A Family Day in Denver: Where to Take Kids, by Age

The best things to do in Denver with kids are clustered in two places: City Park, home to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, and the Golden Triangle, where the Denver Art Museum lets everyone 18 and under in free. Add Denver Union Station in LoDo for an ice cream finish and you have a full family day inside city limits. Below are 10 verified picks, who each one suits, where to park and when to call it.

The short version: plan around the nap, not the map.

How we chose

Every pick is inside the City and County of Denver, confirmed open on its own official website, and chosen because it works for real families with real attention spans. We favoured places with free or easy parking, food on site, and a clear answer to the question every parent asks: what age is this actually for? Prices and hours change, so we give them as typical and link the official site. Check before you go.

Which Denver attractions suit which ages?

Match the stop to the youngest child in the group and the day goes better for everyone.

• Babies and toddlers (0-3): Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, the Discovery Zone at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Botanic Gardens.
• Preschool to age 8: all of the above, plus the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Downtown Aquarium.
• Ages 8-12: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, the dinosaur and space halls at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the drop-in studios at the Denver Art Museum.
• Everyone, any age: Washington Park, Denver Union Station and a diner breakfast at Sam's No. 3.

The 10 picks

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

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science at 2001 Colorado Boulevard in City Park is the anchor of any family day in Denver, and parking in its lot and underground garage is free. It is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and the museum says it opens 363 days a year.

For under-8s, head straight to the Discovery Zone on the second floor, built for ages 0-8 and their grown-ups, with a climbable dinosaur and a water-play area. Older kids want Prehistoric Journey on the third floor, with its Diplodocus skeleton and a working fossil lab, and Space Odyssey on the first.

Insider tip: the Discovery Zone closes for 20-minute cleanings at 10:40 a.m., 12:40 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. Time your snack break to match, and pack a change of clothes for the water table. The planetarium and the giant-screen theater cost extra.

2. Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (City Park)

The Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance at 2300 Steele Street in City Park is a short drive from the science museum, and its parking lots and garage are free. It is typically open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, children 2 and under get in free, and non-members need a timed ticket bought online in advance.

Do the big hitters first: Toyota Elephant Passage and Predator Ridge, then let little ones ride the Denver Zoo Railroad or the Conservation Carousel. Food stands include Café Costa for pizza and Samburu Grille for burgers and chicken tenders. Each winter the zoo runs its Zoo Lights evenings, ticketed separately.

3. Denver Art Museum (Golden Triangle)

The Denver Art Museum at 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway in the Golden Triangle gives free general admission to every visitor 18 and under, every day it is open. That makes it the best-value stop on this list for a family with a teenager in tow.

Kids like the drop-in making spaces in the Martin Building, and on Saturdays The Studio in the Hamilton Building typically runs hands-on activities from noon to 3 p.m. The Denver Art Museum is typically closed on Wednesdays, with at most partial access in some seasons, so plan your art day for another weekday. Eat at Café Gio or The Ponti on site.

Where to park: the city-run Cultural Center Complex Garage at 12th Avenue and Broadway. You pay at kiosks, and there is no mobile payment app, so keep a card handy.

4. Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street (Cheesman Park and Congress Park)

Denver Botanic Gardens at 1007 York Street sits between Cheesman Park and Congress Park, with limited free parking in its garage for garden visitors. Children 2 and under are free.

The draw for families is the Mordecai Children's Garden, three acres of Colorado landscapes with a dirt pit and stream play, best for ages 12 months to 8 years. It closes for winter and typically reopens March 1, so plan a spring-to-fall visit. In the darker months the Gardens' Blossoms of Light evenings take over.

Good to know: Copper Door Coffee Roasters inside the Freyer – Newman Center needs no admission, and the Gardens' Chatfield Farms location is in Littleton, outside Denver.

5. Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus

The Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus at 2121 Children's Museum Drive, just west of downtown Denver, is built for children from newborn to age 8, and parking is free. It is typically open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, and babies under 1 get in free.

Two things surprise first-timers: tickets are sold at the door, not online, and adults cannot enter without a child. Climb Altitude for a lookout over the city and mountains, then let toddlers loose in Bloom, the area for newborns to 36 months. Outside food is allowed, and there is a café with sandwiches and snacks. The same lot also sells paid event parking for Broncos games, so expect a busier lot on game days.

6. Downtown Aquarium (along the South Platte River)

Downtown Aquarium at 700 Water Street, near the Children's Museum, is the rainy-day and late-afternoon pick, with exhibits typically open until 8 p.m. or later. Kids can touch and feed stingrays at Stingray Reef, and there is a small train and carousel at extra cost.

Self-parking is in a paid lot across the street, and dining in the Aquarium Restaurant after 6 p.m. validates it. That makes it an easy dinner-and-fish evening when everyone is too tired for a sit-down elsewhere.

7. Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (Lowry)

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum at 7711 East Academy Boulevard in Lowry fills Hangar 1 of the former Lowry Air Force Base, and parking is free. It is typically open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This is the pick for 8-to-12-year-olds who have outgrown play spaces: an F-14A Tomcat, a Huey helicopter, a Star Wars X-Wing replica and flight simulators. Its sister site, Exploration of Flight, is at Centennial Airport, outside Denver.

8. Washington Park (Washington Park neighborhood)

Washington Park in south Denver is the free, run-around-outside stop. Smith Lake's north shore was Denver's first bathing beach in 1911, and the Washington Park Boathouse on the lake was completed in 1913. Bring a picnic blanket: there is plenty of lawn around Smith Lake for little legs to run off energy.

Bring a scooter and snacks, then walk to lunch on South Gaylord Street or South Pearl Street.

9. Denver Union Station (LoDo)

Denver Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop Street in Lower Downtown is the finale. Kids love the Great Hall, the trains and the treats. Milkbox Ice Creamery serves Little Man Ice Cream, and Tattered Cover Book Store is right there for a bedtime story.

Worth knowing: the first station opened in 1881, the current Beaux-Arts building opened in 1914, and the restored station reopened in 2014, a hundred years later.

Where to park: Union Station has no dedicated lot. Use downtown street or metered parking, pay for hotel valet, or skip the car: the RTD A Line runs from here to Denver International Airport.

10. Sam's No. 3 (Downtown)

Sam's No. 3 at 1500 Curtis Street in downtown Denver is a diner in business since 1927, with a long menu that keeps picky eaters and hungry adults equally happy, plus a kids' section. Watch the hours: the downtown location typically closes at 2 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and stays open into the evening the rest of the week.

The full-day route: City Park to Union Station

This route keeps driving short and parking free until the very end. It works best for kids roughly 3 to 10.

1. 8:30 a.m. Breakfast at Sam's No. 3 downtown, or eat at home and save money.
2. 9:00 a.m. Arrive at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science as it opens. Park free. Under-8s go to the Discovery Zone first; older kids go to Prehistoric Journey.
3. 11:30 a.m. Lunch at the museum's T.Rex Cafe, typically open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or eat a packed lunch outside the galleries.
4. 12:30 p.m. Drive to the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance with your pre-booked timed tickets. Park free. Elephants, lions, then the train.
5. 3:30 p.m. Leave the zoo before closing to beat the exit queue. Toddlers nap in the car.
6. 4:15 p.m. Head to Denver Union Station in LoDo for Little Man Ice Cream at Milkbox and a wander through the Great Hall.
7. 5:30 p.m. Dinner downtown, or switch to Downtown Aquarium for dinner with the fish.

When to leave: go home at the first meltdown, not the second. With a child under 4, end the day after the zoo and save Union Station for another morning.

Save this: the parent's checklist

• Book Denver Zoo timed tickets online before you go.
• Bring cash or a card for the Children's Museum door; there are no online tickets.
• Pack spare clothes for the water play at the Discovery Zone.
• Skip the Denver Art Museum on Wednesdays.
• Visit the Mordecai Children's Garden between March and fall.
• Free parking: Nature & Science museum, zoo, Children's Museum, Wings, Botanic Gardens garage (limited).
• Paid parking: Cultural Center Complex Garage for the art museum, Downtown Aquarium lot, downtown meters for Union Station.
• Check each official site for free days, which change every year.

For more ideas, browse what's on this weekend, explore City Park and the Golden Triangle, or check the Denver weather before you pack.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in Denver with kids?

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, both in City Park, are the strongest pair for a family day in Denver. Add the Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus for under-8s and the Denver Art Museum, free for everyone 18 and under.

Is the Denver Art Museum free for kids?

Yes. The Denver Art Museum in the Golden Triangle gives free general admission to all visitors 18 and under on every day it is open. Special exhibitions may carry a small youth fee.

Where can you park for free at Denver family attractions?

Parking is free at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, the Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus and Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street has limited free garage parking for visitors.

What is there to do in Denver with toddlers?

The Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is built for children from newborn to age 8, with a dedicated area for babies up to 36 months. The Discovery Zone at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science serves ages 0 to 8, and the Mordecai Children's Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens suits ages 12 months to 8 years from spring to fall.

Do you need tickets in advance for the Denver Zoo?

Yes. Non-members need a timed ticket bought online in advance for the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, and children 2 and under, who get in free, still need a ticket. Free-day tickets are also online only.