Welcome to Denver Attractions!

There are so many things to do in Denver; it may be hard to decide. If you are a lover of natural beauty a visit to the exhibit of over 15,000 plant species at the Denver Botanic Gardens may be to your liking. For the history lover there are museums that can take you back to the day of the covered wagons or let you see the X-Wing Fighter from Star Wars and everything in between. If you are a sports fan there is plenty to fill your appetite from the Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos to the Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche. Remember the kids might enjoy a trip to the playscapes of the Children’s Museum of Denver or an afternoon with the animals at the Denver Zoo. Whether you are a lover of art or live performances Denver has it all. Let hotelsonline.com show you some of our favorite places to stay and to play.

Children's Museum of Denver
The Children's Museum of Denver, conceived in 1973, focuses its attention on creating an exciting learning experience for children, newborn through 8-year-olds, and their caregivers. The museum's demonstrations, playscapes, and programs are based on cutting-edge research and include exhibits for all developmental stages of childhood. Its focus areas are literacy, diversity, and science. The extensive museum offerings all work toward educating children and parents in the three disciplines. The museum features a 22-foot Earth balloon that can hold 30 children inside, ARTS a la carte (an area focusing on creative play such as painting, dance, and puppetry), Under My Feet and Over My Head (an area showcasing environmental concerns), and classes and workshops for all ages. Visitors can find the museum on Children's Museum Drive, off of 23rd Avenue.

City Park
This 320-acre park - founded in 1881 and still infused with contemporary Victorian values - houses the Denver Zoo, the Colorado Museum of Natural History, and an IMAX theater. The Pavilion and Bandstand, situated between the lake and rose garden, provide a home for summer concert and stage events. The park - replete with pools, fountains, lakes, colossal statues, and monuments - reminds visitors of other major metropolitan parks, such as Central Park in New York City. The park's plethora of recreational activities includes paddle-boating, sailing, golf, picnicking, jogging, and tennis. Located on the east side of uptown, City Park is between York Street and Colorado Boulevard.

Civic Center and State Capitol
The Civic Center - conceived in 1904 by former Mayor Robert Speer - surrounds the Colorado State Capitol with a series of gardens, monuments, and government institutions that offer the beauty of nature and art in the heart of urban Denver. Surrounded by the monumental architecture of downtown Denver, Civic Center provides a space for key community events and cultural celebrations. From the public concerts of the 1920s to the Columbine memorial vigil, the Civic Center has always been the central gathering place of the Denver community. Inspired by the City Beautiful era of art and architecture, the Civic Center houses an inspiring collection of public memorials and sculptures. The Greek Theater (a colonnaded Classical Revival structure that provides the southern gateway into the park) and the Voorhies Memorial house four exquisite outdoor murals depicting early Western expansion by famed muralist Allen Tupper. The park, located between Colfax and 14th avenues, also showcases "Bronco Buster" and "On the War Trail," two large-scale bronze sculptures by Alexander Procter.

Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche, founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques, has rapidly become the favorite professional sports team in Colorado - with the exception of the Denver Broncos. Since their name change and move to Denver in 1995, the Avalanche has been a consistent presence in the NHL playoffs - swiftly making them the most popular team in the NHL. In their first season as the Avalanche, they even took home the Stanley Cup after achieving a 47-25-10 record. Since their stunning, inaugural season Stanley Cup victory, the Avalanche has taken first place in its conference every year and won another league championship in 2001. For a thrilling night of action on the ice, please call the Avalanche months in advance at (303) 405-1100.

Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids, which has been a franchise of Major League Soccer (MLS) since the leagues inception, has compiled a stunning list of athletic accomplishments. In 1999 alone, the Rapids broke three league records: most wins, most shutouts, and most game-winning goals in a season. Swiftly becoming a local favorite, the Rapids attracted a crowd of 53,126 - a Colorado record - to their July 4, 2000 overtime win over their bitter rivals, the Chicago Fire. The future looks bright for the Rapids as a new soccer-only venue gets underway. Please call the Colorado Rapids ticket office at (303) 299-1599 for location and ticket information.

Colorado Rockies
Since their debut on April 1, 1993 at Mile High Stadium, the Colorado Rockies have commanded attention at home games and felt the bitterness of defeat at away games - a trend often blamed on the high altitude of Coors Field, the team's home stadium. The 76-acre Coors Field complex, commissioned especially for the Rockies a year before Colorado was even granted an expansion team in 1991, constantly expands its seating capacity; the stadium currently seats 50,449 adulating fans. The exceptionally loyal Rockies fans have helped the team set a multitude of attendance records even in the face of their abortive attempts at victory. It's definitely the thrill of the game that attracts crowds to the park. Visitors should call the Coors Field ticket office at (800) 388-ROCK (7625) for tickets and information.

Colorado's Ocean Journey
Ocean Journey, the Rocky Mountains region's only aquarium, showcases aquatic life in three separate environments: a western American river, an Indonesian river, and the ocean. The aquarium, containing over 500 species of aquatic plant and animal life, attempts to re-create river-to-ocean journeys while bringing guests as close as safely possible to fish, birds, invertebrates, and mammals that depend on an underwater environment for their survival. Tide Pool Treasures, a favorite for children, offers guests an opportunity to have a hands-on interaction with sea life in a 4,500-gallon touch tank. The also-popular Sea Otter Cove offers a natural living space, based on the California coastline, for the resident otters to inhabit. Ocean Journey, open daily, is located at 700 Water St., just off of Interstate 25. Call (888) 561-4450 for its current operation hours.

Coors Brewery
The Coors Brewery, the largest single brewery in the world, offers free tours of their brewing and packaging areas. Adolph Coors opened the brewery in 1873 (before Colorado was even a state). The tour showcases the 55-day brewing process, which includes aging and packaging. Visitor's can view the malting process and the bottling of the end product as they walk through the facility. After the 90-minute tour, guests over the age of 21 receive free samples of the brewery's products in the Hospitality Lounge. The tour officially ends in the Coors and Company Gift Shop, where one may purchase t-shirts, hats, gifts, and other assorted collectibles. The brewery - located at the corner of 13th and Ford streets in Golden, Colo. - offers tour scripts in French, German, Spanish, and Japanese for non-English speaking guests.

Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum, founded in 1893, offers the largest and most wide-ranging collection of art between Kansas City and the West Coast. Housed in a 28-sided, two-towered building, designed by Gio Ponti of Italy in collaboration with James Sudler Associates of Denver, the collection contains over 55,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative art pieces, textiles, and photographs. The Asian art collection, the only one of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region, seeks to elucidate the creative processes that produced such varied works from this vast region. The extensive Native Arts collection, whose scope and depth are unchallenged in North America, includes over 16,000 art objects representing more than 100 tribes throughout the United States and Canada. Both the modern and contemporary collection and the painting and sculpture collection showcase internationally known artists such as Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Monet, and O'Keeffe. The museum, located on the corner of 14th Street and 14th Avenue, also houses
a pre-Columbian art collection.

Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens, replete with over 15,000 plant species from around the world, has gained national recognition for its 23-acre site. The garden, which opened in 1951, resides in City Park. Guests characterize the garden as an unforgettable experience that combines art and science. The Tropical Conservatory, the centerpiece of the garden, showcases a wide array of tropical plants found worldwide. The Children's Secret Path - a favorite of the youngsters - contains hidden tunnels, pick-and-plant boxes, a sandbox, and other natural wonderments geared toward children. Special events - such as Birdhaus Bash, Blossoms of Light, Corn Maze and Goblins in the Garden - make their home at this fantastic attraction. The garden, located at 1005 York St., also focuses its attention on education and conservation.

Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos, who make their home in Mile High Stadium, have proven to be one of the NFL's most consistent winners. Chartered in 1959, the Broncos didn't have a winning season until 1973, when their 7-5-2 record brought them national attention. In 1977, the Broncos commanded the spotlight when they won 12 games, a record for the franchise. Throughout the remainder of the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, the team improved dramatically with seminal additions to the team, such as John Elway and, later, Mike Shanahan. This impressive advancement resulted in back-to-back wins in Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII, in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The Broncos are one of the NFL's most popular teams today, and John Elway has been exalted to legend status. Visitors, wishing to watch a game, can phone the Broncos ticket office at (720) 258-3333.

Denver Bulldogs
Australian Rules Football (also called "Aussie Rules" or "footy"), a rapidly expanding new import to the sports industry, draws all kinds of people to the area to see the Herculean men of the Denver Bulldogs. As the brawny men take to the paddock (football field) without the protection of padding or helmets - only mouth guards, soft headgear, and shin guards are allowed - the game's differences become apparent immediately. Unlike American football, Aussie Rules is played on an ovular field with two sets of goal posts at each end of the oval; a circle, where the ball comes into play, is marked in the center of the field. This avant-garde contact sport has a mass appeal - men watch the sport for the thrill of the game, and women watch it for the robust titans and their bulging musculature. Please visit the Bulldogs website at www.denverbulldogs.com for their current schedule or more information.

Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a platform for live theatre founded in 1972, received the prestigious Outstanding Regional Theatre Tony Award in 1998. A multifunctional facility, the Denver Center provides a home to the largest professional theatre company between Chicago and the West Coast (the Denver Center Theatre Company); a congressionally chartered educational institution (the National Theatre Conservatory); an innovative vocal research facility (the James Gould Voice Center); and a television-production organization (the Denver Center Media). The complex includes two Broadway-style theaters that seat over 2,000 people, two thrust stage theatres, a theatre-in-the-round, and two proscenium house theatres. The Denver Center, located on the corner of 14th and Curtis streets, delivers world-class stage productions in a highly creative environment.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science seeks to educate the public about the natural world and how scientists investigate and quantify it. The museum traces history from the beginning of geologic time to the present. The museum displays exhibits about gems and minerals, dinosaurs, prehistoric hominids, Egyptian mummies, contemporary wildlife, and the human body. The IMAX Theater offers award-winning documentaries on a high resolution screen that is 4 1/2-stories tall. Space Odyssey, opening late 2003, houses the only planetarium in the Rocky Mountain region. The museum, located at 2001 Colorado Blvd. in City Park, promises to be a family favorite.

Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets, a member of the NBA since its merger with the ABA (American Basketball Association) in 1976, has always been a freewheeling, high-scoring team that delivers a frenetically paced game. In the 1980s, it was this attitude that led them to the highest-scoring game in NBA history and the all-time single season record for scoring average. They made history again in 1994 when their victory over the Seattle Supersonics made them the first eighth-ranked team to upset a first-ranked team. In 1999, the Nuggets moved to their new state-of-the-art arena, the Pepsi Center, which helped them achieve a dazzling 25-16 home record. The team continues to improve as attendance, local support and national recognition grow. Please call (303) 405-1100 for tickets or information.

Denver Zoo
The Denver Zoo, an 80-acre site within City Park, opened in 1896 with the inclusion of only one animal: Billy, an orphaned black bear. Today, over 4,000 animals representing over 700 species inhabit the zoo. The zoo, committed to developing naturalistic habitats for its animals, seeks to improve the quality of life of its denizens, many of which are endangered and three species that are extinct in the wild. The Denver Zoo commits itself to an educational-based approach to wildlife appreciation and conservation. The Zoo, which draws over 1.7 million visitors each year, resides on 23rd Avenue between York Street and Colorado Boulevard.

Indian Peaks Wilderness Area
From downtown Denver, one can clearly see the outline of the misty summits that top Indian Peaks Wilderness area. Indian Peaks' proximity to a metropolis could be the reason why it attracts more people than any other wilderness area in Colorado. Wind- swept mountains, intensely blue lakes, and melting glacial remnants abound in this area. Geological features, instead of flora and fauna, are the attraction here because 60 percent of Indian Peaks lies above the timberline; the area below this contains only stunted trees. Trails, over 110 miles in length, dot the landscape of the 76,486 acres that make up the park. Visitors prefer the few trails that run along the continental divide because of their fantastic panoramic views.

Molly Brown House
"The unsinkable" Molly Brown called this house her home from 1894 to 1902, although she owned it until 1932. Jagged rhyolite stone and smooth red sandstone cover the rugged outer façade of this eccentric house - designed with an amalgam of Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque, and Neoclassical architecture. William Lang, a well-known architect of the region who designed the house, also added stained glass windows, ornamental wood panels, and curved brackets to create an over-indulgent appearance. In 1970, Historic Denver Inc. purchased the house, restored it to its original splendor, and opened it to the public. Today, over 40,000 people visit the house yearly to peak into Victorian Denver's upper-class lifestyle. The house - located at 1340 Pennsylvania St. - provides a home to the Molly Brown House Museum, which tries to give visitors an insight into this enigmatic historical character.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheater, located 15 miles west of Denver, provides audiences with near-perfect acoustics for theatre, music, and dance performances. Red Rocks, a natural geologically formed Amphitheatre, consists of two 300-foot monoliths that supply the incredible sound design. Red Rocks - originally known as the Garden of the Angels - still offers church services each Sunday, and the annual Easter Sunrise Service is more popular than ever. The amphitheatre, located in Red Rocks Park, draws top-name rock acts such as Dave Matthews Band, Neil Young, and R.E.M.

Six Flags Elitch Gardens
Six Flags Elitch Gardens, the only major amusement park located in a downtown metropolitan area, offers fun for the whole family. Originally opened in 1890 as a zoo, Elitch Gardens has grown substantially throughout the years. It housed Denver's first symphony orchestra, Colorado's first children's museum, Denver's first motion picture theatre, and the famous Trocadero Ballroom. In 1995, the "new Elitch Gardens" opened its doors to a public clamoring for terrifying roller coasters - and they weren't disappointed. Some of the nation's largest and fastest roller coasters, offering panoramic views of the city as they whirl by skyscrapers, are currently housed in the park. In 2002, the park introduced The Flying Coaster - a unique ride, at least at the time, in which passengers travel while lying face down.

The Colorado History Museum
The Colorado History Museum specializes in showcasing the frontier spirit and lifestyle that brought settlers to the region. From covered wagons to Indian buffalo hunts, the museum captures the essence of early life in Denver. Built in 1977, the museum houses a collection of historic and prehistoric artifacts. Several detailed dioramas outline the history of the city and the way citizens lived throughout the years. The museum, located at 1300 Broadway in downtown Denver, also carries an exceptional line of Indian and local crafts for sale in its bookstore.

Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum
The Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum showcases American achievements in air and space flight. Located at and dedicated to the history of Lowry Air Force Base (closed since 1994), the air and space museum shelters some of the most important military planes, space vehicles, and Hollywood aircraft - including the exceptionally rare B-1A Lancer and the X-Wing Fighter from Star Wars. The museum is also replete with exhibits and diagrams designed to inform the public about the theory and practice of flight. A World War I and II uniform collection rounds out the permanent exhibition of the museum. The museum, located at 7711 E. Academy Blvd., is a delight for the whole family.