Denver has some wonderful museums you should visit, including the Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Museum of Art.
Denver, the capital of Colorado, is an American metropolis dating back to the Old West. Larimer Square, the city’s oldest complex, boasts 19th-century landmarks. Museums include the Denver Museum of Art, a state-of-the-art complex known for its indigenous art collection. Denver is also a point for skiing in the nearby rocky mountains.
1. Larimer Square
Enjoy a walk in one of Denver’s most historic areas, Larimer Square. Its history extends back to the 19th century when Colorado was all about gold and the famous gold strikes that put this beautiful State firmly on the map. Some of the old buildings remain but the new ones are just as nice, and home to some great restaurants and shops selling unusual and unique gifts. It’s worth taking the family to see the stores’ decorations too.
2. Denver Art Museum
With galleries showcasing more than 70,000 works by famed artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Winslow Homer, the Denver Art Museum houses one of the most impressive collections of art between Chicago and the West Coast. Spread across two buildings, the museum’s holdings range from pre-Columbian artifacts to contemporary displays with such mediums as painting and sculpture represented.
3. Mount Evans Scenic Byway
If you travel to Denver to experience the Rocky Mountains, you’ll want to reserve a day to take a drive up to Mount Evans. In this instance, it isn’t the destination that travelers rave about – it’s the journey. To get to Mount Evans, you’ll have to hop on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, a two-lane road known as the “road into the sky” because of the nearly 9,000 feet of elevation change. At the Mount Evans peak, drivers will be 14,264 feet above sea level.
4. Colorado State Capitol
This beautiful building is worthing a brief stop while you traveling in Denver. Constructed in the 1890s from Colorado white granite, the building officially opened in 1894. You will be amazed at the care that went into its decorations too, the structure’s gold dome consisting of real gold leaf, commemorating the Colorado Gold Rush! The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Place, becoming part of the Denver Civic Center National Historic Landmark District in 2012.
5. Denver Museum of Nature & Science
This fascinating museum, a super venue for all the family, comes with an even more fascinating story. Beginning its life in 1868, the naturalist and pioneer Edwin Carter, who had devoted his life to his true love – birds and mammals of the Rocky Mountains – had deciding to assemble what turned out to be one of the most inclusive collections of Colorado fauna, and started displaying his treasures from his log cabin home, dubbed the Carter Museum.