Travel Guides > Denver, CO

Denver Travel

Once a showcase city for those who mined for and found vast amounts of gold and silver in the nearby hills, today's Denver is a mix of old Victorian splendor and strikingly beautiful modern architecture. You can still see magnificent turn-of-the-century houses which were once the homes of the likes of the famous Molly Brown, but you can as easily find a glittering skyscraper or brand new office complex along the streets of the Mile High City.

Denver is one of the few large cities in America that wasn't built on a waterfront. Historians note that it was settled because it possessed a milder climate than the nearby mining towns situated in the Rocky Mountains. In no time at all, Denver became a center for trade.

Today's Denver is full of beautiful city parks, tree-lined streets, and more than enough activities and attractions to keep visitors busy all year long. When many think Denver, they think snow. The truth is that the climate here is actually rather moderate and it's usually quite sunny, making it a fine place to visit throughout the year.

Because the weather's so nice, a walking tour of the downtown area is often a good way to see the city. Locals will direct you to Larimer Square, which is actually the birthplace of Denver, and once the place where gold-seekers stayed and played. The area was completely restored in the 1970s and is now home to shops, restaurants, and numerous special events.

The museums here are plentiful and quite varied. The Colorado History Museum is a good civic museum, focusing on the birth of the state and the native tribes found here. Similarly, the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center touts Colorado history and the role of Black Americans in the old West, including stories of the black cowboys that roamed the plains.

For art lovers, the Vance Kirkland Museum is dedicated to the works of Colorado's most famous artist, whose specialty was Western landscapes. You'll find paintings and decorative arts from other Colorado artists here as well. The 7-story Denver Art Museum is as stunning on the outside as it is on the inside. It houses an amazingly huge permanent collection with an emphasis on native and local art.

Kids will enjoy the Denver Museum of Science and Nature, with its clever dioramas and larger-than-life exhibits centering on anthropology, health science, geology, paleontology, space science, and zoology.

City Park, where the science museum is located, also provides two lakes for boating and fishing, lots of walking or jogging trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a municipal golf course. The spacious Denver Zoo, housing more than 4,000 animals, is also located in this park, which covers 96 square blocks.

Outside in the fresh air, you'll also enjoy a visit to the Denver Botanical Garden, a year-round attraction that hosts a Tropical Conservatory for wintertime visitors. In the summer, you can view a Monet-like Impressionist garden, enjoy desert plants, or visit the tranquil Japanese Garden.