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Denver Attractions
Sightseeing
With aspects both Victorian and modern, Denver and its environs offer much to explore. Information about possible sightseeing itineraries can be obtained at the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (see The Informed Traveler box) and from AAA Colorado.
Gray Line offers a choice of sightseeing tours of Denver and the surrounding area; phone (303) 289-2841 or (800) 348-6877. Blue Moon Carriages, Denver Carriage, Irish Rose Carriages and Romance Carriages are several operators that offer horse-drawn carriage tours of the city; phone (303) 841-0780, (303) 271-1065, (303) 766-2623 or (303) 237-2233, respectively.
Sports and Recreation
Year-round recreational opportunities are almost unlimited in the Denver area and include swimming, boating, golf, tennis, riding, climbing, fishing and hunting. Renowned for its winter sports facilities, Denver offers cold season fun either in the city or just a few minutes away; the closest area for snow skiing is within 45 miles.
The Ski Train provides both transportation and a breathtaking view of the Rockies as it takes skiers from historic Union Station to the Winter Park ski area. The 60-mile trip takes approximately 2 hours. The trains run Thursday through Saturday in March (also on Saturdays early January through February 29 and on Fridays early February through February 29). Holiday trips are offered in late December; phone (303) 296-4754.
For ice skating enthusiasts the Sun Microsystems Ice Centre, in the Westminster Promenade off US 36 104th Avenue exit in Westminster, offers triple ice sheet facilities. Skate rentals are available. Phone (303) 469-2100 for public skating times.
Auto racing enthusiasts frequent Rocky Mountain National Speedway in Commerce City, Bandimere Speedway in Morrison and Colorado National Speedway in Erie. Dog races are held at Wembley Park.
Note: Policies concerning admittance of children to pari-mutuel betting facilities vary. Phone for information.
At Denver's Coors Field baseball fans can watch the National League Colorado Rockies. Football season brings the National Football League's Denver Broncos to Invesco Field at Mile High; the stadium also is the home of the Colorado Rapids, a major league soccer team. For basketball fans the Pepsi Center hosts the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets.
Hockey enthusiasts cheer on the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche, who skate at the Pepsi Center. The center also hosts home games for the Denver Crush arena football team, Major League lacrosse team the Denver Outlaws and the National Lacrosse League's Colorado Mammoth. College sports fans have the opportunity to watch teams of the universities of Colorado and Denver.
Shopping
Shopping in the downtown area centers on the 16th Street Mall. This extends from Broadway to Wynkoop Street and includes the side streets in between. The mall comprises art galleries, gift shops, boutiques and varied specialty shops. The 16th Street Mall has free shuttle service; no cars are permitted. The Tabor Center, on the Mall at Lawrence Street, is a two-block glass-enclosed galleria showcasing more than 50 shops and restaurants.
Larimer Square, in the 1400 block of Larimer Street, has restored buildings of Civil War vintage that offer entertainment, dining and shopping. Adjacent is the Historic Lower Downtown District, known locally as LoDo; renovated warehouses and buildings now contain antique shops, galleries, restaurants, offices and nightspots.
Denver has a dozen major suburban shopping centers; most are open Mon.-Sat. 10-9 and Sun. noon-5. Among the larger and more varied are Aurora Mall, I-225 and Alameda Avenue; Buckingham Square Center, S. Havana Street and Mississippi Avenue in Aurora; Cherry Creek Shopping Center, E. 1st Avenue and University Boulevard in south Denver; Northglenn Mall, 104th Avenue and Valley Highway N.; and Park Meadows, on I-25 between SR 470 and County Line Road, south of Denver in Littleton.
Other major shopping areas include Southglenn Mall, Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard; Southwest Plaza, Bowles Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard; Flatiron Crossing, US 36 and Interlocken; and Colorado Mills, at Colfax and Indiana near I-70.
Performing Arts
The Denver Performing Arts Complex, occupying four blocks at Curtis and 14th streets, is the second largest performing arts center in the nation: Its 10 performance venues seat a total of more than 10,000 people. During the main concert season from October through May, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra usually performs weekly in the Boettcher Concert Hall; Opera Colorado and the Colorado Ballet perform in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. "The Ellie," as it's called by the locals, features an electronic screen on the back of its seats from which operagoers may view the current performance's text in eight languages.
The Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre features Broadway productions and ballet. The Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex hosts the Denver Center Theatre Company. The 12-acre complex also includes the Galleria Theater.
Free band concerts are held in various city parks during July and August. Coors Amphitheater in Greenwood Village, south of Denver, also has a summer concert series. A little farther out near Morrison, the natural amphitheater in Red Rocks Park and Visitor Center offers summer musical entertainment. Farther yet, the mining town of Central City attracts visitors to its Opera Festival late June through early August.
Family entertainment can be found at the Joseph B. Gould Family Paramount Theatre. If you prefer drama or comedy while dining, try a dinner theater. Country Dinner Playhouse in the southeast metropolitan area presents the "Barnstormers" musical revue before its main feature. Heritage Square Music Hall presents melodramas and other entertainment of the vaudeville era.
Special Events
Beginning Denver's roster of annual events is the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo held at the Stockyards and the Coliseum in early January. The Denver March Powwow celebrates American Indian culture during the third weekend in March. The Easter Sunrise Service draws thousands to the Red Rocks Amphitheater Morrison in Red Rocks Park and Visitor Center each spring.
Early May brings Cinco de Mayo to Civic Center Park, attracting crowds of more than 500,000 with parades, dancing, mariachi music, food and arts and crafts. The Cherry Creek Arts Festival takes place during the Fourth of July weekend.
African-American visual and performing arts are featured at The Denver Black Arts Festival, held on the second weekend of July. The Festival of Mountain and Plain: A Taste of Colorado is held Labor Day weekend and features entertainment, arts and crafts and food from various restaurants. The city celebrates Oktoberfest, held in Larimer Square, in September.
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