Things to do in Denver & the Front Range

A natural sandstone amphitheater in the foothills, free to hike by day and home to legendary concerts by night.

Towering red sandstone formations rise against Pikes Peak in this free Colorado Springs park.

Drive, ride the cog railway, or hike to the 14,115-foot summit that inspired 'America the Beautiful.'

A striking titanium-clad building holding one of the country's best Indigenous American art collections.

Dinosaur skeletons, a planetarium, and a gems-and-minerals hall overlooking City Park.

23 acres of themed gardens and a glass conservatory in the middle of the city.

A conservation-focused zoo in City Park with thousands of animals across naturalistic habitats.

A restored 1914 railway depot turned grand hall of restaurants, bars, and a boutique hotel.

A gold-domed 1894 capitol building exactly one mile above sea level, with free public tours.

The Victorian home of Titanic survivor Margaret 'Molly' Brown, restored to its 1910s appearance.

Daily cave tours through limestone chambers above Manitou Springs, plus zip lines and a canyon swing.

The trailhead for Boulder's iconic tilted Flatiron rock formations, with a historic dining hall on-site.

Boulder's four-block pedestrian mall of shops, buskers, and patio dining below the Flatirons.

A cliff-diving show, arcade, and Mexican food buffet inside a pink stucco Denver-area landmark.

Denver's mile-long downtown promenade, freshly rebuilt with wider walks and a free shuttle.

A narrow-gauge train that loops through the Colorado Rockies past a historic Silver Rush mining town.

Walk through relocated Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and browse Native American artifact exhibits near Pikes Peak.

Plan a trip to Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region, home to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.

Colorado city with parks, trails and a reservoir for hiking, paddleboarding and horseback riding near Denver.

Historic mineral-spring mountain town near Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods, with walkable arts and dining.

Colorado's Sweetheart City near Rocky Mountain National Park, known for public art, trails and lakes.

Colorado's largest open-air outlet mall with more than 100 brand-name stores between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Colorado's capital city and Rocky Mountain gateway, with museums, breweries, parks and a walkable downtown.

Year-round gondola from downtown Idaho Springs to a mountain summit with hiking, biking, and views of the historic Argo Mill.

Museum of coins, paper currency and monetary history operated by the American Numismatic Association.

Visitor guide to downtown Colorado Springs, home to more than 180 independent shops, restaurants and services.

Family-owned German restaurant in Colorado Springs serving schnitzel, bratwurst and other Old World dishes since 1967.

Rent motorcycles, scooters, and adventure bikes near Garden of the Gods for self-guided rides.

Join a guided walking tour with tastings at five local restaurants, breweries, and kitchens.

Custom-fit road and gravel bikes built and sold at Lennard Zinn's boutique bicycle shop.

Zipline, ropes course and whitewater rafting basecamp in Idaho Springs, 35 miles west of Denver.

Fossil museum with 40-plus mounted dinosaur and marine reptile skeletons plus a working fossil lab.

Colorado's largest gift shop and Native American art gallery at the edge of Garden of the Gods park.

Family-owned whitewater rafting outfitter running guided trips on the Arkansas and Blue Rivers.

Interactive museum in downtown Colorado Springs honoring American Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Chuckwagon dinner and Western stage show on a working cattle ranch in the Pikes Peak foothills.

A tourism association representing 29 Pikes Peak region attractions with free trip-planning guides.

Guided whitewater rafting trips on Clear Creek near Idaho Springs, Colorado.

The city's official visitor center, offering maps, brochures and trip-planning help for Colorado Springs.

Catch a Denver Nuggets or Colorado Avalanche game, a touring concert, or a behind-the-scenes tour at this downtown Denver arena.

Ski five peaks above the town of Breckenridge, including a chairlift that tops out at 12,840 feet.

See William F. Cody's hilltop grave, then tour museum exhibits on his life and his Wild West show.

Tour the Sleepytime tea factory floor, step into the pungent Mint Room, and sample teas at the tasting bar.

Hand-feed giraffes and ride an open-air chairlift over a zoo built on the side of Cheyenne Mountain.

Walk through the malting, brewing and packaging processes of the Golden brewery, then sample the beer.

Catch a Rockies game or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the downtown ballpark with its mile-high purple row.

Take a free guided tour of a working U.S. Mint and learn how circulating coins are produced.

Walk a paved ridge road past more than 250 dinosaur tracks and Jurassic bones still set in the rock.

Ride six roller coasters and a 20-acre water park at an amusement park in downtown Denver.

Tour the home stadium of the Denver Broncos, from the locker rooms and club levels to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

Stroll Denver's oldest commercial block, a row of 1870s to 1890s brick buildings filled with shops and restaurants.

Climb 2,768 steep steps up a former cable railway bed, gaining about 2,000 feet of elevation in under a mile.

Wander four floors of interactive art installations, hidden passageways and surreal worlds built by Meow Wolf.

Stay at a 1918 pink stucco resort set around a lake, with three golf courses, a spa and mountain retreats.

Tour or stay at the 1909 mountain hotel where Stephen King dreamed up The Shining, with ghost and history tours.

Ski or ride 5,317 acres across Vail's front side and the Back Bowls, starting from Gondola One in Vail Village.