Denver

Denver is a bustling city of more than 650,000 people supporting a fast-growing metropolitan area of nearly 3 million people. The city embraces its cowboy and mining past but also looks toward the future with a vibrant arts and performing arts scene, dozens of great outdoor festivals, and distinct neighborhoods each offering a unique experience. You'll find everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer including a spectacular view of and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which are only 12 miles (19 km) west of town.
Denver does have its growing pains. Urban sprawl is becoming a problem, with the metropolitan area sometimes growing faster than the infrastructure can really handle, especially with public transportation. Denver is generally a driving city, and some problems with pollution and traffic are a part of everyday life. Large mass transportation and freeway expansion projects have been completed, including the popular light rail system. By American standards, Denver is betting big on public transportation.

Climate

Denver residents enjoy a mild climate and the third most sunshine of any US state, with four pronounced seasons.
Heavy snowfalls can occur between October and March, often alternating with days of high temperatures and sunshine. About once a year, a snowfall of over a few feet occurs. Winter is also when the Denver area gets pounded by a phenomenon known as the "Chinook". That's when air flows over the mountains to the west and sinks on the leeward (eastern) slopes of the foothills and warms up. This raises air temperatures dramatically, which can last for several days. If you're planning to visit Denver during the winter, be prepared with full winter gear just in case, but also pack a light sweater and T-shirt; the weather is usually very sunny and mild.
Spring in Denver is pleasant, though generally rather brief. Trees begin budding by late March and are in full leaf by mid April to mid May. March, on average, is Denver's snowiest month.
By June, Denver enters its summer season. Temperatures typically rise in earnest at this time, with most heat waves beginning in mid-June and continuing through July, usually Denver's hottest month with temperatures in the high 80s to mid-90s (°F). By late July, the southwest monsoon kicks in. In August, short spells of thunderstorms occur about three to four days per week. By late August, temperatures begin to drop with a noticeable difference between day time and night time temperatures. As the days get shorter through September and October, daytime temperatures drop to the high 50s to mid-60s. Slather on that sunscreen all summer long; the rays are strong and the air is dry, with temperatures often reaching the upper 90s in July and August.
Autumn is a peaceful time to visit, with mild temperatures, little severe weather and lots of that famous clear blue sky. You'll get to see the trees display their fall colors, which usually peak around mid-September in the mountains and October in the city. October usually brings the first snowfall of the season to Denver, although it's very light. By November, it's clear that winter is on its way, with plenty of clouds, some snow and much cooler temperatures.

By plane

• Denver International AirportCommonly referred to as DIA, the airport is about 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Downtown Denver and is one of the busiest airports in the nation, due to it being a hub for Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, and is a popular destination with other major domestic carriers. Many connecting flights are made in DIA, and this airport is more pleasant than most to kill time, with plenty of public art displays, battery charging stations, and free Wi-Fi, as well as a decent selection of restaurants for an airport. Detailed information on the airport can be found on its page.

Private pilots mostly fly into:

• Centennial Airport

• Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport

On warm days, the density altitude may make takeoffs difficult; Centennial and Rocky Mountain Airports thus have relatively long runways, to accommodate volumes of private jet traffic. Flight visibility in the Denver area is often in excess of 100 miles; weather fronts tend to travel quickly N-S along the Front Range. For small planes, any direction but west is a good choice.

By car

• I-25 (north and south), I-70 (east and west), and I-76 (northeast) are the major interstates leading in and out of the city. I-225 and I-270 cross the Denver area.
• U.S. Highway 40 connects Denver to Salt Lake City to the west.
• Interstate 70 connects Denver to Summit County, the location of many major ski areas, to the west.
• Interstate 25 connects Denver to Colorado Springs in the south and Cheyenne, Wyoming in the north.
• U.S. Highway 36 connects to the northwestern suburbs and on to Boulder.
• C-470 Connects to the southern end of E-470 (also accessible from I-25) leading to the south, southwest, and western suburbs.
• Toll Roads There are a couple of major toll roads in the Denver area, and they can help you avoid some serious rush hour traffic on I-70 and I-25.

• E-470 connects the airport to the southeast, east, northeast and northwest suburbs, C-470 at its southern terminus, and the Northwest Parkway at its northern terminus, leading to Boulder. E-470 is a "cashless" toll road - there are no longer any toll plazas and no way to pay tolls except via an in-car device or a billing service. If renting a car, check to see if the rental car agency provides for proper billing; otherwise, you may be subject to billed tolls and hefty service charges. Tolls are $2–4 and without an in-car device, service charges can run to $25 or more.
• Northwest Parkway connects to the north end of E-470 leading to north, northeast and northwest suburbs, and Boulder. Also accessible from I-25. Tolls are up to $3 each, and booths accept only cash. There's no attendant between 10PM and 6AM, so pay attention to the signs; though some booths still accept exact change, others require you to pay online or by mail.

By train

Denver is served by Amtrak via its daily California Zephyr service between Chicago and Emeryville, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Eastbound departures are around 7PM while westbound trains leave at 8AM. However, as this is one of the longest train routes in the world, delays are quite frequent. Trains call at the restored

Union Station

The renovation has restored Union Station to its former glory, and it now boasts an on-premise hotel, several restaurants and bars as well as plenty of seating for the tired traveller. Denver Union Station is often cited as the "poster boy" for the revival of train stations, train travel in general and the adjacent neighborhoods that can be observed in several North American and European cities. Union Station is also known for its iconic "travel by train" sign first put there in the 1950s when arrivals at Stapleton Airport started to outstrip traffic at Union Station. In addition to Amtrak trains, RTD commuter and light rail services also call at Union Station, providing easy access to many places in the Denver area if you arrive by train.

By bus

The central bus station is at on 1055 19th St, just a few blocks away from Coors Field and other central attractions. Serviced by Burlington Trailways, Greyhound, Express Arrow and Bustang; the station also has storage lockers that can be rented hourly. Some of the same bus companies make an additional stop at the Union Station (Amtrak), Denver Tech Center (DTC) and/or other places. Skyride now operates the 'A' Line train from the downtown Union Station to the airport. The hispanic bus companies from El Paso maintain their own separate bus stations nearby the Denver Bus Center. Passengers transfer buses in El Paso to continue to/from Mexico. Expect the bus stations to be crowded and dirty:

• Burlington Trailways

  phone: +1 303-293-6555, +1 319-753-2864
  address: Denver Bus Center at 1055 19th St
  Goes east on I-76/80 towards Des Moines, IA through Ft Morgan, Sterling, Ogallala, North Platte, Lincoln, Omaha, etc. Passengers transfer in Iowa City to reach additional destinations.

• Bustang

  address: Denver Bus Center at 1055 19th St
  Service to Denver from Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Gunnison and Grand Junction four separate routes. Passengers transfer in Grand Junction to continue towards Durango and in Colorado Springs to continue to Lamar via Pueblo. Bus stops at the Denver Bus Center (Greyhound station) and the Union Station depots.

• El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express

  phone: +1 303-293-2244
  address: depot at 2215 E California St
  Travels along I-25 between Greeley, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Demig, Las Cruces and El Paso. The depot in Greeley is at 2410 8th Ave.

• Express Arrow

  phone: +1 402-371-3850
  address: Denver Bus Center at 1055 19th St
  Travels between several cities & towns in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska & Wyoming on multiple routes. From Denver their buses go north towards Buffalo WY via Casper, Cheyenne; east towards Omaha; and southwest to Alamosa and Gunnison through Fairplay, Buena Vista and Salida

• Greyhound & Autobus Americanos

  address: Denver Bus Center at 1055 19th St
  Service to Salt Lake City (some schedules continue to Portland via Boise); Los Angeles (via St George, Las Vegas, Barstow); St Louis, Dallas (via Amarillo) and El Paso (via Pueblo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, etc) on multiple routes.

• Los Paisanos

  phone: +1 303-291-1366
  address: depot at 2147 Broadway
  Travels between Boise and El Paso via Salt Lake City, Greely, Denver and Roswell.

• Numbered avenues run east-west in the north half of the metro area, including suburbs. Ellsworth Avenue is the "equatorial" street. Numbered streets increase as you travel north and are generally called avenues. Avenues south of Ellsworth are named.
• Named streets run north-south. Broadway is the "meridian" street. Ordered alphabetically going up as you travel east or west away from the city center, though not alphabetical closer to the city center. Addresses on named streets correspond to intersecting numbered streets, so "1701 Broadway" is at 17th and Broadway. North-south streets are generally called streets, not avenues.
• Downtown streets: The diagonal layout of the downtown area can be tricky, especially for first-time visitors. North of Colfax and west of Broadway, the streets are canted 45 degrees from all other streets in the city. The transition between the two systems is confusing even for locals. Southeast-northwest streets are numbered, while southwest-northeast streets are named. As this was the original grid system of Denver, some vestiges of it exist outside of downtown, creating diagonal cuts in certain parts of the city. Some of those streets include Park Avenue, Speer Boulevard and Morrison Road.

By car

Renting
If you plan to go outside of downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods car rentals are the most convenient form of transportation. Local companies tend to offer better prices, but national chains might be more convenient as far as return policies and hours.
Rental companies include most major car rental chains.
Parking
Meters are free on Sunday and run until 10PM on weekdays. After 10PM at many of the meters where it used to be free, it now is $1.00 per hour from 10PM until 8AM at the smart meters. The meters say "overnight parking allowed" but you are still required to pay during this time, or you will get a $25 parking ticket. In the downtown area near Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, and LoDo, there is pretty much no free parking on weekdays. In some areas a few blocks from the city center there are a few non-metered spots within reasonable walking distance of downtown. However, just because you don't see a meter doesn't mean that parking is free. Denver is increasingly using European-style meters, where you purchase a paper ticket from a machine somewhere on the block and place it on your dashboard. Also, many neighborhoods around downtown allow only permitted residents to park, so be sure to check the signs first. Some streets have alternate side parking restrictions for cleaning/clearing the streets. Check signs carefully.
The city government has been cracking down on parking violations, so if you park at a meter with a flashing red light and don't pay, even for a few minutes, expect to get a ticket. Meter violations will cost you $25 ($50 if you don't pay up within two weeks). All the meters in the downtown area are equipped with credit card readers that accept Visa and MasterCard. $1 will get you around an hour, depending on the location of the meter.
Areas outside of the downtown core (20th St, Speer, Wynkoop St, Colfax and Broadway) usually have meters that end at 6PM and are free on weekends, so parking is much easier during those times. The area just northwest of downtown, across the train tracks from Union Station, has free 2-hour parking spots (on Wewatta Street just before the Park Avenue bridge).
Union Station
The area around Union Station is frequently inundated with pedestrians, particularly between Chestnut Place and Wewatta Street, and especially when trains have just arrived and passengers have just disembarked. During daylight hours, there is rarely a break in the action, and that especially goes for days when Rockies home games or other downtown events are taking place. Near Union Station pedestrians have the right of way over vehicles, and drivers will most likely get stuck waiting at crosswalks, sometimes for a long while. For the safety of the pedestrians, and the sanity of the motorist, it is best to avoid driving near Union Station unless absolutely necessary.

By public transit

The RTD (Regional Transportation District) is the region's primary public transit provider, operating buses and light rail throughout the Denver area.
Denver has a fairly extensive and rapidly growing light rail system that can efficiently get you from Downtown to many of the city's suburbs. There are eight rail lines that branch out of Downtown along six corridors: the A line east to Denver International Airport, the B line north to Westminster, the C/D lines south to Englewood and Littleton, the E/F/H lines southeast along I-25, the G line northwest to Arvada and Wheat Ridge, and the W line west to Lakewood and the Denver Federal Center. A ninth line, the R line, travels along I-225 on the east side of Denver, connecting the E/F/H lines with the A line via Aurora. In Downtown, all rail lines either terminate at Union Station or travel through central Downtown via the Convention Center. Rail tickets must be purchased (cash or credit card) from vending machines at the stations before boarding the trains and cost between $3.00 and $5.25 for a three-hour pass, depending on how far you travel, with service to the airport costing $10.50. Regional day passes also cost $10.50 (and include travel to or from the airport) and include bus fare.
The backbone of Denver's transportation system is the buses. RTD buses are $3.00 (cash only; exact change required, with discounts available for youth and senior citizens) for a one-way local trip, and with payment you receive a transfer that's valid for three hours from when you board the bus. Day passes are also available and include light rail, for $10.50. There is also a free shuttle, the MallRide, which runs along the 16th Street pedestrian mall through Downtown and is a handy way of traveling between Downtown attractions. More information about RTD can be found at the Union Station and Civic Center bus stations at either end of 16th Street in Downtown, or on the RTD website. Local routes crisscross the city, supplemented by 'Limited' buses that stop less frequently on major arteries like Colfax and Colorado Boulevard; these buses are denoted by an 'L' after the route number, and cost the same as a Local route.
RTD also operates limited intercity coach service, mostly to the north suburbs and the more distant communities of Longmont and Boulder. These services are denoted by letters and tend to leave from Union Station or Civic Center Station at either end of the 16th Street Mall. The Flatiron Flyer offers a fast bus service along express highway lanes between Union Station in Denver and downtown Boulder, with fares ranging from $3.00 to $5.25 depending on distance travelled. If you're in Colorado to ski or board on a budget, Eldora Mountain Resort in Nederland can be reached via the Ski-N-Ride service (NB bus) from downtown Boulder, seasonally from mid-November to mid-April; fares are $5.25 one-way or covered by a $10.50 daypass. RTD also operates SkyRide service to the airport; see the "By plane" section above for further details.

By bike

Denver has a large network of bike trails leading all over the city. The city has a fiercely loyal cycling culture, and it's reflected in the abundance of bike lanes and trails in and around downtown. Main trails run along both Cherry Creek and the Platte, and bike lanes run down many downtown streets. The lanes are sometimes dedicated and sometimes run with traffic, and are marked by a stencil of a bike in the street. The city's designated routes are signed, and you can pick up a bike map at the info centers downtown and at many bike shops.
Denver was one of the first US cities with a modern bike share program; you can purchase a membership online or at any of the 81 stations throughout the city, choose a bike, and start exploring. After the purchase of a membership rides of less than 30 minutes incur no additional fee, while there is a small fee for longer rides.
Don't be afraid to assert yourself in traffic when there is no bike lane - the drivers are, while impatient sometimes, for the most part respectful. Bikes are treated legally like traffic in Denver, and (while admittedly rare), you can get tickets for running red lights and stop signs. Bikes are also expected to ride as far to the right as practicable, unless you're riding in a group of 3 or more - in which case you are considered (and can behave like) a car. Neat, huh?
Bikes are required to have front lights at night, and a good lock is recommended in areas around downtown. Bike theft happens frequently.

Denver is a vibrant city with plenty of attractions for visitors, plus a diverse collection of neighborhoods that can be attractions in themselves. Many of Denver's older areas are the perfect density for exploration; you'll find an interesting mix of apartments and homes with flowery front gardens, wide flagstone sidewalks, bright green lawns and big, shady trees. Capitol Hill, Highlands, Baker, Berkeley, Uptown, Sloan's Lake, Cheesman, Washington, City and Congress Parks are just some of the neighborhoods bustling with people and places to see.
Denver has many beautiful parks that are full of colorful gardens, meandering paths, crystal clear lakes, abundant wildlife and recreation opportunities. The city has a rich pioneer history, and there are plenty of museums where you can learn all about it. It's also a very environmentally conscious city, with one of the nation’s first municipal “Green Fleets”, public transit vehicles using hybrid and alternative fuel and a city tree-planting initiative. Hop on a green bus, grab a bike or just walk around to discover Denver.

Museums and architecture

• Black American West Museum & Heritage Center

  phone: +1 720 242-7428
  address: 3091 California St
  Set in the home of Dr. Justina Ford, Colorado's first Black woman doctor, this museum is dedicated to the contributions of Black pioneers in the Old West. The 19th-century building was moved 12 blocks to become a museum.

• Byers-Evans House Museum

  phone: +1 303-620-4933
  address: 1310 Bannock St
  One of Denver's great historic homes, built in 1883 by Rocky Mountain News publisher Williams Byers and elegantly furnished with original turn of the (20th) century pieces. Tour the house or catch featured exhibitions in the gallery.

• Chamberlin Observatory

  phone: +1 303-871-5172
  address: 2930 E Warren Ave
  Built in 1890, this working observatory is a historic landmark and a pride of the University of Denver. Star Parties and other events are open to the public.

• Children's Museum of Denver

  phone: +1 303-433-7444
  address: 2121 Children's Museum Dr
  This educational museum takes a fun, hands-on approach to learning.

• Colorado State Capitol

  phone: +1 303-866-2604
  address: 200 E Colfax Ave
  A gorgeous domed building at the southern edge of Downtown. Tours are available, though the big attraction for tourists is standing above the words "One Mile Above Sea Level" engraved into one of the steps out front.

• Denver Art Museum

  phone: +1 720-865-5000
  address: 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy
  A huge museum with art from all over the world. You'll want to give yourself several hours to properly explore the place.

• Denver Firefighters Museum

  phone: +1 303-892-1436
  address: 1326 Tremont Pl
  Historical and interactive exhibits, activities and special events celebrating Denver's firefighters.

• Denver Mint

  phone: +1 303-405-4761
  address: 320 W Colfax Ave
  Thanks to this place, more U.S. money is made in Denver than anywhere else in the world. Fish a coin out of your pocket and look for the "D" on the face side (usually in the bottom right quadrant). That means the money was minted in Denver. Tour times vary by day. Each day, ticket are available starting at 7AM until they run out.

• Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys

  phone: +1 303-322-1053
  address: 1880 Gaylord St
  Houses, trains, planes, circuses and more. Everything's tiny except the giant teddy bears!

• Denver Museum of Nature & Science

  phone: +1 303-322-7009
  address: 2001 Colorado Blvd
  Exhibitions, planetarium and IMAX.

• Forney Transportation Museum

  phone: +1 303-297-1113
  address: 4303 Brighton Blvd

• History Colorado Center

  phone: +1 303-447-8679
  address: 1200 Broadway
  The center has many displays and exhibits focusing on historical sites throughout Colorado (prairie settlement, mine, Native American life, etc.) Great for families with kids and even adults; only takes 1-1½ hours to take in.

• Molly Brown House Museum

  phone: +1 303-832-4092
  address: 1340 Pennsylvania St
  This restored Victorian was once home to labor reformist, actress and Titanic survivor Margaret Brown. It now showcases that era of Colorado history through exhibits and special events.

• The Money Museum

  phone: +1 303-572-2300
  address: 1020 16th St
  Self-guided tour. Small room with a few displays, including $30 million in cash!

• Museo de las Americas

  phone: +1 303-571-4401
  address: 861 Santa Fe Dr
  Denver is home to a large and growing Latino population, and this museum focuses on their art and heritage.

• Museum of Contemporary Art Denver

  phone: +1 303-298-7554
  address: 1485 Delgany St
  Housed in an ultra-modern building downtown, this innovative museum seeks to engage the community with workshops, films, lectures, and a relaxing, open environment. Visit the rooftop deck for 360-degree views of Denver, grab a quick bite in the cafe, and check out the functional public performance space called The Lane.

• National Ballpark Museum

  phone: +1 303-974-5835
  address: 1940 Blake St
  A family-run museum that contains one of the best private baseball collections in the country, this museum holds a stunning collection of artifacts from ballparks all over the country, including signs, bricks, and seats from the classic ballparks of old, as well as a section of Fenway Park's "Green Monster".

• Kirkland Museum

  phone: +1 303-832-8576
  address: 1201 Bannock St
  Fine and Decorative art museum featuring over 30,000 works by more than 1,500 artists and designers. Building was moved in Nov 2016. The grand opening at the new Bannock St location was held March 10,2018.

Parks and gardens

• City ParkEnjoy the Denver sunshine at this 330-acre urban park east of downtown. Two lakes, numerous fields, playgrounds, and a golf course, as well as the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Nature and Science are all within its expansive bounds.

• Denver Zoo

  phone: +1 303-376-4800
  address: 2300 Steele St
  Denver zoo's pride is Bear Mountain, created using casts of actual Colorado rock outcroppings to simulate the bears' natural habitat. For a different way to watch the wildlife, hop on the Pioneer Train, the first train in a U.S. zoo to be powered by natural gas. Other exhibits include an indoor rainforest and the 7-acre Primate Panorama.

Denver Botanic Gardens

phone: +1 720-865-3500

address: 1005 York St

Come for the array of flowers and plants from around the world, stay for the peace and quiet (and the free WiFi), then check out the bonus attractions. Above the gardens' bistro, you'll find Denver's first public green roof, a living example of the benefits of green design. Space and science buffs won't want to miss the OmniGlobe exhibit, a spherical simulation of the Earth from space.

Washington Park

address: S Downing St and E Louisiana Ave

Beautiful and lush Denver park, with lakes, flower gardens, a recreation center, soccer fields and tennis courts. Over 160 acres of natural beauty, surrounded by turn-of-the-19th-century homes. A favorite jogging, volleyball, and drinking destination. This was formerly the favorite hang out of young residents during the summer months but regulations requiring permits for many common activities have reduced park usage and transferred it to City Park.

Cheesman Park

address: 12th Ave at High St

The Acropolis-inspired pavilion has a commanding view of the Denver skyline.

Confluence Park

address: 15th Street at the Platte River

Named for the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, Confluence Park is a summertime spot for many of Denver's residents. Cool off in the river, or bring a kayak or inner tube for the purpose built rapids near the REI store. The park is also accessible via the Cherry Creek or Platte bike trails.

Denver Animal Shelter dog sculpture

address: 1241 W. Bayaud Ave.

A 20-foot-high sculpture of a dog, made out of metal dog tags.

Late spring and early autumn are excellent seasons to do things outdoors in Denver. Besides the city's various lush green parks, there are plenty of outdoor festivals, sports, and gondola rides. (Yes, gondola rides.) In winter, the snow-peaked mountains in the distance and the crisp air on your cheeks make it the perfect time to tour Denver's famous breweries or check out the downtown arts scene.

• The Southwest Rink at Skyline Park

  phone: +1 303-825-6787
  address: 511 16th St
  Skating rink in downtown Denver open from late November to mid February.

• Archery Games Denver

  phone: +1 720-443 0287
  address: 5405 W 56th Ave, Unit D
  Play archery dodgeball with bows and foam-tipped arrows at this indoor arena.

Amusement parks

In addition to the two listed below, the Denver area is also home to Water World, a huge water park in Thornton.

• Elitch GardensA huge amusement park with rides and family entertainment.

• Lakeside

  phone: +1 303-477-1621
  address: 4601 Sheridan Blvd
  A throwback from Denver's past, Lakeside is an amusement park like they used to make; without all the corporate branding and commercialism. While it may have a somewhat seedy exterior, Lakeside is still a staple of local kids' upbringings, and remains a fixture of Denver culture as well as a much cheaper alternative to Elitch Gardens. Coaster buffs will squeal with glee over the Cyclone, the park's original 1940 Edward Vettel-designed wood coaster.

Comedy

• Bovine Metropolis Theater

  phone: +1 303-758-4722
  address: 1527 Champa St
  Nope, no cows on stage. Just exciting and surprising improv comedy shows five nights a week. All ages.

• Comedy Works

  phone: +1 303-595-3637
  address: 1226 15th St
  Laugh it up with local comedians and big name acts. 21 and up.

• Impulse Theater

  phone: +1 303-297-2111
  address: 1634 18th St
  At Denver's original improv comedy venue, no two shows are ever the same. Great for group events and appropriate for all ages.

Festivals & events

• January National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, Martin Luther King Parade, Indian Market, Mile High Snowfest
• February Colorado Garden and Home Show, Denver Restaurant Week, Buffalo Bill's Birthday Party
• March St. Patrick's Day Parade, Denver March Powwow, Starz Global Lens Film Festival
• April Doors Open Denver, Colorado Rockies Home Opener, KBCO Kinetics
• May Cinco de Mayo, Tesoro Indian Market and Powwow, Downtown Denver Festival of the Arts, Denver Day of Rock, Colorado Colfax Marathon also includes Denver's Navy Week.
• June Colorado Renaissance Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, Comcast La Piazza dell’Arte, Do At The Zoo, PrideFest, The People's Fair, Highland Street Fair
• July Cherry Creek Arts Festival, The INTERNATIONAL at Castle Pines, Colorado Irish Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Evergreen Jazz Festival, Global Dance Festival
• September A Taste of Colorado, Great American Beer Festival, Brew At The Zoo, Annual Oktoberfest, Festival Italiano, Denver Beer Fest
• October Fright Fest, Denver Mariachi Festival, Denver Marathon
• November Denver Arts Week, Starz International Film Festival, Denver International Wine Festival, Downtown Denver, Grand Illumination
• December Mile High Holidays, Blossoms of Light, Zoo Lights, 9News Parade of Lights, New Year's Eve Downtown Fireworks

Performing arts

Major performing arts performances are held at the Denver Performing Arts Complex at N Speer Blvd and Arapahoe St in downtown Denver, including:

• Colorado Ballet

  phone: +1 303-837-8888
  address: Ellie Caulkins Opera House
  Founded in 1951, this internationally acclaimed company presents classical and contemporary ballets.

• Colorado Symphony

  phone: +1 303-623-7876
  address: Boettcher Concert Hall
  The Colorado Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra established in 1989, as the successor to the Denver Symphony.

• Denver Center for the Performing Arts

  phone: +1 303-893-4100
  address: The Buell Theatre
  Spend an evening at the theater watching anything from revivals to world premieres. The center hosts a Tony Award-winning professional resident company, and touring productions.

• Opera Colorado

  phone: +1 303-778-1500
  address: Ellie Caulkins Opera House
  This young company performs classic operas in their downtown venue.

Besides this complex, you can find smaller venues, restaurants, and cafes for a unique and exciting experience.

• Mercury Cafe

  phone: +1 303-294-9281
  address: 2199 California St
  Highly recommended. This popular restaurant/cafe/event center is a must for any lovers of poetry, theater, or counterculture. Live music almost every night, salsa classes, and more. Particularly recommended Sundays nights, when it hosts Denver's best poetry slam. Often, you might run into well-known names like Andrea Gibson. Check out their schedule for more information.

Live music

There are a bunch of places in town where you can catch a concert, but the most interesting and unique venue in the larger Denver area is almost inarguably the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, a huge outdoor space surrounded by rock formations that make for not only a stunningly beautiful setting but also naturally perfect acoustics.

• Bluebird Theater

  phone: +1 303-322-2308
  address: 3317 E Colfax Ave
  A beautiful old World War I-era silent movie palace on Colfax Avenue, now repurposed as a music hall where concerts in a variety of genres (primarily rock, but also blues, country, bluegrass and the like) are presented in an intimate setting.

• Fillmore Auditorium

  address: 1510 Clarkson St
  Capitol Hill is where you'll find arguably the epicenter of Denver's live music scene. This cavernous and newly-renovated space is famous for its dual Minors with Adults Liquor License, so if you're underage, you're not necessarily segregated into crappy seats.

• hi-dive

  address: 7 S Broadway
  A small, scruffy bar with character to the hilt, hi-dive is mostly a place to go if you want to check out Denver's local music scene. But it's also made a name for itself as a place rising stars play just before they make it big, so come out to a show here and maybe you can say you "saw them when..."

• Larimer Lounge

  phone: +1 303-291-1007
  address: 2721 Larimer St
  You can't miss this hipster-friendly club and concert hall in RiNo, with huge, brightly painted Op Art murals covering the whole front of the building. Catch mostly local rock, country, and electronica acts, with a few national touring artists to mix things up, in an ambience that's a lot cleaner and less skeevy than some of the dives around town.

• Lion's Lair

  phone: +1 303-322-2308
  address: 2022 E. Colfax Ave
  Famous, or should we say infamous, dive bar in Colfax that's been a gathering place for Denver-area punk, hardcore, and thrash fans since the 80s. The drinks are cheap, the lights are dim, and the ambience is grungy - and that's meant in a good way.

• Ogden Theatre

  address: 935 E Colfax Ave
  Like the smaller Bluebird, the Ogden Theatre is another old silent movie house and vaudeville hall that's been repurposed as a music venue. Whatever your favorite genre - rock, hip-hop, R&B, electronica, country - you can probably find a show you like at this affable midsize venue.

• Oriental Theater

  phone: +1 303-455-2124
  address: 4335 W 44th Ave
  Yet another movie palace turned music venue, the Oriental is the Berkeley neighborhood's destination of choice for everyone from rock and rollers to stand-up comedy fans to arthouse cinephiles.

Sports

Denver is the only city in the Rocky Mountains with teams in all of North America's "big four" pro sports leagues.

• Denver Broncos

  phone: +1 720-258-3333
  address: Empower Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant St
  The Broncos are among the most successful teams in the National Football League, making frequent playoff runs and winning three Super Bowls, most recently in the 2015 season. They have had a number of famous quarterbacks, most notably John Elway, who won two Super Bowls as the Broncos quarterback in his final two seasons as a player and now manages the franchise; and Peyton Manning, who played his final four seasons in Denver after being let go by Indianapolis, with the Broncos' most recent Super Bowl win coming in his last game.

• Colorado Avalanche

  phone: +1 303-405-1100
  address: Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle
  In 1995, the erstwhile Quebec Nordiques landed with a bang in Denver, winning the Stanley Cup in their first season in their new home city and following it up with another championship in 2001. They've had their ups and downs since then, but they're always solid playoff contenders in the National Hockey League. Will this be the year they go for number three? Head to the Pepsi Center just outside of downtown and find out.

• Colorado Rockies

  phone: +1 303-762-5437
  address: Coors Field, 2001 Blake St
  Denver's Major League Baseball team plays in Coors Field, one of the most beloved ballparks in the major leagues and the most hitter-friendly park as well, thanks to Denver's dry air and high altitude. Tickets range from the $4 "Rockpile" bleachers behind center field to $60 for a seat behind home plate. Behind-the-scenes tours of the ballpark are available.

• Denver Nuggets

  phone: +1 303-405-1100
  address: Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle
  After decades of disappointment, Denver's National Basketball Association team finally saw a measure of success for a couple seasons in the late 2000s, when superstars Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony led them to back-to-back first-place finishes in the league (followed by quick implosions in the playoffs). After a few years in the bottom of the league, the Nuggets are now on the rise, led by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. Win or lose, Denverites reliably turn out to matches at the Pepsi Center hoping this is the year they either turn things around or take the next step toward a championship.

Denver is represented in many smaller leagues too. Of special note among these niche sports is rugby union, which has an outsize following around here: not one but two of America's leagues field teams in the Mile High City.

• Colorado Rapids

  phone: +1 303-727-3500
  address: Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City
  A charter member of Major League Soccer, the Colorado Rapids are a consistent draw despite generally middling success on the field. The biggest games of the season see the Rapids face off against their hated rivals, Real Salt Lake.

• Colorado Mammoth

  phone: +1 303-405-1100
  address: Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle
  They may have only won one Champions' Cup, in 2006, but the Mammoth are a perennial force to be reckoned with in the National Lacrosse League. They play at the Pepsi Center, and tickets are easy to come by (and a relative steal, starting at $10 for single seats).

• Glendale Raptors Rugby Club

  phone: +1 303-639-4604
  address: Infinity Park, 4599 E. Tennessee Ave., Glendale
  Rugby union club whose top side competes in Major League Rugby, the USA's latest attempt at a professional league in the sport. The organization also fields women's, developmental men's, and youth teams, some of which play as the Glendale Merlins. Also of note: In 2018, Infinity Park became home to the USA Women's Sevens, a tournament in the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series for national teams in rugby sevens, a variant of union with 7 players per side instead of 15, with halves of 7 minutes instead of 40.

• Denver Barbarians Rugby Club

  address: Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City
  The lower-profile but more successful of Denver's two rugby union teams, competing in the U.S. Rugby Super League since 1967 with three championships to their name.

In the realm of college sports, the main draw in Denver is...

• Denver Pioneers

  phone: +1 303-871-2336
  address: Ritchie Center, 2240 E. Buchtel Blvd
  The University of Denver (DU), which plays NCAA Division I sports, mostly in The Summit League. With no football program, the highest-profile sports are men's basketball, men's ice hockey (in which it is a traditional powerhouse, playing in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference), and men's lacrosse (an emerging national power in the Big East Conference).

There are also many frisbee golf (frolf) courses that bring hours of entertainment for free, as well as numerous golf courses.

Brewery tours

Among the most popular tours in Denver are those of the many local breweries. Note that the most famous brewery in the area, the Coors Brewery, is located in Golden, about 15 miles west in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

• Great Divide Brewing Company

  phone: +1 303-296-9460
  address: 2201 Arapahoe St
  This celebrated local microbrewery is helping make Denver an international destination for beer-lovers. Learn firsthand how they do it. Tours happen Monday-Saturday.

• Denver Microbrew Tour

  phone: +1 303-578-9548
  address: Denver Downtown
  Guided walking tour in downtown Denver’s historic LODO (lower downtown) area. The tour includes a brewery tour, beer samplings at several microbreweries, everything you want to know about beer, and local Denver history.

Districts

There are a number of shopping areas in Denver.

• The 16th Street Mall runs the near entire length of 16th St in downtown Denver. It is home to a number of chain stores, as well as novelty shops. It is dominated by the , an "urban mall," on the southeast end of the street.
• The Cherry Creek Shopping District sits southeast of downtown Denver, and hosts some of the most expensive stores in the metropolitan area. The Cherry Creek Shopping Mall is the epicenter of this district.
• (Lower Downtown) is immediately west of the Financial District of Denver and is connected directly to Larimer Square. Like Larimer, it is home to rich old architecture (as well as a few modern pieces). It is anchored by the Tattered Cover (see below) and hosts a ton of shops, mostly in fashion, furniture, and big chains like OfficeMax.
• offers some of the best shopping districts in the city and was one of the first urban shopping concepts, dating back to the 1960s. The area is full of all kinds of stuff from clothing to furniture. Check out the district's rich history, as well. The main part is along Larimer Street between 14th and 16th Streets.
• Colfax Avenue and Capitol Hill offer some of the most eclectic retailers including Capitol Hill Books

Specific retailers

• The Tattered Cover

  phone: +1 303-322-7727
  The area's largest and best-known bookstore, selling new and used books. The bookstore hosts author readings and other educational programs at their two downtown locations.

• The Tattered Cover, Colfax Avenue

  phone: +1 303-322-7727
  address: 2526 E Colfax Ave

• The Tattered Cover, Lodo

  phone: +1 303-436-1070
  address: 1628 16th St

The Wizard's Chest

phone: +1 303-321-4304

address: 230 Fillmore St

Magical toy and costume shop.

Mexican food is abundant and satisfying and takes a local Denver flavor. Green chili is the order of the day: a brown, chunky and spicy sauce made from pork and Pueblo or Hatch green chilies that works well on everything from chorizo and eggs to tamales. Denver is also known for "western" food using ingredients such as angus beef, buffalo, rattlesnake, cutthroat trout and Rocky Mountain oysters. The city also embraces its cultural diversity with a wide range of ethnic restaurants. Southeast Asian restaurants are especially abundant with a multitude of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in every style and price range. Like other large cities, Denver has most types of cuisine, and several restaurants have been noted in top food publications. Smoking inside bars and restaurants is prohibited statewide; however, some places with outdoor patios still allow smoking there.
The restaurant section of the weekly independent newspaper Westword (available for free every Thursday at newsstands and locations across the city) is a good place to find the food you are interested in for your price-range and location. Below is a sampling of some consistently good choices.

Budget

• Bennie Blanco's

  phone: +1 303-831-1346
  address: 616 E 13th Ave
  Bennie Blanco's is a classic hole-in-the-wall pizza joint, and in this case the phrase is literal. There's no seating, but big, New York-style slices fresh from the oven can be had for as little as $2.50 a slice.

• Blue Bonnet

  phone: +1 303-778-0147
  address: 457 S Broadway
  A noisy bar featuring southwest/Tex-Mex in Denver with most items under $10. There is patio seating and two separate dining rooms that are a bit quieter than the main bar. Consistently rated a "Best of" in various local polls.

• Breakfast King

  phone: +1 303-733-0795
  address: 300 W Mississippi
  The Breakfast King is a late night staple of Denver, and one of the best greasy spoons. Open 24 hours and it's also walking distance from the Broadway light rail station.

• Cherry Cricket

  phone: +1 303-322-7666
  address: 2641 E 2nd Ave
  Once featured on the Travel Channel's Man vs. Food, the Cherry Cricket is known for having a massive variety of toppings to put on your burger, including such oddities as melted peanut butter, fried eggs, and cream cheese.

• Denver Diner

  phone: +1 303-825-5443
  address: 740 W Colfax Ave
  In an otherwise deserted stretch of an otherwise hoppin' Colfax, this is pretty much everything you would want of an iconic urban diner—the sort that achieved just the right balance of neon, grime, tattoos, and cheap greasy food, with an ample dose of authenticity. And crucially, it is open around the clock to feed the morning downtown crowd and the late night intoxicated revelers

• Illegal Pete's

  phone: +1 303-623-2169
  address: 1530 16th St #101
  A local favorite hangout with great, cheap burritos. Its patio is located directly on the 16th St Mall, making it a great place to people watch.

• Jerusalem

  phone: +1 303-777-8828
  address: 1890 E Evans Ave
  Open until 3AM, and within walking distance of the University of Denver, this small but excellent Middle Eastern restaurant offers great no-frills food in a laid-back and hip atmosphere.

• Far East Center

  address: Federal Blvd
  Several southeast Asian restaurants located in this area offer a wide variety of pho, noodle houses, upscale Vietnamese, dim sum and other Asian cuisines. Pho 95, Pho Duy, Super Star Asian and Saigon Bowl are a few of the places to try in this diverse and delicious culinary corridor.

• Leela European Cafe

  phone: +1 303-534-2255
  address: 820 15th St
  Leela's is a combination bar/coffeehouse/cafe which is a favorite among the college crowd. There's good Italian coffee, great music (live on some nights), and great panini sandwiches. Leela's is open 24 hours as well, and free wireless internet is available, so you can be productive (or not) while waiting for your friends to arrive.

• Pete's Kitchen

  phone: +1 303-321-3139
  address: 1962 E Colfax Ave
  This combination Greek restaurant and short-order diner is open 24 hours a day and has a great Greek salad and French toast. It's a favorite of local celebrities as well.

• Sam's No. 3

  phone: +1 303-534-1927
  address: 1500 Curtis St
  Just a block off the 16th Street Mall and across the street from the Denver Center of Performing Arts Complex, this family-owned restaurant has been feeding Denver and its visitors since 1927. Featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives for their Famous Kickin' Pork Green Chili, it's not a spot to be missed.

• El Taco de Mexico

  phone: +1 303-623-3926
  address: 714 Santa Fe Dr
  This small Mexican lunch-counter offers many delicious food choices for the adventurous palate.

• Taqueria Patzcuaro

  phone: +1 303-455-4389
  address: 2616 W 32nd Ave
  This neighborhood favorite has the most amazing tacos and green chili.

• Two-Fisted Mario's Pizza

  phone: +1 303-623-3523
  address: 1626 Market St
  Two-Fisted Mario's has excellent East-coast style pizza on the cheap ($2 a slice, and it's a big slice), and is open until 3AM, so you can grab a pie after drinking microbrews into the wee hours of the morning.

Mid-range

• Azucar Bakery

  phone: +1 720-283-3294
  address: 1886 S Broadway
  Café, dessert restaurant and bakery. Sit-down area with LavAzza coffee, fruit smoothies, pastries, Inca Kola, tarts, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream.

• D Bar Desserts

  phone: +1 303-861-4710
  address: 494 E 19th Ave
  Dessert is the main course at d Bar, especially with celebrity chef Keegan Gerhard making the delectable desserts. The menu does includes savory items as well as Allegro Coffee to go with your sweets.

• Empress Seafood

  phone: +1 303-922-2822
  address: 2825 W Alameda Ave
  Empress has long been the queen of dim-sum and affordable yet flavorful seafood selections from all over Asia.

• Imperial Chinese

  phone: +1 303-698-2800
  address: 431 S Broadway
  The Imperial is Denver's premier Chinese restaurant and has been since the 1990s.

• Jack n Grill

  phone: +1 303-964-9544
  address: 2524 Federal Blvd
  Excellent New Mexico-style food with heaping portions usually soaked in your choice of a green or red chili or for the indecisive, both.

• New Saigon

  phone: +1 303-936-4954
  address: 630 S Federal Blvd
  Denver is home to a sizable Southeast Asian population that shows off its unique culinary talents at this great Vietnamese community institution.

• Racine's

  phone: +1 303-595-0418
  address: 650 Sherman St
  The restaurant for Denver's power brokers and proletarians with its simple yet elegant American menu and casual yet sophisticated decor.

• Snooze

  phone: +1 303-297-0700
  address: 2262 Larimer St
  Inventive, trendy (and really good) breakfast is the show-stopper at the east edge of LoDo, and you can expect the place to get extremely crowded on weekends. The thick, rich hot chocolate is definitely worth ordering.

• Euclid Hall

  address: 1317 14th Street
  Excellent food with great cocktail and a solid beer selection.

Splurge

• TAG

  phone: +1 303-996-9985
  address: 1441 Larimer St
  Continental food, house-made tonic for drinks.

• 1515 Restaurant

  phone: +1 303-571-0011
  address: 1515 Market St
  Fine dining. Reservations are recommended.

• Barolo Grill

  phone: +1 303-393-1040
  address: 3030 E 6th Ave
  Decadent Italian.

• Buckhorn Exchange

  phone: +1 303-534-9505
  address: 1000 Osage St
  Denver's oldest restaurant, from 1893, played host to famous guest after famous guest, arguably starting with one President Teddy Roosevelt in 1905. Without a doubt, this is as touristy as it gets, but it is nonetheless absolutely worth a visit. Famous for its game meat, both prosaic and rare, the buffalo tenderloin is exceptional, but more adventurous palates can go after the rattlesnake dip, alligator tail, ostrich medallions, or even yak steak! (Call ahead to check ostrich and yak availability.) The place is saturated in Old West kitsch, aging wood, and animal heads, and Th-Sa nights Roz Brown stops by to croon old cowboy tunes accompanied by his autoharp.

• Venice Ristorante

  address: 1700 Wynkoop St
  Amazing, authentic Italian. Very expensive. Very romantic. Very good. Reservations highly recommended.

• Vesta Dipping Grill

  phone: +1 303-296-1970
  address: 1822 Blake St
  Each menu item at this hip LoDo restaurant comes with your choice of three dipping sauces for a unique and interactive meal.

Colorado produces more beer by volume than any other state and Denver ranks first for US cities. In fact, Colorado Governor (and former Denver mayor) John Hickenlooper was a microbrewer before running for office. Notable breweries in Denver and environs include:

• Great Divide Brewing Co.

  phone: +1 303-296-9460
  address: 2201 Arapahoe St
  Offers 30 minute tours on the hour 3pm-5pm M-F, 2pm-6pm S-S.

• Wynkoop Brewing Company

• Bull & Bush

• Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

  phone: +1 303-296-7440
  address: 200 S Kalamath St

• Rock BottomA national chain of brewpubs, is based in Louisville (near Boulder). The Louisville location is permanently closed. .

The effects of alcohol are magnified at higher elevations, so people may find themselves inebriated more quickly and with greater effect than they would at lower altitudes. Moderation is probably a good idea until you understand your body's reaction to alcohol and can acclimatize to its effects at higher elevations.
That said, the following are some of the best bar-hopping locales in the city:

Bars in Lower Downtown (LoDo)

LoDo is the name Colorado locals have given the Lower Downtown district of Denver. It's a great place for meals, entertainment, and nightlife, where restored Victorian buildings now house more than 90 sports bars, brew pubs, jazz clubs, and restaurants.

• The Cruise Room

  phone: +1 303-825-1107
  address: 1600 17th St
  1930s Art Deco martini bar inside the Oxford Hotel. Best martinis in Denver! You can also order fresh seafood from McCormick's Fish House.

• Double Daughter's Salotto

  phone: +1 303-623-3505
  address: 1632 Market St
  A modern and slightly goth bar for all the cool kids to hang out. The bar features some of the oddest and best ambiance in the city and is connected to Two Fisted Mario's, a pizza place that is open late so you can grab some grub after the bars close.

• Falling Rock Tap House

  phone: +1 303-293-8338
  address: 1919 Blake St
  The Falling Rock is a beer snob's dream, with over 70 excellent beers on tap. The selection changes from week to week, too, keeping the locals entertained and tipsy off of fine Belgians and microbrews. It gets crowded after Rockies games, but during the off season, it's a great place to escape from the cold and warm up with a well-poured Belgian trippel. For that matter, it's a good place on an average night to "escape LoDo" and have a beer in a place where you'll be able to have a good conversation without shouting.

• My Brother's Bar

  phone: +1 303-455-9991
  address: 2376 15th St
  Brother's is the oldest still-operating bar in Denver, steeped in the history of the Beat movement; Jack Kerouac was a regular here during his years in Denver. Massive selection of premium choices and a fantastic single-malt scotch selection. Classical music plays, but don't expect to hear it on a really busy night. Good food, making this a great casual lunch option, including the JCB: a cheeseburger featuring Jalapeno Cream Cheese. There's no sign on the bar so don't look for one, but it's right on the southeast corner of 15th and Platte streets. This is where the locals go and regulars abound.

• Nallen's Irish Pub

  phone: +1 303-572-0667
  address: 1429 Market St
  A little piece of the Old Country in Denver, Nallen's has great nightly drink specials and a Tuesday night pub quiz.

• Wynkoop Brewery

  phone: +1 303-297-2700
  address: 1634 18th St
  Fresh brews, billiard tables, and excellent food. Banquets and private parties. Historically significant architecture.

Bars in Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is the neighborhood directly east and south of the Colorado State Capitol on Colfax Avenue and Grant Street. It has long been a place for young people, sub-cultures and the gay and lesbian community. It rivals LoDo as the place to party, no matter what your scene is.

• Charlie Brown's Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 303-860-1655
  address: 980 Grant St
  Charlie Brown's in another Beat-era hangout located at a hotel where Ginsburg and the gang used to stay. Has great happy-hours, a mostly local crowd, good food, and an agile piano player belting out tunes while you drink.

• The Church

  phone: +1 303-832-2383
  address: 1160 Lincoln St
  Part of the "SoCo" (South of Colfax) club district, the Church is one of the most popular dance clubs in the city, and as its name suggests, is housed in a former Episcopalian church. That however, does not prevent hundreds if not thousands of people from descending on the dance floor every night to shake what God has given them.

• City O City

  address: 206 E 13th Ave
  You will find a changing handful of unusual brews on tap. Grab a blueberry muffin or the vegan buffalo wings (which are excellent - and you can eat them without having to worry about a bone!) and people watch.

• Funky Buddha Lounge

  phone: +1 303-832-5075
  address: 776 Lincoln St
  Lounge with 2 floors each with its own bar and dance space. Good vibe for hanging out or grooving. Walls display artwork by local artists. Various DJs who play good music outside your mundane top40 list. Funk, old-school hiphop, dubstep, house. A frequent hangout for breakdancers on Thursdays.

• Govnr's Park Tavern

  phone: +1 303-831-8605
  address: 672 Logan St
  Practically the after-work bar for all of the state workers and lobbyists at the capitol, this comfortable place has great happy-hour specials and tasty food.

• Park Tavern

  phone: +1 303-832-7667
  address: 931 E 11th Ave
  Tavern food and drink

• Barricuda's

  phone: +1 303-860-8353
  address: 1076 Ogden St
  Typical neighborhood bar

Bars on Colfax

Colfax Avenue, described by Playboy Magazine as the "longest, wickedest, street in America," stretches 26 miles through Denver and its suburbs. Colfax has long had a "gritty" reputation for being home to prostitution and drug peddlers. However, through much urban development work, Colfax has shed its past and emerged hipper, cleaner and more popular than ever. The many bars, restaurants and nightspots along the street give it a 24/7 ambience.

• The Irish Snug

  phone: +1 303-839-1394
  address: 1201 E Colfax Ave # 100
  The Snug (to the locals) is the best place in Denver to down a pint of Guinness with your mates. Excellent fish and chips will fill you up (if the Guinness doesn't first).

• Mezcal

  phone: +1 303-322-5219
  address: 3230 E Colfax Ave
  Mezcal is a hip Mexican-themed bar/restaurant serving excellent and cheap Mexican food along with its plentiful selection of great drinks, particularly tequilas.

• Sancho's Broken Arrow

  phone: +1 303-832-5288
  address: 741 E Colfax Ave
  One of the four Don Quixote-themed bars in Denver, Sancho's is the best place in Denver to relive your old days with its Grateful Dead come alive decor and live rock and roll every Monday.

• Squire Lounge

  phone: +1 303-333-9106
  address: 1800 E Colfax Ave
  This is a serious dive bar, complete with nasty bathrooms, unkempt floors, characters, a couple pool tables, and a jukebox. And cheap late night drinks accompanied by some seriously plastered clientèle. Clearly not for everyone, but it has its place. If you are up for a real wild ride, order The Beaver, a huge pitcher of impromptu God-only-knows-what, usually less than $10.

• Streets of London Pub

  phone: +1 303-861-9103
  address: 1501 E Colfax Ave
  The closest thing to England you can get without a 10 hour flight, Streets of London has an abundant selection of ales, draughts and other favorites.

Bars elsewhere in Denver

• Lowry Beer Garden

  phone: +1 303-366-0114
  address: 7577 East Academy Blvd
  In the Lowry neighborhood, this beer garden is in between two of the old airplane hangars that made up Lowry Air Force Base. The Garden offers a thoughtful draft and bottled beer selection with a focus on Colorado and handcrafted brews. The Lowry Beer Garden also serves up your favorite casual fare with locally-made gourmet brats & sausages, freshly-baked pretzels, house-ground burgers, hand-cut fries and chef-created salads.

Coffee

• Pablo's Coffee

  phone: +1 303-744-3323
  address: 630 E 6th Ave, 80203
  Also location at 1300 Pennsylvania St (NE corner 13th Ave and Penn). Fresh roasted coffee roasted in the store, excellent barristas and a nice patio, no wi-fi so the number of student "campers" is a minimum, a great place for people looking for a great cup of coffee.

• Hooked on Colfax

  address: 3213 E Colfax
  A few blocks south of City Park. Wifi-friendly coffeeshop with great local coffee offerings, as well as a small selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. Offers delicious home-baked pastries and quiches, with gluten-free and vegan options.

• The Market

  address: Larimer Square
  The place for coffee shop people watching in Denver. Outstanding pastries, hot from the oven every day at 6:30AM. Also a great full service deli. Wifi/Laptop friendly.

• St. Mark's

  address: 2019 E 17th Ave
  Quintessential coffeehouse ambience. House made pastries. Lovely neighborhood block with a nice collection of restaurants.

• FluidModern. Gourmets: order an artisan coffee made with the Clover machine. Light pre-packaged eats available. Wifi/Laptop friendly.

• Daz BogFormerly Diedrich's. Lovely tree lined street. Nice selection of pastries and light bites. Wifi/laptop friendly. Multiple locations around the city.

• Common Grounds DowntownAn old mainstay in Denver. Between Union Station and Market Street RTD station. Wifi/laptop friendly.

• Metropolis11th and Cherokee and 17th and Champa. Modern. Wifi/Laptop friendly.

• Stella's Coffeehaus

  phone: +1 303-777-1031
  address: 1476 S Pearl St
  Large wifi-friendly coffeeshop with a warm, open feel. Popular among students studying during the day, louder and livelier at night.

• Bardo

  address: 228 S Broadway
  Great laid-back atmosphere, vintage couches in back, tables in front, booths in the middle. Serves locally-roasted coffee, pastries and teas. Good study spot, or just to meet with friends. Wifi-equipped.

• Drip

  address: 955 Lincoln St
  #G. Upscale atmosphere with friendly staff and reasonable prices. Serving locally-roasted coffee, teas, sandwiches and pastries. Good spot for studying, business meetings, or just to meet with friends. Wifi-equipped, and there's a loft upstairs.

Nightclubs

Denver is the heart of Colorado's nightlife. For a city its size, Denver does not disappoint.

• Beta

  address: 1909 Blake St
  In Downtown, Beta is one of Denver's most popular nightclubs, with a friendly clientele of all ages and sexual orientations.

• Grizzly Rose

  address: 5450 North Valley Highway
  A must for a true western experience. The Grizzly Rose is a huge saloon with line-dancing, live music, and even a mechanical bull. A popular draw for people living outside the city.

• Charlie's

  phone: +1 303-839-8890
  address: 900 E Colfax Ave
  Charlie's is simultaneously a gay bar and cultural landmark catering to the old west spirit and/or disco diva in all of us. Charlie's has a friendly clientele, a mix of country, pop, and dance music, and inexpensive drinks.

• Tracks

  address: 3500 Walnut St
  Denver's main gay nightclub, Tracks is big, friendly, and very fun. Go there Thursday for 18+ nights, or check out the monthly lesbian party First Fridays. Once a month (usually 3rd Friday) they have a themed Rollerskating event. Skates run out fast, bring your own if you can.

Budget

• 11th Avenue Hostel

  phone: +1 303-894-0529
  address: 1112 N. Broadway

• Ramada Denver Midtown

  phone: +1 303-433-6677
  address: 2601 Zuni St

• Hostel Fish

  phone: +1 303-954-0962
  address: 1217 20th St
  Upscale hostel that opened in July 2015 in a historic building in downtown Denver that occupies top 2 floors of the building and a restaurant and bar on the ground floor of the historic building. The 2 story hostel has 67 dorm beds and 2 private rooms available with free continental breakfast, free wi-fi, guest lounge, bar and kitchen.

Mid-range

• Courtyard Denver Stapleton

  phone: +1 303-333-3303
  address: 7415 E 41st Ave
  Between the airport and downtown Denver. 24-hour market on-site.

• Crowne Plaza Denver Downtown

  phone: +1 303-573-1450
  address: 1450 Glenarm Pl
  Rooms are reasonably spacious and have free broadband internet access and a desk. Breakfast is modestly priced and modest in style. The lobby is typical Holiday Inn. Given the size of the hotel, reception and concierge staff numbers are small but there still seem to be no queues for their services. Stay high in a room on the Glenarm St. side if you want a mountain view. Airport shuttles ($21 to international) serve the hotel.

• Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Tech Center North

  phone: +1 303-696-6644
  address: 7525 East Hampden Ave
  Near Denver Tech, hotel offers complimentary hot cooked-to-order breakfast and nightly Manager's Reception featuring complimentary cocktails and appetizers.

• Magnolia Hotel Denver

  address: 818 17th St
  Downtown Denver hotel featuring guestrooms and suites, a restaurant and bar, and event space for meetings, weddings, and special occasions

• Sheraton Denver Downtown

  address: 1550 Court Pl
  On the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown, 3 1/2 blocks from the Denver Convention Center.

• SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown

  phone: +1 303-705-7300
  address: 1190 Auraria Parkway
  Across from the Pepsi Center in LoDo.

• Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center

  phone: +1 303-804-0700
  address: 8300 East Crescent Parkway

Splurge

• Brown Palace Hotel

  address: 321 17th St
  An elegant, historic hotel in downtown Denver, the Brown Palace has catered to congressmen, US presidents, and countless foreign dignitaries.

• Denver Marriott City Center

  phone: +1 303-297-1300
  address: 1701 California St
  A beautiful hotel in downtown Denver offering panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and the city skyline.

• Embassy Suites Downtown

  address: 1420 Stout St
  An all-suite, full service hotel.

• Grand Hyatt Denver

  phone: +1 303-295-1234
  address: 1750 Welton St
  512 rooms with city views. Features the Hyatt Grand Bed, free 24 hour fitness facility, indoor pool, room service around the clock, well-lit work stations and high-speed internet access.

• Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown

  phone: +1 303-603-8000
  address: 1400 Welton St
  Onsite restaurant, fitness center and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

• Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center

  phone: +1 303-436-1234
  address: 650 15th St
  37-story downtown hotel, adjacent to the Colorado Convention Center. 1,100 guest rooms, with views of the mountain and downtown.

• The Oxford Hotel

  phone: +1 303-628-5400
  address: 1600 17th St
  The historic hotel provides a romantic retreat located in the midst of Denver’s lively LoDo district.

• Westin Denver Downtown

  phone: +1 303-572-9100
  address: 1672 Lawrence St
  Four-diamond hotel in downtown Denver.

Denver is quite safe for a city its size. Use common sense when traveling, particularly in downtown and some of the other inner-city neighborhoods. Denver does have a visible population of people experiencing homelessness, but the city has strict laws about accosting for money. In general, panhandlers don't harm anyone. Downtown has a fairly active 24/7 population, especially in LoDo, so it's generally safe.
Still, it may be a good idea not to travel alone at night in some of the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Although the inner-city neighborhoods are not as bad as those in some other cities, they have higher rates of crime than the rest of the city. The rest of Denver is safe, though.

Emergencies

Like the rest of the United States, the emergency number in Denver is 911. This will connect you to the local emergency services (police, medical, and fire). If you need to report a crime to the police, such as a burglary (not in progress), minor assault (no injuries and not in progress), car theft, etc. Dial +1 720 913-2000 and request for police assistance.
The Denver Police is the main police force for the Denver Metro area. Most police officers are polite and trustworthy individuals, so if you need assistance, approaching a police officer is a good idea.

Altitude sickness

Altitude sickness or Acute Mountain Sickness is an ailment that potentially anyone can have when they visit areas with higher altitudes than they are used to, due to decreases in barometric pressure (though not oxygen content). Denver is called the Mile High City for a reason—at an altitude of a mile above sea level, one can start to experience some of the effects of altitude sickness, though this condition generally becomes more pronounced at elevations around 8000 ft (2500 m) and above. Some normal changes may occur when people travel to higher altitudes that are not altitude sickness. These include the following:

• Hyperventilation (breathing faster and/or deeper than normal)
• Shortness of breath after exertion
• Changes in nightly breathing
• Awaking at night
• Increased urination

The above are generally nothing to worry about, though problems with breathing may be helped by a drug called acetazolamide. If you think you may have problems, get advice from your doctor before traveling to Denver.
Some people get Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), which can be serious, at the higher elevations you will experience if you are touring through the Rocky Mountains. A diagnosis of AMS is usually given if a person has a headache accompanied by one of more of the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite, vomiting and/or nausea
• Fatigue or weakness
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Insomnia, difficulty sleeping

Some people liken AMS to a bad hangover or worse. It occurs because your brain tissue swells at higher elevations than it is used to. If you are feeling unwell at high altitudes, assume that you are suffering from AMS unless there is another logical explanation that would be accompanied by other symptoms (food poisoning or a viral infection).
To avoid AMS, try to get to a lower elevation until your symptoms subside, drink lots of fluid to avoid dehydration, and avoid traveling at high rates of ascent. If the symptoms continue or worsen, travel to a lower altitude. AMS can turn into High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), a potentially fatal condition where the brain swells so much that it ceases to function properly. Symptoms of HACE include confusion, inability to think clearly, lethargy, ataxia (walking staggerdly, as if one was drunk), and changes in behavior. The person may not recognize having HACE, but if you any of you experiences any of these symptoms (especially ataxia), immediately make sure the person is taken to lower elevations for medical treatment.
Another very serious condition, called High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) causes fluid in the lungs. If someone suffers chest tightness, congestion, gurgling breaths, blue or gray fingers or lips, cough producing frothy or pink liquid, and difficulty breathing even at rest, they should be taken to a lower elevation and receive medical treatment immediately.
Although not particularly common, keep in mind that these illnesses are possible and that anyone is susceptible to them, even if you have traveled to high elevations before.
Another medical concern at higher elevations, particularly those in Colorado and Denver, is sunburn and skin cancer. The higher elevation means that there is less atmosphere protecting the skin from harmful solar radiation. This is especially true in Colorado, with both dry air that saps the skin of protective moisture and with the beautifully sunny days we have in the state.
Colorado actually has the highest rate of skin cancer in the country, so it is always a good idea to wear a lot of high SPF sun-screen, hats, long sleeve shirts and pants. Don't think that you are protected from the sun in the winter either. The sun's rays can actually be reflected by the snow on the ground, still causing skin damage, so when in Colorado, do as the locals do, and wear sunscreen on any exposed skin surface at any time of the year.

Wireless internet

• 16th Street MallFree Wifi along the pedestrian 16th Street Mall in the heart of Downtown.

• Cherry Creek NorthEntire area has free WiFi provided by the Cherry Creek North Business District.

• Common Grounds

  phone: +1-720-502-2105
  address: 2139 W. 44th Ave
  Common Grounds has been serving the best coffeehouse experience in Denver for over 20 years. Wireless Internet as well as a wide selection of in-house roasted coffee and coffeehouse food is available.

• Peaberry CoffeeMultiple locations. Free WiFi, but you have to ask the barrista for username and password.

• Panera Bread

  address: multiple locations
  Free Wifi at most if not all locations.

• Starbucks

  address: many locations
  free wifi at participating places

Consulates

• Australia

  phone: +1 303-321-2234
  address: 8480 E Orchard Rd Ste 1100, Greenwood Village

• Canada

  phone: +1 303-626-0640
  address: 1625 Broadway Ste 2600

• Denmark (Honorary)

  phone: +1 303-980-9100
  address: 5353 W Dartmouth Ave Ste 508

• Italy

  phone: +1 303-224-9927

• Mexico

  phone: +1 303-331-1110, +1 303-331-1112
  address: 48 Steele St

• Japan

  phone: +1 303-534-1151
  address: 1225 17th St Ste 3000

• Netherlands (Honorary)

  phone: +1 720 460-9226

• Norway (Honorary)

  phone: +1 303-830-1970
  address: 1700 Lincoln Street

• Peru

  phone: +1 303-355-8555
  address: 6795 E Tennessee Ave #550, Denver, CO 80224

• Thailand

  phone: +1 303-892-0118

*

• United Kingdom

  phone: +1 303-592-5200

Mountains

• For skiers and snowboarders, winter is the best time to visit Denver. Hordes of people fly into Denver International Airport each season on their way up to the ski capitals of Summit and Eagle counties, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Loveland Basin, Arapahoe Basin, and Breckenridge, Winter Park; a little further away are Steamboat, and Aspen. You can find information on resort shuttles at the desks in DIA's main terminal.

• There are many ski resorts about 1½–2 hours west of Denver along I-70, but weekend traffic to them can be very slow, especially in inclement weather. Steer clear of the crowds by skiing during the week or planning your trip outside the busy season (Thanksgiving to New Year's). There are also plenty of mountain trails for snowshoers and cross-country skiers, which are generally free. You can also take the RTD Ski-n-Ride service from Boulder to Eldora Ski Resort west of Boulder, which is the only resort with scheduled bus service. Winter Park (Colorado) receives train service with the Winter Park Express operated by Amtrak. Departures are once every Saturday and Sunday from January to March at 7AM with the return trip departing Winter Park at 4:30PM.
• Travelers in Colorado often use Denver as a home base for forays into the neighboring mountains, to places like Rocky Mountain National Park.

More Colorado destinations

• Red Rocks Amphitheatre. In Morrison, Colorado on the western edge of Denver, this is a gorgeous outdoor concert venue set in a red sandstone paradise. There's a great view of Denver below. From Igor Stravinsky's North American debut of his 'Rite of Spring' at the park's opening in the 1940s to the Jethro Tull, Grateful Dead and Phish riots of the 1970s, '80s and '90s, Red Rocks' history is quirky and storied. It was also a stop on The Beatles famous British Invasion tour of America. But if you pay and visit Red Rocks only during a concert, you're seriously cheating yourself. Check out the Rock and Roll Museum at the top of Red Rocks, eat in the restaurant, hike the red sandstone and scrub oak trails for their scenic beauty and wildlife. It is illegal, however, to climb on the rocks themselves. If you can't bear to leave after the show, book a room or stay in a campground next to the amphitheater.
• Boulder is a laid-back university town about 25 minutes northwest of Denver. Snow-capped mountains can be seen for miles from the town.
• Winery tours - Visit a Front Range or mountain winery, or the vineyards in Colorado's Wine Country. Various Wine Trails have been organized by the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, a promotional entity funded by the state. The Wine Trails can be driven or biked.
• Colorado Springs and Pueblo are about a 90-minute drive south on I-25.
• The rest of the Denver area has a lot of sights, like Elitch Gardens.

Neighboring states and beyond

• Yellowstone National Park is approximately a 10 hour drive along I-25, I-90, and US-191.
• The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and the Black Hills are about a 9-hour drive north on I-25.
• The Four Corners Monument is about an 8-hour drive down US 285 and US 160.
• More popular ski resorts are in Taos, Grand Teton, Park City, and even Lake Tahoe.
• More national parks are in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.