648 snapdragons and 370 geraniums.
Cherry Creek North is an eclectic mix of galleries, restaurants, shops, clothing designers and cafes, all on pleasant tree-lined streets directly adjacent to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
Union Station
In former times the Union Station in Denver was the center of the locomotion in the west.
The grand railway station is still in function, but also an attraction for railroad nostalgia friends and enthusiasts.
Whether you are actually on a trip or not, this historic stop is a visit worth anyway.
Originally built in 1880 as a Union depot, the building burned down shortly after but was re-erected again in 1912.
The architecture with about 20 m high ceilings and enormous arched windows, is very impressive – outside as well as inside. In the basement one of the biggest railroad collections of the world is accommodated which draws the attention of every railroad lover.
Address:
1701 Wynkoop Street
Molly Brown House Museum
During her lifetime, Molly Brown – a lady of society – became a legend after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. In her house, among other things, pieces on the history of the city are exhibited.
Address: 1340 Pennsylvania Street, Denver, Colorado 80203
Web: Home – Molly Brown House Museum
Denver Firefighters Museum
Address: 1326 Tremont Place, Denver, CO 80204
Web: Denver Firefighters Museum – Home
U.S. Mint
The U.S. Mint is where over five billion coins are made each year and there are free 20 minute tours on weekdays. It is also the second largest storehouse of gold bullion in the U.S. after Fort Knox. The gift shop has many unique coins not available anywhere else, and there is a small museum on the history of money.
The United States Mint offers free tours to the public, however, since the COVID pandemic they are on hold and will continue at a later date.
Web: Visiting the Denver Mint | U.S. Mint (usmint.gov)
Governor’s Mansion at the Boettcher Mansion
The “Executive Residence” also referred to as the governors’ mansion, is one of Colorado’s most beautiful and historic structures.
The Colorado Governor’s Mansion began as a landmark private home, was transformed into a display of old-world elegance and remains one of the west’s true treasure houses as it approaches its second century.
Part executive residence, part repository of museum-quality furnishings and objects d’art, the house is a meeting place for the past and the future. By fulfilling this potential, Colorado itself is reflected, as the state unfolds from the hearts and dreams of its pioneers to become a truly cosmopolitan crossroads.
Web: Home | Governor’s Residence at Boettcher Mansion (colorado.gov)
Address:
400 E. 8th Ave., Denver, CO
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills fifteen miles west of Denver, there stands a symbol of nature’s unparalleled majesty. Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air Amphitheatre that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the Amphitheatre consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) that provide acoustic perfection for any performance.
The area of Red Rocks, originally known as the Garden of Angels, has attracted the attention of musical performers since before the turn of the century. The majestic setting of the Amphitheatre, along with the panoramic view of Denver, makes for a breathtaking scene.
The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a 9,000-seat natural outdoor arena carved out of huge, 500-foot (152 m) high, red sandstone cliffs, all overlooking Denver and the plains. With its views and geologic wonders, it’s one of the world’s most famous concert sites and has played host to everyone from the Beatles to symphony orchestras.
Seventy million years ago, the rocks were the beach of an ancient inland sea that covered eastern Colorado and Kansas. Today, it’s a wonderful site for hikes, picnics and concerts.
In April 2006, the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) appointed Red Rocks as the ninth official Colorado Welcome Center. The newly designated Welcome Center is housed in the “Trading Post” building at the base of Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Denver architect Burnham Hoyt designed the Amphitheatre with an emphasis on preserving the natural beauty of the area. The plans were completed in 1936, and the Amphitheatre was dedicated on June 15, 1941, though the actual construction spanned over 12 years.
In 1947, the first annual Easter Sunrise Service took place. Since then, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has attracted the best performers to its stage.
Directions:
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is located in Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado, 15 miles west of Denver. Coming from Downtown, take I-70 west to exit 259, turn left at the bottom of the Morrison exit ramp, cruise on downhill 1.5 miles to the Red Rocks Park entrance. Coming from south Denver, take C-470 to the Morrison exit, turn west and follow the signs to the park entrances.
Web: Homepage – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (redrocksonline.com)
Coors Field Stadium
Address:
2001 Blake Street
Denver, CO 80205
Web (Tickets): Coors Field Tickets | FieldColorado.org
Denver’s surroundings, near and farther (just a 1–2-hour drive away)
have lots to offer and are must-see in Colorado: Boulder, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Strings, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Mount Evans, Golden (and Coors Brewery), Idaho Springs, Longmont, Celestial Seasonings (Tea manufactory between Boulder and Longmont)
