Having lived in Denver for five years, these are some of my recommendations for things to do, places to see, and things to eat while visiting the Mile High City. This is not a sponsored post.
Places to see
- Colorado State Capitol Building
- There is a marker on one of the steps leading up to the building indicating an elevation of a mile high. Looking across Civic Center Park from the steps of the Capitol you can see Denver’s City Hall.
- Denver City Hall
- Street art around downtown Denver.
- LoDo
- LoDo or Lower Downtown is the area around Coors Field where the Colorado Rockies play. There are lots of restaurants and bars in the area.
- Larimer Square
- Another area near downtown with restaurants and bars. The area is especially pretty at night when strings of light turn on above the street.
- City Park
- Great views of the city.
- Washington Park
- Fun park to go for a run.
- Triceratops Trail in Golden
- See fossilized dinosaur tracks.
- Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Walk around and explore the area where many iconic bands have played a concert.
Things to do
- Colorado Rockies Baseball
- Catch a Colorado Rockies baseball game. Rockpile tickets (centerfield) can be as cheap as $6 (as of 2022) depending on the game and day of the week. There is a row of purple seats around the stadium which signifies a mile high in elevation. You can even get Rocky Mountain Oysters at one of the concession stands.
- Denver Broncos Football
- The Broncos play at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
- Denver Nuggets Basketball
- The Denver Nuggets play at Ball Arena. It is the same arena where the Colorado Avalanche play and is also a concert venue.
- The Nuggets are the 2023 NBA Champions.
- Colorado Avalanche Hockey
- 2022 Stanley Cup Champions.
- Denver Museum of Nature and Science
- Downtown Aquarium
- Elitch Gardens
- A theme park with roller coasters and a water park.
- Denver Children’s Museum
- Butterfly Pavillion
- Fun place to walk amongst flying butterflies. Especially fun if you have young children.
Places to eat
- Carmine’s On Penn
- Enjoy family-style Italian dining located near Washington Park.
- Ted’s Montana Grill
- Great place if you want to try eating bison/buffalo meat.
- Roaming Buffalo BBQ
- Another place to try bison/buffalo.
- The Fort Restaurant
- If you’re adventurous and want to try Rocky Mountain Oysters or rattle snake or Elk, this is the place for you.
- Saigon Bowl
- Great Vietnamese food. The Khai Vị Saigon Bowl Appetizer (it is listed under rice paper wraps on the menu) is amazing and enough to feed several people.
- Good Times
- A Colorado-based fast food company. Their frozen custard is an especially nice treat. They also have seasonal flavors.
- Beau Jo’s Pizza
- The only way to eat this pizza is to put honey on the crust. A bottle of honey is provided on every table.
- D Bar
- Great desserts. Head chef is Keegan Gerhard who has made many appearances on the Food Network.
- Cinzetti’s
- A huge family friendly Italian buffet.