8 Best Kid Friendly Things to Do in Denver
These are our favorite kid friendly things to do in Denver, so pack some snacks and get ready to explore everything this amazing city has to offer!
I bet your kids--like mine--will be begging to go back to the Mile High City as soon as you get home.
On our road trip from Las Vegas to Denver, we wanted to make each day as fun for our kids as possible.
After all, if we were going to make 2 little kids get in the car every day, we wanted the destination to be worth the trouble.
As we hiked, explored, and camped our way towards Denver, we hoped that our final destination of Denver, Colorado, would be filled with family fun like the rest of our trip.
Denver did not disappoint!
In these Denver kids activities, you’ll be able to learn, explore, and adventurous across the city.
If you have questions about any of these spots, don’t hesitate to send me an email with questions!
This post contains affiliates. If you choose to purchase through one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Updated 5/2022 | Written 9/2017
Is Denver Kid Friendly?
With dozens of parks, award-winning museums, and a laidback atmosphere, Denver, Colorado is definitely kid friendly.
Plan an entire vacation in Denver, or use the city as a home base to explore the many amazing natural wonders a bit further a field.
As with any city visit, you’ll want to talk with your kids about traffic safety, keeping safe in large groups of people, and the like.
However, we’ve found Denver to be welcoming to our family—and others that we’ve met along the way.
The Most Kid Friendly Things to Do in Denver
City Park
City Park Pavilion and Lake (source)
If you’ve never been to Denver before, City Park must be on your list.
It has one of the highest concentrations of things to do with kids in Denver, thanks to the multiple lakes, massive playground area, and picnic perfect lawns.
You'll also find tennis courts, basketball courts, historical moments, and boathouse, so this sprawling complex has something for everyone from your sporty teen to your history loving middle schooler.
It’s also within walking distance of several other family friendly activities like the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Nature and Science, which makes it a great place to start your Denver vacation with kids.
Start your day here, and let your kids burn off some energy before you head over to one of the paid attractions mentioned below.
They might even like the park better than some of the other places on your agenda!
If you're visiting during the summer months, see if your time in Denver aligns with one of the free outdoor movie showings.
City Park is actually one of many spots in the greater Denver area with summer outdoor movie screenings, if that's your thing!
Address: Covers area inside E 17th Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, E 23rd Avenue, and York Street in downtown Denver
Hours: 24 hours/day
Admission: free
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amipheatre outside of Denver
This iconic concert venue is also an excellent destination when the weather in Denver is beautiful.
Even little kids will be able to enjoy the easy Red Rocks Trading Post Trail, which is largely flat and well marked, and gives incredible views of the monoliths for which the park is named.
Music lovers will enjoy the new-ish Colorado Music Hall of Fame inside the park's trading post.
Families with older kids might try their hands at biking inside the park or a hike on the Geologic Overlook Trail, which is more challenging.
Don't forget to grab some lunch while you're there. Your kiddos will love the views from the Ship Rock Grille!
Check the concert schedule to see what’s playing as older kids might be able to catch their favorite band here during your vacation.
Phone: (720) 865-2494
Address: 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado
Admission: free (added charge if attending an event)
Hours: Ampitheatre > event days, opens 1 hour before sunrise, and closes prior to the event (call for specifics). Non-event days, opens 1 hour before sunrise and closes 1 hour after sunset. // Visitors Center > daily March-October, 7 AM-7 PM, daily November-February 8 AM-4 PM
>> Go on a combination Red Rocks-Dinosaur Ridge day trip! There’s even a stop at a gold mine. <<
Looking for a great historic hotel to use as a base while in Denver?
Read about our family’s experience staying at the Hotel Teatro in LoDo!
My daughter at the Hotel Teatro in LoDo
Children’s Museum of Denver
Entrance to the Children’s Museum of Denver Marisco Campus (source)
This interactive museum for kids (not to be confused with the Wow! Children’s Museum in nearby Lafayette) is great for a rainy or chilly day, and the kid-centric approach of this museum easily makes it one of the best things to do in Denver with kids.
This sprawling complex welcome nearly half a million visitors each year to learn and explore across 2 dozen permanent exhibits and a handful of rotating exhibits.
Inside, your little ones can try their hands at throwing a piece of pottery, listen to the daily story time, or learn about some tasty food in their kitchen demonstrations.
Elsewhere in the museum, your favorite adventurers can pretend to be a firefighter battling a blaze, splash in the water room, and practice grocery shopping in the kid-sized supermarket.
With four main sections (Explore, Imagine, Investigate, and Create), the entire family will be learning, making, doing, and laughing for your entire visit.
Note: Its exhibits will be most appreciated by elementary age kids, but there are areas for younger kids to explore as well.
Phone: (303) 433-7444
Address: 2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver, Colorado
Hours: 9 AM-4 PM Wednesday-Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday
Admission: Ages 2-59/$15, 60+/$13, 1 year old/$13, infants/ free
>> Save big on entrance to the Children’s Museum, the Denver Aquarium (below), the Museum of Nature and Science (below), and more with the Denver City Pass! <<
Dinosaur Ridge
Fossilized footprints in Dinosaur Ridge (source)
Just outside of Denver and close to Red Rocks is the destination of every dinosaur lover’s dreams—and really, who doesn't love dinosaurs?!
Your family activities in Denver have to include a visit here so your kids can learn about the process of dinosaur excavation, see over 300 fossilized dinosaur tracks, and delve deeper into the area’s history at the indoor exhibit.
You'll have to have access to a car in order to venture this far out from the downtown area of Denver, but it is well worth the trouble.
Plus, you'll get some incredible views of the city from this vantage point.
It’s such a wonderful place that it made my list of best places to find fossils in Colorado!
Phone: (303) 697-3466
Address: 16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado
Admission: free parking and free admission; additional fee for guided tours
Hours: 9 AM-5 PM daily, May-October; 9 AM-4 PM, November-April
Union Station
It’s not one of the typical Denver attractions for families, but if your child loves trains, this would make for a fun stop as you wander LoDo, the local abbreviation for lower downtown Denver.
The recently refurbished Union Station boasts 22 platforms for train spotting, as well as a bookstore, reading areas, and several shops.
Take a break at Snooze for some of the best brunch you’ve ever had—and a kid’s menu that boasts amazing chocolate chip pancakes.
If the weather is nice, your little one can frolic in the outdoor fountains after you eat.
The younger set of your travel group will also appreciate the massive chess and Jenga sets outside.
Even if they don't know how to play, they'll have a blast hauling the pieces around while you wait for your seat at brunch!
Kid Friendly Hotel in Denver’s Union Station
Plus, Union Station has an on-site hotel which draws inspiration from its long history with train travel.
Each of the rooms in the Crawford Hotel includes decor from a different part of the building’s past.
It’s super convenient to the rest of downtown Denver, so you’ll spend more time exploring.
Phone: (303) 592-6712
Address: 1701 Wynkoop, Denver, Colorado
Hours: 24 hours/day
Admission: free
Denver Zoo
Take a walk on the wild side!
After learning about Colorado’s extinct creatures, head to the Zoo at City Park to learn about conservation of the animals who live on the planet now.
PIN ME!
There are shows about birds, an area to learn how to be a responsible zookeeper, and a carousel onsite.
Visitors can also see exhibits with rhinos, giraffes, elephants, tigers, lions, African wild dogs, and hyenas.
If you’re visiting during the summer, your kids can hop, splash, and dig in the Shore Play Area, complete with real sand.
For an additional fee, your family can feed one of the animals at the complex, such as the giraffes, lemurs, and penguins.
There are also behind-the-scenes tours for groups who want to get up close and personal with the zoo's lions, tigers, and hippos.
The Denver Zoo website is chock full of ways to maximize your visit. Definitely check out the recommended itineraries for children, which help young visitors learn through questioning and play.
Phone: (720) 337-1400
Address: 2300 Steele Street, Denver, Colorado
Hours: open 10 AM, closing time varies (check website)
Admission:
summer: $20/adult, $17/senior, kids 3-11/ $14, 2 and under free
winter: $15/ adult, $13/senior, kids 3-11/ $10, 2 and under free
Family Friendly Denver Ghost Tour
Who doesn’t like to get a little scared?
Add some spookiness to your Denver visit with a family friendly ghost tour!
These tours are especially designed to balance thrilling local legends with verified fact, which means that your kids will learn something while they’re hearing about the bumps in the night.
You’ll walk around Capitol Hill, one of the most iconic spots in Denver, as you hear several tales of yesteryear.
Denver Aquarium
Mermaid performance at the Denver Aquarium
Denver Aquarium tour (source)
Aquarium exterior
With over 500 species on display, the Denver Aquarium lets you delve into underwater life even though you’re hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.
The property is divided by habitat, so you can choose to learn about the Amazon, open ocean, desert, or rainforest, and see animals, plants, and props unique to that area.
Make sure you catch a glimpse of the mermaids who perform every 60 minutes during opening hours.
Your kids will also enjoy eating at the Aquarium’s restaurant in front of a 50,000 gallon tank. You might get lucky and have lunch while the daily dive show is happening!
Phone: (303) 561-4450
Address: 700 Water Street, Denver, Colorado
Hours: Monday-Friday 10 AM-9 PM, Saturday Sunday 9 AM-8 PM
Admission: $24.99/adults, $23.99/seniors, $18.99/kids. free 2 and under [additional charge for fish food and 4D exhibits]
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Plan on spending an entire day here because your children will not want to leave.
Working on our wheat germ extraction at Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Start in the space exhibit where kids can don astronaut suits and man a pretend rocket, then head upstairs to learn about germs, immunity, and cells.
You can even do a science experiment on site!
My preschooler and her cousin extracted wheat germ DNA, which was such a great learning experience.
I definitely had to get in on the action while we were there as well, and I was happy to find that the lesson was well-guided and easy to follow.
There’s also a massive exhibit on animals from around the world, an IMAX theatre, dinosaur fossils, a planetarium, and an interactive Discovery Zone for younger visitors.
We were there for nearly an entire day, and we still didn't get to see everything that the massive property has to offer.
Phone: (303) 370-6000
Address: 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, Colorado
Hours: 9 AM-5 PM daily
Admission: $19.95/ adults, $14.95/children, $16.95/ seniors, 3 and under free [additional charge for IMAX and planetarium, discounts available for online ticket purchase]
Which of these kid friendly things in Denver would your family like to do?
