It's a viral trend in all the mom groups and I'm jumping right on it to share my version of the ABC things to do in Denver for the summer with friends, family, and of course KIDS! Most of these activities and destinations are nearby Denver but others are for day or weekend trips.
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A:
Aquarium, Arvada (Old Town), Apex Park, Adventure Golf and Raceway, Auraria Campus, Air Force Academy, Aurora Reservoir For the Kids: Altitunes children's drop in music class, Adventure Forest at Children's Museum, Anderson Farms
B:
Bear Creek Lake Park, Buffalo Bills Grave, Boulder Reservoir, Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, Buffalo Overlook, Bishop Castle, Brown's Canyon National Monument, Ball Arena (home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Mammoth), Balistreri Vineyards, Blue Bird Theater
For the Kids: Butterfly Pavilion, Boondocks, Blue Bear (at Colorado Convention Center)
C:
Confluence Park, City Park, City Park Sunday Jazz in the Park, Clyfford Still Museum, Casa Bonita, Colorado State Capitol, Colorado State University, Chatfield Reservoir, Cherry Creek Reservoir, Coors Field, Compassionate Dharma Cloud Monastery (read guidelines for visiting), Colorado Railroad Museum, Coors Brewery Tour, Chimney Rock, Chautauqua Park
For the Kids: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
D:
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Art Museum, Drive Inn, Denver Trolley, Denver Cat Company, Denver Chalk Art Festival
For the Kids: Dinosaur Ridge, Denver U.S. Mint
E:
Estes Park, Elvis Cinemas, Elitch Garden Theater, Evergreen Lake, Empower Field (home to the Denver Broncos), Echo Lake, Ellie Caulkins Opera House
For the Kids: Elitch Gardens (Amusement and Water Park),
F:
Flat Irons, Farmers Market, Forney Museum of Transportation, Five Points Jazz Festival, Four Mile Historic Park
For the Kids: Farm (such as Broken Shovels, The Urban Farm), Fiske Planetarium, Fort Collins, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery,
G:
Golden, Garden of the Gods, Great Sand Dunes, Golf, Ghost Town Museum, Glenwood Springs (Hot Springs), Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, Guanella Pass, Grand Lake, Granby, Glen Eyrie Castle
For the Kids: Go Kart, Georgetown Loop Railroad, Gaylord Rockies Resort (waterpark day)
H:
High Point Creamery (Ice Cream), Hike at Hanging Lake, Hudson Gardens, History Center Colorado, Hotel Staycation, Horse Back Riding (12 Mile Stables, Connections Through Horses)
For the Kids: Hammond's Candies
I:
Idaho Springs, Illegal Pete's, International Church of Cannabis (yes, kid friendly and no MJ is consumed on site), Iron Mountain Hot Springs
J:
Johnstown (everyone says to go to Scheels while there), Johnson's Corner (for the cinnamon roll)
For the Kids: Jump park
K:
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Kenosha Pass,
For the Kids: Kids Choice (literally they choose), Kids Wonder, Kit Carson Carousel Museum
L:
Lakeside Amusement Park, Lair o’ the Bear Park, Loveland (Colorado's Sweetheart City), Littleton Museum, Lakeside, Lookout, Larimer Square
For the Kids: Little Man Ice Cream, Llama farm/hike (Bell Ranch Llamas)
M:
Meow Wolf, Mountain Nature Preserve, Movement (indoor rock climbing), Millennium Bridge, Molly Brown House, Manitou Incline, Maroon Bells, Mesa Verde National Park, Mount Evans, Mother Cabrini Shrine, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Mountain Biking (Ruby Hill Park or in the mountains)
For the Kids: Mini Golf, Magic Town,
N:
Next Stage Gallery, Nail salon, National Park, New Mexico/Colorado Border or the four corners
For the Kids: North Pole Colorado Santas Workshop,
O:
Outlets at Castle Rock, Outlets at Thornton, Observatory Park, Old Town Museum, Oriental Theater
P:
Pikes Peak, Pearl Street Mall, Pool Day, Pride Parade, Plains Conservation Center, Perfect Landing Restaurant (iconic spot to watch the airplanes take off and land), Paramount Theater
For the Kids: Public Library, Pirates Cove, Petting Zoo (Lil' Buckaroo's, Eaton Prairie Ranch)
Q:
Quincy Reservoir, Quaker Acres Park, QDOBA, Quartzville (Ghost Town), Querida (Ghost Town), Quandary Peak
R:
Rapids game, Rockies game, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Rocky Mountain National Park, Royal Gorge Bridge, Rifle Falls State Park, REI Flagship Store, RiNo Alley (art murals), Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
S:
16th Street Mall, Sculpture Park, Skate Park, Selfie Museum, Sunrise Amphitheater, Saint Mary's Glacier, Saint Elmo Ghost Town, San Juan National Forest, Seven Falls, 17 Mile House Farm Park
For the Kids: Splash Pad, Skate City
T:
The Wild Animal Sanctuary, Tattered Cover Book Store, The Fort
Kids: Tiny Town, Tumble Haus
U:
Union Station, Urban Putt, UFO Watchtower, University of Colorado - Boulder
V:
Vehicle Vault, Vail Epic Discovery, Voodoo Doughnuts, Volunteer Day
W:
Water World, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, Washington Park, Wheat Ridge
For the Kids: WOW! Children's Museum, Westminster Center Park, Westminster Castle, Walker's Dream Lookout
X:
Xeriscape Garden (Aurora City building), X Games in the winter
Y:
YMCA, Yoga on the Rocks, Yeti Hunt (make a fun scavenger hunt to find a yeti)
Z:
Zipline, Zoo (mentioned early under D)