East of Downtown, Denver

The Denver Botanic Gardens, first laid out in the late 1950s, is one of the largest botanical gardens in the United States, occupying 23 acres next to Cheesman Park. The garden emphasizes native plants and sustainable, environmentally responsible practices. However, the various gardens display plants from all over the world. There are 43 individual gardens, some of which are laid out in natural landscapes, others of which are in more formal gardens. Some of the highlights include the Japanese Garden, Marnie's Pavilion with orchids, ferns, and waterfalls, and the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory with exotic tropical and sub-tropical species.All of the gardens are lovely, although some are better than others at various times of the year depending on what's blooming. The Denver Botanic Garden also hosts special events throughout the year including concerts.

Kirkland Museum displays a major collection of decorative art from 1880 to 1980 with more than 3,300 works on view. Every major design period is represented from Arts & Crafts to Pop Art. Regional modernist art (1875 to 1980) with a focus on Colorado is also documented, with over 160 artists represented by more than 600 works. The museum features a retrospective of Colorado's distin guished painter, Vance Kirkland (1904-1981). All three collections are housed in a 1911 Arts & Crafts building, the oldest commercial art building in Denver. Kirkland Museum is a member of Historic Artists' Homes and Studios, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Wings Over The Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver is dedicated to educating and inspiring people of all ages about aviation and space endeavors of the past, present and future. Located on the historic former Lowry Air Force Base, the Museum currently features more than 35 aircraft on display, spanning over 70 years of aviation history. Wings also features a growing collection of space exhibits, including a display of Titan IV rocket engines, as well as an Apollo Command Module, a Cosmonaut space walker and mockup space station.

The Black American West Museum, founded in 1971 by Paul W. Stewart, focuses on the contribution of African Americans, who made up nearly one-third of the cowboys on the frontier. Along with black doctors, teachers, miners, farmers, newspaper reporters, and state legislators; African-Americans made substantial advances in the American West. The Museum itself is in the home of Dr. Justina Ford, Colorado's first Black woman doctor.

Babi Yar Park in Denver is a memorial park in a semi-xeriscape design. The path system is laid out in the shape of the Star of David. Babi Yar Park was dedicated in 1970 in honor of the 200,000 people killed by the Nazis in Kiev in the Second World War.

Cheesman Park has a children's playground, is popular with joggers and offers sweeping views extending all the way to Pike's Peak and Mt. Evans. The park was named in honor of Denver water baron Walter S. Cheesman.

The Mizel Museum teaches awareness and respect through exhibits such as Jewish Life and Culture, Immigration, Art, Lessons of the Holocaust, Bridges of Understanding, and Workshops.