amusement park · $$$ · since 1995
Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
A full amusement park and water park inside the downtown loop
Elitch Gardens Theme Park entrance, Denver, 2009 — DimiTalen, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Elitch's left its original Highland site and reopened in the Platte Valley in 1995, which is why Denver has coasters, a wooden Twister II and a water park sitting inside the downtown loop, visible from I-25. The land under it has been the subject of the River Mile redevelopment for years; Kroenke Sports became sole owner of the site in 2025 and has said the park stays put for now. The 2026 season is open and running. Light rail drops you a short walk from the gate, which beats paying to park.
Why go. A rollercoaster you can reach by light rail from Union Station in about ten minutes.
Weekday online tickets run well below any-day pricing, and both beat the gate rate — buy before you leave the house.
A short walk from Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
Gates Crescent Park
Riverbank lawn with a straight-on view of the downtown skyline
Auraria & Ball Arena · Children's Museum Dr
Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
$$Hands-on museum for the newborn-to-eight crowd, with a big outdoor Joy Park
LoDo · 2121 Children's Museum Dr
Brooklyn's at Ball Arena
$$The sports bar in the arena's front yard, open before every Nuggets and Avs game.
Auraria & Ball Arena · 901 Auraria Pkwy
Downtown Aquarium
$$$A million gallons of fish, a couple of tigers, and dinner beside a tank
LoDo · 700 Water St
multi-purpose arenaBall Arena
Nuggets, Avalanche, Mammoth and the big tours, across Speer from LoDo
LoDo · 1000 Chopper Cir
Dazbog Coffee
$Cheap campus coffee from a Denver roaster, weekdays only
Auraria & Ball Arena · 890 Auraria Pkwy