The Best Things to Do in Denver: 12 Picks a Local Would Give You

The best things to do in Denver, Colorado, are a concert or sunrise at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, a drink in the Great Hall at Denver Union Station, an afternoon at the Denver Art Museum, and an evening walk through LoDo (Lower Downtown) and the RiNo (River North Art District) murals. Add the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Botanic Gardens and you have a long weekend that most locals would sign off on. Below are the 12 picks we give visiting friends, each with what to do, how long to allow and the tip you won't find on a brochure.

Here's the line to remember: Red Rocks isn't in Denver, but Denver has owned it since 1927.

How we chose these picks

Every pick is a place we'd send a friend on a first or second visit, and each one was checked as open on its own official website in November 2026. Eleven are inside the City and County of Denver. Red Rocks is the one exception: it sits in the foothills near Morrison, outside the city limits, but the City and County of Denver owns and runs it, so it earns its place. Hours and prices change, so treat every time and price below as typical and check the official site before you go.

Downtown and LoDo: where should you start?

Start in LoDo, the 23 blocks where Denver was founded in 1858, because Denver Union Station, Larimer Square and Coors Field are all within an easy walk of each other. Our LoDo guide and Downtown guide cover the wider area.

1. Denver Union Station (LoDo)

What to do: Walk into the Great Hall at Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street in LoDo, grab a coffee or a cocktail, and sit under the windows. The Terminal Bar is set inside the restored old ticketing office just off the Great Hall.

How long: 45 minutes to an hour, longer if you eat.

Local tip: You don't need a train ticket to hang out. If you're flying in, the RTD A Line runs from Denver International Airport (DEN) straight to Union Station in about 37 minutes, according to Visit Denver. The Denver Union Station story is worth knowing: the first depot opened in 1881 and was the tallest building in the West in its day, the granite Beaux-Arts station you see was rebuilt in 1914, and it reopened as a dining and shopping hub in 2014, a century later.

2. Larimer Square (LoDo)

What to do: Stroll Larimer Square, on Larimer Street between 14th and 15th streets in LoDo, for dinner, shopping and the string lights overhead after dark.

How long: An hour for a wander, an evening if you book dinner.

Local tip: Larimer Square calls itself the block where Denver got its start, and it was the city's first designated historic district. Come after sunset, when the lights do the work.

3. A Coors Field tour and the purple row (LoDo)

What to do: Take a ballpark tour of Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, on the edge of LoDo. Public tours typically run Monday through Saturday, start at Gate D at 20th and Blake streets, and cover about a mile.

How long: Tours typically last 70 to 80 minutes, per the Colorado Rockies tour page.

Local tip: Look for the 20th row of the upper deck. Its seats are painted purple because that row sits exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, as Visit Denver notes. Tours aren't offered at certain times on game days, so check the schedule first.

4. Green chile at Sam's No. 3 (Downtown)

What to do: Order anything smothered in green chile at Sam's No. 3, 1500 Curtis Street in downtown Denver, a diner in business since 1927 with more than 100 items on the menu.

How long: About an hour.

Local tip: Green chile is a Denver staple, and Visit Denver reports that Sam's No. 3 goes through 60 gallons of it a day. Typical downtown hours start at 7 a.m. (6 a.m. on some days), with earlier closings early in the week, so check Sam's No. 3 before a late visit. More ideas live in our food and dining listings.

Which Denver museums are worth your time?

The Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum in the Golden Triangle, plus the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in City Park, are the three we'd never skip. See our Golden Triangle guide for the galleries around them.

5. Denver Art Museum (Golden Triangle)

What to do: See the Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway in Denver's Golden Triangle, across two landmark buildings: the eight-story Martin Building designed by Gio Ponti and the angular Hamilton Building designed by Daniel Libeskind.

How long: Two to three hours.

Local tip: Visitors 18 and under get in free every day through the museum's Free for Kids program. The Denver Art Museum is typically open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with late hours on Tuesday, and is typically closed Wednesday; free public tours, included with admission, typically run Thursday through Tuesday. The Ponti, the museum's restaurant, is in the Martin Building.

6. Clyfford Still Museum (Golden Triangle)

What to do: Spend an unhurried hour with huge Abstract Expressionist canvases at the Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock Street in the Golden Triangle, a short walk from the Denver Art Museum.

How long: About an hour.

Local tip: The Clyfford Still Museum holds about 3,125 works, which the museum says is 93 percent of everything Still made, gifted to the City and County of Denver. It's typically open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free for visitors 17 and under.

7. Colorado State Capitol (Capitol Hill)

What to do: Take a free guided tour of the gold-domed Colorado State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax Avenue in Denver, and climb into the dome.

How long: About an hour.

Local tip: Free public tours of the Colorado State Capitol typically run on the hour, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the dome is a 99-step climb above the third floor that you can only make on a guided tour, per the Colorado General Assembly's Capitol tours page. Before you go in, find the Mile High marker on the 13th step outside, which Visit Denver points out. Our Capitol Hill guide covers the mansions nearby.

8. Denver Museum of Nature & Science (City Park)

What to do: Walk the dinosaur hall, Prehistoric Journey, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard in City Park, then catch a show at the Gates Planetarium.

How long: Three hours, or half a day with kids.

Local tip: The 80-foot-long Diplodocus in Prehistoric Journey is the crowd-stopper, and at the end of Prehistoric Journey you can watch scientists prepare real fossils in the museum's lab. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with later hours most Fridays. Planetarium shows need a separate timed ticket.

What are the best outdoor things to do in Denver?

Red Rocks, the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Denver Zoo are our outdoor big three for a first visit. Check Denver weather before you plan a morning outside.

9. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (just outside Denver)

What to do: See a show, or come by day and climb the 193 steps from the stage to the Top Plaza at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 17900 Trading Post Road in Morrison. The amphitheatre seats 9,525 between two huge sandstone walls.

How long: Two hours on a non-show day; a full evening for a concert.

Local tip: It's in Morrison, outside the city limits, but the City and County of Denver bought the land in 1927 for $50,000 and still owns and runs it. Entry and parking are free when there's no show, and the park is open from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset every day, per Red Rocks. On concert days the amphitheatre typically closes to the public around 2 p.m., so come in the morning. Don't miss the Red Rocks Hall of Fame inside the Visitor Center.

10. Denver Botanic Gardens (York Street, by Cheesman Park)

What to do: Wander the 24 acres of the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York Street beside Cheesman Park, including the Shofu-en Japanese Garden, the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory and the Rock Alpine Garden.

How long: Two hours.

Local tip: In winter, the Blossoms of Light holiday display fills the gardens with LED lights, and walking the full route takes 60 to 75 minutes, per the Denver Botanic Gardens. Free-day tickets must be booked ahead. The Chatfield Farms location is a separate site in Littleton, outside Denver, so make sure you book York Street. See our Cheesman Park guide.

11. Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (City Park)

What to do: Spend a morning at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, 2300 Steele Street in City Park, home to more than 2,500 animals. Head first to Toyota Elephant Passage, with its Asian elephants and greater one-horned rhinos, then Predator Ridge for African lions and spotted hyenas.

How long: Three to four hours.

Local tip: Non-members book timed tickets online, and the Denver Zoo is typically open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with free parking. Pair it with the Museum of Nature & Science next door in City Park for an easy day.

RiNo: what should you do in the River North Art District?

Walk the RiNo murals by day and come back for First Friday, when galleries and studios stay open into the evening.

12. RiNo murals and First Friday (RiNo)

What to do: Walk the murals of the RiNo (River North Art District) along Larimer, Walnut and Blake streets, Brighton Boulevard and the numbered alleys behind Denver Central Market. The RiNo Art District mural map lists more than 100 pieces.

How long: Ninety minutes on foot, plus a brewery or food-hall stop.

Local tip: On the first Friday of each month, galleries and studios across RiNo open their doors in the evening; the First Friday page lets you build your own route. Murals change, so even repeat visitors find something new. More in our RiNo guide.

Is there a way to see Denver for free?

Yes: Red Rocks on a non-show day, Denver Union Station, Larimer Square, the RiNo murals and the Colorado State Capitol tour all cost nothing. The Denver Art Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Denver Zoo each hold free days through the year, so check each official site's free-day calendar when you plan your dates.

Save this: a two-day Denver route

Screenshot this and you're set.

1. Day one, morning: sunrise steps at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (just outside Denver, free on non-show days).
2. Day one, late morning: green chile at Sam's No. 3 downtown.
3. Day one, afternoon: the Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum in the Golden Triangle.
4. Day one, early evening: a drink in the Great Hall at Denver Union Station.
5. Day one, night: dinner under the lights on Larimer Square.
6. Day two, morning: the Denver Zoo or the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in City Park.
7. Day two, afternoon: the Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street.
8. Day two, evening: the RiNo murals, ideally on a First Friday.
9. Bonus: a weekday Colorado State Capitol dome tour, or a Coors Field tour to find the purple row.

For what's on while you're here, see Denver events and this weekend in Denver.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the number one thing to do in Denver?

Our pick for the number one thing to do in Denver is Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, for a concert or a free daytime visit. It sits near Morrison, just outside the city limits, but the City and County of Denver owns and operates it.

Is Red Rocks Amphitheatre actually in Denver?

No. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is at 17900 Trading Post Road in Morrison, outside Denver's city limits. The City and County of Denver owns and runs it, and entry and parking are free when there's no show.

What can you do in Denver for free?

Free things to do in Denver include visiting Denver Union Station, walking Larimer Square and the RiNo murals, touring the Colorado State Capitol, and visiting Red Rocks on a non-show day. The Denver Art Museum is free every day for visitors 18 and under.

How many days do you need in Denver?

Two full days covers the essentials in Denver: Red Rocks, the Golden Triangle museums, Union Station and LoDo on day one, and City Park, the Botanic Gardens and RiNo on day two. Add a third day if you want a mountain day trip.

How do you get from Denver International Airport to downtown Denver?

Take the RTD A Line train from Denver International Airport to Denver Union Station in LoDo, a trip of about 37 minutes, according to Visit Denver. Check RTD for the current fare and schedule.