Free Things to Do in Denver

Throughout the city, there are countless attractions and activities that will cost you absolutely nothing, including museums, festivals and tours. Find free things to do in Denver this weekend or on your upcoming trip to Denver.

Arts & Culture

Denver Street Art

Denver street artists have been busy brightening (and enlightening) the urban landscape for decades by making canvases of the city’s alleyways, building exteriors, warehouses, garage doors and storefronts. You'll see street murals around almost every corner in the River North Art District (RiNo). Check out other colorful neighborhoods and meet celebrated local artists on our street art page.

First Friday Art Walks

During First Friday Art Walks, the streets are filled with art, music and culture. The Art District on Santa Fe is the epicenter, featuring 100-plus open galleries and studios, live music and food trucks. Every third Friday, the district offers Collector Preview Events, a more intimate experience. The Tennyson Street Cultural District, meanwhile, is more focused on food and music, while smaller art experiences are sprinkled up and down this historic street.

Free Festivals Year-Round

Denver's festivals are fun and often completely free. You'll be exposed to only-in-Denver sights, sounds and tastes. Don't miss the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, held every summer, or the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in Sloan's Lake Park in July. Learn more about Denver's festivals.

Rockmount Ranch Wear

Browse the racks and enjoy the free museum at Lower Downtown's historic Rockmount Ranch Wear, the originator of the western snap-button shirt. The walls are adorned with photos of the many celebs who have worn Rockmount shirts, including Eric Clapton, Robert Redford and Elvis Presley.

Tattered Cover Book Store

The Tattered Cover Book Store on East Colfax is one of the nation's most well-known independent bookstores. It often hosts free signings by some of the literary world's most famous authors.

Street art in Denver's River North Art District.

Street art in RiNo

Dinosaur Ridge

Outdoor Fun

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Carved from towering red rock monuments, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is one of the world's most renowned concert venues. When there's no concert, the free Visitor Center has a museum and Performers Hall of Fame, while the surrounding park has hiking trails that weave in, around and over the colorful red rocks.

Parks and Open Spaces

No matter where you find yourself in the Mile High City, you’re likely only a few steps away from a lush and relaxing green space. Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to explore Denver's more than 5,000 acres of traditional parks and parkways, as well as an additional 14,000 acres of spectacular mountain parks in neighboring counties that are maintained by the City and County of Denver. If you’re looking for a quiet spot to have a picnic, take in great views or experience a different side of the city, check out these lesser-known Denver parks.

Lariat Loop Byway

Retrace the motoring adventures of the early 1920s and experience the thrill of foothills exploration at the dawn of the Age of Motorcars on the Lariat Loop, a 40-mile scenic circle in the foothills west of Denver. The Lariat Loop takes motorists to several popular attractions, including the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave , the Colorado Railroad Museum and the Mother Cabrini Shrine .

Dinosaur Ridge

See some dinos — or what's left of them, anyway. Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison features famous Jurassic dinosaur bones, such as Stegosaurus and Apatosaurus, discovered in 1877, and Cretaceous dinosaur footprints. A guidebook is available for use on self-guided tours.

Plains Conservation Center

The Plains Conservation Center in Aurora helps students and adults grow their knowledge and appreciation of the prairie ecosystem and the cultural history of Colorado through a variety of educational programs managed by Denver Botanic Gardens in cooperation with the City of Aurora. It's always free to visit and hike the trails, explore the visitor center and check out the tipis and homestead village. There is a fee to attend any guided programs.

Garden of the Gods

Located just 60 miles from Denver, the awe-inspiring Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs features gigantic 500-foot-high red sandstone rock monuments at the base of Pikes Peak.

Music & Performing Arts

Denver Performing Arts Complex

The Denver Performing Arts Complex, home to the Newton Auditorium, Temple Buell Theatre, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Garner Galleria Theatre and a wealth of smaller stages, hosts several free performances throughout the year. There are rules, of course: No advanced reservations are accepted; seating is general admission; children under six years old are not allowed; and tickets are only available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the performance. Despite the rules, it's worth braving the lines to experience some of the best theater in the country.

Live Music

The Mile High City is filled with music, and during the spring and summer, many of the outdoor concerts are free for all, including City Park Jazz, Concerts in Central Park and many of the shows at Levitt Pavilion Denver.

Food & Drink

Hammond's Candy Factory

Anyone with even the smallest sweet tooth will love this free tour, which gets you behind the scenes at Hammond's, a company that has been making candy in Denver since 1920. You'll come away with a newfound respect for the candy industry, plus plenty of free samples.

Farmers' Markets

Denver may be a major city, but there are hundreds of nearby farms across the Front Range, meaning there's no shortage of fresh produce to fill the Mile High City's multiple farmers' markets. You'll also find humanely-raised meats, baked goods, prepared foods, fresh flowers and artisanal personal care products, and many markets also include live music, food vendors and flea markets. Most markets begin in May and extend into the fall.

City Park Jazz

Colorado State Capitol

History & Architecture

Denver Union Station

Denver Union Station is located in the heart of downtown Denver. The renovated 1914 Beaux-Arts train station is home to chef-owned restaurants and bars, boutiques and the 112-room Crawford Hotel. In addition to the striking architecture, check out the gorgeous chandeliers inside.

Colorado State Capitol Tour

The Colorado State Capitol, modeled after the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., is a stunning spectacle embellished with stained glass depicting events and people inherent to Colorado, coupled with gorgeous Colorado white granite, rose onyx and yule marble. To see if you've got what it takes to adjust to the altitude, climb the 99-step spiral staircase to an open-air deck affording jaw-dropping views of the city skyline and Rocky Mountains. The Corinthian-styled building, famed for its gold-plated dome rising 272 feet above the ground, offers temporary exhibits, visitor galleries and complimentary tours, Monday through Friday.

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum

Housed in Empower Field at Mile High (home of the Denver Broncos), the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum honors the legacies of the Mile High City's greatest sports heroes and features the Gallery of Legends, a "Great Moments in Colorado Sports" exhibit and a section celebrating the achievements of girls and women in Colorado Sports. Stadium tours are available for a fee.

National Western Center

Just across the interstate from RiNo, the National Western Center (NWC) is a 250-acre event site for Western heritage, local culture, food and agriculture innovation. The site includes historic buildings and artifacts, and a restored riverfront along the South Platte River. It’s home to the CSU Spur, where you can watch veterinarians at work, see horses rehabilitate on underwater treadmills, take a cooking class, talk to experts about how to grow your own food, and visit the rooftop greenhouse. It’s free and open year-round. The NWC is also home to the annual National Western Stock Show & Rodeo each January.

U.S. Mint Tour

To see where your currency is conceived (sorry, no free handouts), follow the money trail to the Denver U.S. Mint. The free, 45-minute tours are led by knowledgeable guides and provide a fascinating look into the history of coinage. Both kids and adults will love getting up close and personal with the shiny pocket change that streams off the production lines. Tours are available Monday through Thursday (excluding Federal holidays). All visitors must be 7 years and older. See the mint's latest policies.

Denver Central Library

Denver Central Library has an impressive art gallery on the seventh floor. The library is best known, perhaps, for its Western History Collection, which covers the earliest explorations, Spanish land grants, Native American history, the Gold Rush era and the present day with a particular focus on the Rocky Mountain West.

Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion

You’re invited on a free public tour of this elegant house where the governor resides. Built in 1908, the Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion is fondly known as “Colorado’s Home” and features a renovated carriage house and gardens.

Littleton Museum

Travel back in time at the Littleton Museum and get a glimpse into Colorado's pioneer past. Located on 39 acres in Littleton, the museum consists of two living history farms (one from the 1860s and one from the 1890s), with a working farm, a blacksmith shop and more than 40,000 historic Colorado artifacts.

National Center for Atmospheric Research

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder is dedicated to studying the Earth's atmosphere from the ocean floor to the sun's core. This is also one of the most important research centers in America studying climate change, pollution and severe storms. A free museum explains weather phenomena and atmospheric science. But there's also the building's striking architecture. Built in 1967, it is considered one of architect I.M. Pei's greatest masterpieces. He designed a building that harmonizes with the mountains and resembles the ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde with a series of square towers on different levels. NCAR is also the starting point for the Walter Orr Roberts Weather Trail. This unique half-mile trail has 11 viewpoints, where exhibits explain different facets of the meteorological conditions that exist in the area.

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