Denver with Kids
A three-and-a-half-storey climber inside a museum, a proper zoo with a whole rainforest under one roof, and a natural rock amphitheatre built for scrambling, the version of Denver built for families.
Denver works well with kids in tow, several of its best sights are hands-on by design, and the mountain air keeps everyone moving without the heaviness of a big humid city. Here’s how I’d spend a family day here.
Children’s Museum of Denver
A properly hands-on museum built for younger kids specifically, a three-and-a-half-storey climbing structure, a bubble exhibit and a hands-on assembly plant among the highlights. Built for touching everything, worth a full morning or afternoon.
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
A properly well-regarded zoo, home to a full indoor rainforest exhibit alongside elephants, giraffes and a proper range of species across the grounds. Allow at least half a day to see it properly.
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
A properly fun outdoor sight for kids, the amphitheatre steps are properly enjoyable to climb, and the surrounding trails offer plenty of space to run around among the sandstone formations. Free to visit outside show days.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Widely a hit with dinosaur-obsessed kids, the museum holds an extensive fossil collection alongside a planetarium and space exhibits. A proper full morning or afternoon, and a genuinely solid option when the weather turns.
Downtown Aquarium
A properly engaging aquarium built into a former train depot, sharks, stingrays and a range of tropical fish across themed exhibits. A good, indoor option that pairs well with a day in LoDo.
Where to eat with kids
Green chile fries from a proper local spot are genuinely the easiest, most reliable win with kids, cheap and available at nearly every casual restaurant. Union Station’s Great Hall offers a properly relaxed food court-style option too, plenty of choice under one roof.
A few practical notes
Denver’s altitude is genuinely worth planning around with kids, a slower pace and extra water on the first day helps everyone adjust. The free 16th Street MallRide is properly stroller-friendly and covers most of downtown.
That’s everything I’ve got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government’s latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
