Downtown, Denver

On the south side of Larimer Square is the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a gigantic cultural center with the Boettcher Concert Hall, the Auditorium Theater and the DOPA Theater. To the southeast are the Currigan Convention Hall and the Colorado Convention Center.A night out at the Center for Performing Arts could mean seeing a Broadway Show, enjoying a play, or some other form of entertainment. This venue hosts all kinds of major events. It is home to the Denver Center Theater Company, the Denver Center Attractions, and the Denver Center Theatre Academy.The center also functions as an educational facility as well, with acting classes and programs, as well as professional development opportunities.

A successful example of urban refurbishment in Denver is Larimer Square, with well restored buildings of the Civil War period. In 1971, Larimer Square became Denver's first historic district. Today it is a major entertainment district. The area is home to art galleries, shops, cheerful restaurants, and gas lamps. It continues to evolve, and is popular with both locals and tourists. During the day most people come here to shop. In the evening this is a great place for dining or seeing some live entertainment, such as comedians or bands.This area is also famous, as the place where Buffalo Bill lived at one time.

In an effort to bring a little more life into downtown Denver amid the skyscrapers 16th Street, which runs through the city center, has been made a European-style pedestrian precinct, with shady trees, flowerbeds and park benches, in which the only traffic is a free shuttle bus. The street is lined with department stores, boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants and the stalls of street traders (mostly "Indios" from Latin America). Particularly round the south end of the street there are numerous modern and Post-Modern skyscrapers. Among the tallest are the 56-storey Republic Plaza, the 690ft/210m high United Bank Center, the Denver Post Tower, the Amoco Building, the Anaconda Tower and the Denver Club Building.

Coors Field in Denver is the home of the Colorado Rockies baseball club. The stadium, which opened in 1995, has a seating capacity of 50,200. From some seats it's possible to see the Rocky Mountains in the distance. There are tours of the facility year round and during the season, on non-game days only. This is a good way to learn about the stadium and see a bit of the behind-the-scenes action. Tickets are limited to a certain number each day so advance purchases are a good idea if you have your heart set on the tour. Tours last just under 1.5 hours and are accessible to those with disabilities.One of the later additions to Coors Field is the Mountain Ranch Club with indoor and outdoor dining, weather permitting.

The Children's Museum of Denver has interactive learning exhibits for children from infants to age 8. Exhibits feature a fire station complete with a real truck, a kid-sized grocery store, a bubbles exhibit and an assembly plant where children use real tools and recycled goods to create masterpieces.

Downtown Aquarium is an entertainment and dining complex with a public aquarium that features underwater exhibits housing over 500 species. The Aquarium Adventure exhibit highlights various habitats such as Under the Sea, the Desert, the Rainforest and at the Beach.

The Denver Firefighters Museum is housed in Denver Fire Station No. 1, constructed in 1909. Displays include old firefighting equipment dating from 1863 as well as hands-on activities that focus on the history of firefighting in Denver and the Denver Fire Department.

The Forney Transportation Museum in Denver has a collection of over 500 antique automobiles, railroad cars and airplanes. The exhibits include the world's largest steam locomotive, carriages, bicycles, tricycles, tractors and the only amphibious passenger automobile ever mass produced for civilians.

A few minutes' walk southeast of the State Capitol is the Molly Brown House, which belonged to a survivor of the "Titanic" disaster (celebrated in the musical "Unsinkable Molly Brown") who was famed for her lavish parties.Molly's home was built in 1889 and designed by architect William Lang.

Molly and J.J. Brown built this Victorian summer home, named Avoca Lodge, in 1897. It featured buttered brick with 450 acres including a fishing pond, terraced lawns and beautiful flower beds. The grounds underwent extensive renovations in 2009.The tea room offers brunch, lunch and dinner.

At 1727 Tremont Place is the Museum of Western Art, with a collection which includes important pictures by Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Remington and Georgia O'Keeffe, three artists who found their inspiration in the American West.ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.

The Oxford is an historic hotel in downtown Denver, listed on the National Historic Register. It opened in 1891 with all the amenities expected of such a grand hotel. It was expanded in 1902 and again in 1912. The Oxford was purchased in 1979 and closed for restoration with a grand re-opening in 1983.

To the west of the Performing Arts Center is the extensive Auraria Campus, with the modern buildings of the University of Colorado, the Learning Resources Center, the Metropolitan State College, etc.

The Brown Plaza Hotel (1892) has a fine Art Deco interior.It was built by Henry Cordes Brown and opened in 1892. It features an eight-story stained glass lobby.

Across the street from the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver is the Trinity United Methodist Church, founded in 1859. The church features a massive pipe organ and stained glass windows, both constructed in 1888.

The Colorado Convention Center opened in 1990, with meeting space, ballroom space, a 5,000 seat theatre and easy access to over 7,000 hotel rooms.

Domo Japanese Restaurant is located in Denver, with a Japanese garden and museum. The restaurant serves authentic Japanese food in a traditional setting.

Elitch Gardens Theme Park in Denver is a large scale amusement park with a wide variety of rides. The facility also includes a water park with slides and pools.

The Trianon Museum and Art Gallery in downtown Denver has paintings, clocks, and a collection of French furniture from the 1700's.