Top 34 Things To Do in Denver 2019 - Best Activities in Denver

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Sublime natural beauty and acoustics

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

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Perhaps the best outdoor music venue worldwide, Red Rocks Ampitheatre is as legendary as the bands that choose play there; in their heyday Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and The Grateful Dead all made magic on this stage. More recently, big names like Edward Sharpe, Pretty Lights and Mumford & Sons have drawn massive crowds. Read more ›

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Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

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Desert dunes in the Rocky Mountains

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

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Though the dunes aren't located in Denver by any stretch of the imagination, they are an easy drive from the capitol for a weekend sidetrip. Most visitors come to Colorado for the mountains, and you should absolutely see those too, but shamefully few see this truly stunning natural wonder. Read more ›

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Museum Of Contemporary Art Denver

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Rotating experimental exhibitions

Museum Of Contemporary Art Denver

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In 1996, MCA Denver was founded as the city's first space dedicated to contemporary art. Since that time, artists as internationally famous as Damien Hirst have exhibited here. The cutting-edge works on display were a welcome breath of fresh air from the landscape-heavy period paintings that dominated the scene prior. Read more ›

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Ogden Theatre

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Historic music venue revitalized

Ogden Theatre

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Built in 1919 by the same architect as the Bluebird, the Ogden has worn many masks since. Vaudeville acts like Houdindi performed here before the conversion to a cinema in 1937. Inconsistent ownership caused a two year closure in 1990, and the theater was even slated for demolition before being saved by an independent live music promoter. Read more ›

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Denver Zombie Crawl

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Invasion of the undead!

Denver Zombie Crawl

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There's no particular point to this event other than to have the excuse to dress up like a deadman and cause a ruckus. It's oddly wholesome fun for all ages, and if you do feel obliged to imbue your death with some purpose, you're invited to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Food Bank of the Rockies. Otherwise, joining in is free! Read more ›

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Clyfford Still Museum

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Monumental canvasses in a concrete cloud

Clyfford Still Museum

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During his self-imposed exile from the New York School Still painted a vast body of work. Denver was personally selected by the artist to house his entire collection. The museum built for the purpose is a masterpiece, with a perforated ceiling that filters natural light, illuminating the space without exposing the paintings to harmful UV rays. Read more ›

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Beauty Bar

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Cocktails, Manicures, and DJs!

Beauty Bar

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This is a fun way to experince the city night life and get two things accomplished at once! Once you've had time to get a manicure and a couple of delicious drinks, you can experience a bit of the local music scene when the DJs come on. It's also a great place to feel like you are having a mid-century throwback, hair dryers and all. Read more ›

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Hi-Dive

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Locally legendary dive bar venue

Hi-Dive

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A night at the Hi-dive will shoot you straight to the heart of Denver's hipster music scene, and who knows, maybe you'll witness the beginning of the next big thing. Shows are always cheap (often under $20) and drinks are a similar bargain. Read more ›

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Fillmore Auditorium

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Dance under chandeliers

Fillmore Auditorium

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Once a roller-rink, then a farmers' market and now a concert venue, the Fillmore' vast hardwood floor is uncluttered by any fixed seating and ideal for dancing. The massive purple chandeliers which illuminate the space also lend the theater a sumptuous ambiance. Read more ›

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Mayan Theatre

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Art-deco movie palace

Mayan Theatre

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This cinema is one of only a few Mayan Revival style establishments left in the country. Complete with faux-mosaics, bas-relief detailing and velvet curtains, the Mayan has been wowing movie-goers with its atmospheric decor since 1930. A respectful renovation in 1986 refreshed the place without sacrificing any of its remarkable character. Read more ›

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Denver Cruiser Ride

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Hump day bike parade party

Denver Cruiser Ride

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Some participants ride custom-built circus bikes, some tow trailers fitted up with speakers, many don outrageous costumes and most all of them wear huge smiles. The Cruiser Ride is simple racous fun, as well as an ideal opportunity to get a bit of fresh air and exercise while seeing the town and meeting all the freaky locals. Read more ›

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Denver Museum of Nature and Science

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Dinosaurs, mummies and spaceships

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

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With permanent exhibits including Space Odyssey, Egyptian Mummies, Prehistoric Journey, Botswana Africa Hall, Gem & Mineral Hall, North American Indian Hall, Edge of the Wild, Explore Colorado: From Plains to Peaks and Hall of Life, plus a slate of lectures, classes, tours and other events, this museum has something to pique everyone's interest. Read more ›

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Denver Zoo

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Lions and tigers and bears- oh my!

Denver Zoo

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An open-air aviary, an eight-acre recreation of Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, a tropical discovery zone, a climate-controlled Komodo dragon exhibit, and a 5-acre facility housing more than 25 endangered primate species (including silverback gorrilas!) make this zoo an engaging attraction. Read more ›

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Plus Gallery

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Cutting Edge Contemporary Art

Plus Gallery

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Plus Gallery is one of the more advnturous galleries in Denver and houses some excellent exhibitions of incredible artists such as Jenny Morgan, Bill Amundson, Xi Zhang. The owner does a beautiful job curating fresh pieces and is a friendly informative man. This gallery hosts a variety of media to always keep the shows fresh. Read more ›

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The Great American Beer Festival

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Over 3,000 beers from over 700 breweries

The Great American Beer Festival

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Colorado loves craft beer, and Denver is lucky enough to host the annual Great American Beer Festival at the end of September or beginning of October. Over three days more than 50,000 locals and visitors pack into the Convention Center to sample as many 1-ounce tasters of the nation's greatest brews as they can handle. Read more ›

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Downtown Aquarium

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Sea creatures 1000 miles from the ocean

Downtown Aquarium

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Somewhat smaller than other aquariums in the country, this is a good place to witness some bizarre lifeforms with worrying that you'll run out of energy half way through. Especially with kids, the modest scale makes a visit here easily manageable. Read more ›

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Punch Bowl Social

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Diner, bar, arcade, bowling and more

Punch Bowl Social

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If you've ever felt bored at a bar and wished there was something more to do than converse, Punch Bowl is your kind of place. This ambitious, 24,000 square foot establishment contains a diner, bar, coffeehouse, lounge, bowling alley, nostalgic video arcade, pool tables, ping pong tables, dart boards, pinball, foosball, marbles and board games. Read more ›

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Elitch Gardens

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Roller coasters and water slides!

Elitch Gardens

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The park's 2015 season runs from May 2nd through November 1st. Nothing will bring you back to best moments of childhood faster than the heartstopping adrenaline rush of a 50 mph roller coaster in the heat of summer. Read more ›

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Cheesman Park

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Picnic atop unmarked graves

Cheesman Park

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So many supernatural sitings were reported that the city had to halt the removal of corpses. Thus, some two to three thousand unidentified dead still rest just under the turf of the park. Not only is Cheesman a pleasant place for a picnic, it's also been long counted among America's most haunted places. Read more ›

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Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

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Grungy music venue with jazz history

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

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In 2010 new owners took over, renamed the venue Cervantes, and made some technical improvements. The music hosted has shifted from jazz towards dubstep, electronica, hip-hop acts, DJs, bluegrass and jam bands. Cervantes consists of two venues, the larger 'masterpiece ballroom' and the smaller 'otherside' just next door. Read more ›

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Museo De Las Americas

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Ancient to current Latin-American art

Museo De Las Americas

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Denver and Colorado at large are home to a sizeable and growing Latino population; the territory was once a part of Mexico after all. Sadly, this culture is underrepresented by most of the city's museums. Museo De Las Americas makes an admirable attempt to correct this imbalance. Read more ›

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Larimer Lounge

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Gritty indie rock haven

Larimer Lounge

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The Larimer Lounge and the Hi-dive are often contested as Denver's seminal rock venues, but Larimer no doubt excels in the indie sphere. Icons like Sebadoh, Arcade Fire, The Killers, Cut Copy, Portugal. The Man, Schoolboy Q, Bat for Lashes and the Lumineers played here before outgrowing the dive scene. Read more ›

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What the Funk!?

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Festival of barrel-aged, funky beers

What the Funk!?

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The collossal scale of the Great American Beer Festival isn't for everyone, or perhaps the problem is it's too much for everyone. Those who want to skip the crowds of rookies and the blander brews to seek out solely barrel-aged, wild, sour and funky masterpieces among fellow connoisseurs opt to attend What The Funk instead of, or as well as, GABF. Read more ›

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The Inn

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By Julia

Conveniently located ski-in/ski-out Inn.

The Inn

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The Inn at Aspen is the perfect resort for families and nonskiers alike. Conveniently located ski-in/ski-out resort at the base of the Buttermilk Mountain, there is no better place to enjoy your time in Colorado than treating yourself to a few nights at The Inn. Read more ›

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High Times Cannabis Cup

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It's legal?!

High Times Cannabis Cup

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Amsterdam hosted the first years of the cup, but Denver is the flagship location stateside. The world's best growers gather here in an effort to receive honors for the quality of their product, so if you indulge there are sure to be a few strains you'll enjoy and haven't yet encountered. There are also concerts, lectures and other events. Read more ›

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Happy Leaf Kombucha

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Ancient elixir of life

Happy Leaf Kombucha

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Kombucha is an effervescent, slightly tart potion loaded with probiotic, detoxifying and mood enhancing bacterium, acids and vitamins. Some brews bear an unpleasant resemblance to vinegar, but not those at Happy Leaf. A few of their unique rotating flavors are cranberry lavendar, orange vanilla, lemongrass mint and cherry with citra hops. Read more ›

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History Colorado Center

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An architectural time-machine

History Colorado Center

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If any period of Colorado history interests you, this museum is the place to go to satiate your curiousity. The state's cinematic past of gold miners, cowboys, railroad tycoons, beat poets, extreme sportsmen and indigenous activists contains something of value for every unfamiliar visitor. Read more ›

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The Source

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Craft beer, artisan food & boutiques

The Source

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A brick foundry from the 1880's houses this epicurean market boasting Denver's densest concentration of artisan food, beer, liquor and designer goods. Standout occupants include Crooked Stave, a cultish brewery specialzing in funky and sour beers, Comida, a modern taqueria with buenisimas margaritas and Babette's cloud-like baguettes. Read more ›

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Coors Field

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The ol' ball game

Coors Field

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Coors Field offers all the classic components of an Americana-rich baseball game. Food and beer vendors are abundant, occassionally even some peddling regional craft brews (all much better than Coors, in my humble opinion). Also the weather in Denver is nearly always warm and sunny in summer and fall, making this stadium particularly comfortable. Read more ›

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Leopold Bros.

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Small batch distillers of fine spirits

Leopold Bros.

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Distiller Todd Leopold (one of the two namesake 'Bros.') calls it 'the Mad Men effect'. In his words: "All of a sudden, cocktail culture for all of the 20-somethings became cool again." Denver's bar culture is heavily beer-based, and while brewpubs can be a lot fun, they rarely merit dressing up. Spirits feel fancier, and can be damn tasty too. Read more ›

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Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

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The first Colorado-born whiskey

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

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Colorado's pioneers and homesteaders no doubt drank plenty of whiskey, but certainly none this good. Stranahan's mission is to produce the smoothest, most distinctly-flavored stuff on the market, and some would say they achieve that goal. Plus, it's an independent family-owned operation, which is respectably in line with many Coloradan's ethics. Read more ›

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Denver Art Museum

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Free the first Saturday of every month

Denver Art Museum

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The Hamilton wing, an angular conglomeration of steel prisms by Daniel Libeskind, supposedly references the contours of the Rocky Mountains but looks like architecture from another world. Despite giving some visitors vertigo with its lack of straight walls and a persistently leaky roof, the structure is an impressive feat of design and engineering. Read more ›

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First Friday Art Walk

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Creative gourmet street party

First Friday Art Walk

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Entry to this vibrant event is entirely free, apart from whatever you choose to spend on the generally cheap food and drinks. The location is a short drive, bus or bike from the city center, yet far enough to land you in a community much more representative of Denver's majority than most people you'll encounter in shopping malls. Read more ›

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Bluebird Theater

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Victorian-style independent music venue

Bluebird Theater

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Smaller than a stadium or concert hall, the stage can be seen clearly from anywhere inside and the reasonably priced bar is easy to access. Still, the sound quality is respectable. On top of all that, both important names in alternative music and local heroes book gigs here, with ticket prices often less than half of what you may pay elsewhere. Read more ›

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Clyfford Still Museum

Museum Of Contemporary Art ...

Fillmore Auditorium

LoDo Craft Beer Tour by Den...

WaterCourse Foods

Little Man Ice Cream

The Market

Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen

Fillmore Auditorium

The Church

Cherry Creek Farmers Market

The Source

Plus Gallery

Things To Do in Denver

Browse popular tours and discover 34 tips recommended by our locals

Sublime natural beauty and acoustics

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Picnic atop unmarked graves

Cheesman Park

Lions and tigers and bears- oh my!

Denver Zoo

Monumental canvasses in a concrete cloud

Clyfford Still Museum

Craft beer, artisan food & boutiques

The Source

Rotating experimental exhibitions

Museum Of Contemporary Art Denver

Desert dunes in the Rocky Mountains

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Dance under chandeliers

Fillmore Auditorium

Grungy music venue with jazz history

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

Locally legendary dive bar venue

Hi-Dive

Historic music venue revitalized

Ogden Theatre

Cocktails, Manicures, and DJs!

Beauty Bar

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Museum Of Contemporary Art Denver

Ogden Theatre

Denver Zombie Crawl

Clyfford Still Museum

Beauty Bar

Hi-Dive

Fillmore Auditorium

Mayan Theatre

Become an influencer!

Denver Cruiser Ride

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Denver Zoo

Plus Gallery

The Great American Beer Festival

Downtown Aquarium

Punch Bowl Social

Elitch Gardens

Cheesman Park

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

Museo De Las Americas

Larimer Lounge

What the Funk!?

The Inn

High Times Cannabis Cup

Happy Leaf Kombucha

History Colorado Center

The Source

Coors Field

Leopold Bros.

Become an influencer!

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

Denver Art Museum

First Friday Art Walk

Bluebird Theater

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