There's something for everyone—every night.
Founded in 1859 as a gold mining camp, Denver is one of the country's youngest cities—and one of the most exciting. The LoDo area is the hip, happening part of the city, and it's just steps away from campus. You'll find a variety of clubs offering everything from the hottest DJs to relaxing jazz. There are plenty of spots to connect with friends, make new ones, and dance until dawn.
Shop 'til you drop.
As a major city, Denver offers you all the best stores. A short walk will take you to Denver Pavilions, a two-square-block open-air shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. Just steps beyond our campus, in LoDo, the 16th Street Mall is lined with shops, restaurants, and outdoor cafes. There's even a free bus that circles the area. Cherry Creek Shopping Center is one of the largest in the Rocky Mountain region, with 140 upscale stores, restaurants, and a multiplex theatre.
Let your mind wander through time.
See the grave of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his show costumes. Check out Egyptian mummies, wildlife, colorful gems and minerals, and awe-inspiring IMAX® films at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Relive the experience of a Native American buffalo hunt at the Colorado Historical Society. Explore underwater wildlife, from the Sea of Cortez to the depths of the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Journey, Denver's interactive aquarium. You can also visit Denver's first and only contemporary art museum. As a world-class city, Denver offers you a variety of fine museums.
Museum of Nature & Science
Buffalo Bill Museum
Colorado Historical Society
Denver Art Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art
Ocean Journey
Let your ears live a little.
Denver is one of the most musical cities in the country. LoDo offers a number of jazz clubs just blocks away from campus. Colorado has some of the best concert venues on earth, including the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a 9,000-seat arena carved out of gigantic red boulders. And when the tour buses of the superstars pull into Denver, you'll find them just across the street at the Pepsi Center—home to some of Denver's professional sports teams and the year's biggest acts.
The big screen takes a big departure from the ordinary.
The Starz FilmCenter contains the home theatres and cinematic education center of the Denver Film Society and our College of Arts & Media. Since its launch in April 2002, the Starz FilmCenter has become Denver's only true cinematheque, committed to presenting the best in film art—with an eye toward titles not readily available on the big screen. Between 600 and 700 titles are screened each year—far more than any other theatre in Colorado.
You can select from six screens that feature lively, challenging, informational, and entertaining films including first-run theatrical engagements, the best of current art-house cinema, local and international film festivals, weekly and monthly cinematheque series, revivals and retrospectives, sneak previews, meet-the-filmmaker events, and educational programs.
The Starz FilmCenter is conveniently located right in the heart of our campus in the historic Tivoli Student Union.
Learn more at
www.starzfilmcenter.com
Get in touch with your wild side.
The Denver Zoo is consistently rated as one of the country's top 10 zoos. Located in City Park, the zoo lets you walk through a jungle teeming with wildlife, watch polar bears swimming underwater, and witness more than 29 species of monkeys.
You're never far from nature.
The Denver Botanic Gardens has a large conservatory, an alpine garden with rare tiny flowers, a Japanese tea garden, and a water garden with hundreds of water lilies that bloom in late summer. For a truly remarkable experience, you can visit the Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center. It features a lush tropical forest filled with up to 1,600 free-flying butterflies.
Cash it in.
This U.S. Mint makes more than five billion coins each year. It's also the second largest repository of gold bullion in the United States after Fort Knox. While the gift shop doesn't hand out free samples, you can take a tour of the mint and learn about the history of money.
Go outside and play.
Denver has the country's largest city park system, with more than 200 parks within city limits and 20,000 acres of parks—an area larger than all of Manhattan Island—in the nearby mountains.
Be inspired.
Denver has one of the most highly educated populations in the country and a great love of the arts. That love is displayed in places like the Denver Art Museum, which is in the process of expanding with a new wing designed by Daniel Libeskind. There are also a variety of other galleries throughout the city that feature every kind of work imaginable. For inspiration, you can even look to our own campus galleries, which feature professional and student work.
Denver Art Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art
Saddle up.
Denver was founded in 1859 as a gold mining camp. Today, the spirit of the Old West is still alive and kicking in the form of the world's largest rodeo, the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. It's an event you won't want to miss, and it has everything you'd expect, including bull riding, barrel racing, and steer wrestling.
Hang on and get ready to scream.
Elitch Gardens is a unique downtown amusement park located just steps away from campus. Sun yourself in the massive waterpark, scream down one of its world-class roller coaster rides, or sing yourself silly at one of the park's many live concerts. Thrill-seekers can choose from more than 45 twisting and turning rides.
Let the show begin.
When Denver was a wild gold rush town in the 1870s, it boasted a theatre with sold-out performances of Macbeth long before it had a school or hospital. Today, the performing arts are still thriving. The Denver Performing Arts Complex, just steps from campus, is the second largest arts center in the country with 10 stages capable of seating up to 10,000 people. You can experience Tony Award-winning theatre, opera and ballet, or you can hear the sweet sounds of the symphony in the Boettcher Concert Hall—the country's first symphony hall in-the-round.
Sip away.
Whether you're looking to take a coffee break between classes or looking for a place to meet your study group, you'll have lots of choices. The LoDo area is home to a variety of national chains as well as many establishments with a more local flavor.
Fill up on fabulous cuisine.
Even if you're a picky eater, you're sure to find something that's perfect for your palate. Denver is home to more than 2,000 restaurants—nearly 300 are located in the heart of downtown—serving all varieties of world-class cuisine. Area specialties include Rocky Mountain trout, fresh Colorado beef, and homegrown lamb. Another popular dish is buffalo—and not just the winged kind. You'll also enjoy a variety of Mexican and Southwestern fare.
Get your game on.
Denver is home to a number of championship professional sports teams—most within a five-minute walk of campus.
- NFL Denver Broncos
- MLB Colorado Rockies
- NHL Colorado Avalanche
- NBA Denver Nuggets
- Major League Soccer - Colorado Rapids
- National Lacrosse League - Colorado Mammoth