Curator’s statement
Denver gives off a great adults-only vibe with its legal weed and copious amounts of breweries—however, the Mile High City is secretly one of the best cities in the country for toddlers. We have 300+ days of sunshine, numerous park options, and a countless number of hands-on attractions for little ones. From the zoo, to museums, and the baseball stadium right in the middle of the city—you can keep your kiddos entertained without the overwhelm of other bigger tourist destinations.
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Things to do in Denver
Rockies Stadium
City Park
At City Park, you will find our Denver Zoo, Museum of Nature and Science, plus a sweet playground with creek and splash area for those hot summer days. In the summer, enjoy free jazz in the park starting at 5 p.m., perfect to bring your picnic basket and let your littles dance out those wiggles before bed.
Washington Park
Better known as Wash Park, it’s another great park with two playgrounds (one is specifically designed for toddler play), plus a pond for boat rides and paved paths all around for your stroller. You can also walk over to South Gaylord for lunch or dinner after your trip to the park.
Pearl Street Farmers Market
A perfect Sunday morning can be spent at the Pearl Street Farmers Market. With so many coffee, snack, and food options, it’s a perfect way to spend your morning. Recommend going early, especially if you’re using a stroller as it’s tricky to navigate once it gets crowded.
Rockies
The baseball stadium is in the heart of downtown. Tickets are usually super easy to come by and once you’re inside there is lots more to do than just watch baseball. The ballpark has two playgrounds—one is specifically for toddlers and it’s out of the sun. They also have games for kids, and you might even get to meet our mascot Digger.
Denver Aquarium & Children’s Museum
Both of these family focused places are located in the heart of downtown Denver. Super easy to pop in for an hour if it’s a rainy day, or spend a morning exploring what both of these amazing experiences have to offer.
Denver Botanical Gardens
Located on the top of the parking structure of the Denver Botanical Gardens is their children’s garden. During the summer, they have water features for the kids to play in and lots of paths to explore in nature without leaving the city. Your ticket also includes entry to the main gardens across the street.
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Lastly, if you want to enjoy the beautiful nature Colorado has to offer, make the trip out to this state park. It is about an hour outside of the city, which can be tricky with toddlers; however, it’s going to be worth it. It tends to feel less crowded because there are so many trails for all levels of adventurer here. Once you wrap up, you can head into the town of Golden to grab lunch along the river. Also, don’t forget your cash to pay the state park entrance fee upon arrival.
Places to eat & drink in Denver
Peppermint hot cocoa from Snooze
Homegrown Tap & Dough
While they have several locations, the one on South Gaylord is great after time spent over at the playgrounds of Wash Park. It has pizza, a small game room, and a large patio space. It does not take reservations, so keep that in mind if you’re going at peak times.
The Cherry Cricket
A beloved burger joint with two locations, both accommodating to large groups and families.
Edgewater Public Market
For when no one can decide on dinner and mom and dad are tired of dino nuggets. The Edgewater Public Market food hall is a great option for families as there is a little something for everyone in both space and dining options. They also have lots of events, which can be found on their website.
Snooze
Super fun breakfast spot with delicious pancakes and great kids menu. They don’t take reservations and can have a long waitlist, so be sure to check the wait times online before you go.
Casa Bonita
This iconic Denver restaurant was purchased by the creators of South Park and reopened with better food but the same fun experience. It has cave divers, puppet shows, and more. Reservations fill up fast!
Bonnie Brae Ice Cream
Iconic classic ice cream shop with ice cream and waffle cones made in-house. If the weather is nice, expect a line, but it moves quickly. Another staple in between Wash Park and the Cherry Creek neighborhoods.
Little Man Ice Cream
Never enough ice cream, in my opinion. This is another absolute must with so many unique flavors—they have several locations all over the city, from a small outpost in Cherry Creek to their HQ location on the west side of town, which even has a slide in the store.
Need to know
If you’re headed to Denver with your toddlers, these are some other things to consider.
The airport is far from the city, and the car rental places are far from the airport. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time and pack extra snacks for this part of the trip. You can also take a train into Union Station downtown, if you are staying there.
While some areas of Denver can be considered walkable, a car with toddlers and seats will be easier in most cases. Denver is a stroller or wagon-friendly city, so while you may need to drive to one activity or another, a stroller once you get there will be helpful.
Pack lots of sunscreen and make sure you’re prepping by drinking lots of water before arrival. It’s easy to forget since Denver is not in the mountains that it is above sea level, so if you’re not used to altitude make sure you prepare yourself and your kiddos before you arrive to try and avoid any altitude issues.
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