COME TO LIFE / Denver MORE IDEAS FOR FAMILIES ELITCH GARDENS THEME & WATER PARK Mind-blowing rides for those taller than 48 inches, plenty of slower family rides for those who aren’t, Island Kingdom Water Park, lots of places to eat, a summer concert series, “dive-in” movies and the new Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscope ride make the nation’s only downtown theme park a must visit. WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES AIR & SPACE MUSEUM Expe-rience the rush of flight in the museum’s simulation center, climb into cockpits and wonder at the collection of military and civilian aircraft and the country’s only X-Wing Starfighter. WATER WORLD One of the biggest and best water parks in the nation, with acres of refreshing summer-time fun. Nearly 50 rides and adventures offer something for all ages. BUTTERFLY PAVILION 1,600 free-flying butterflies make their home at this one-of-a-kind spot in nearly Westmin-ster, fluttering around visitors in a re-creation of a tropical rainforest. THE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY This 10,400-acre rescue/educational facility 30 miles outside of Denver is home to nearly 500 large carnivores (including lions, tigers, bears and wolves!). They roam the massive refuge while you walk above them on the Mile Into the Wild walkway. DINOSAUR RIDGE Compare footprint sizes with giant prehistoric beasts on a 1.5-mile nature walk in Morrison. You’ll encounter more than 100 fossilized dinosaur tracks, including those of stegosaurus, apatosaurus and allosaurus. IFLY INDOOR SKYDIVING Lone Tree’s smooth-riding vertical wind tunnel literally sends you soaring. A stellar training program and instructors make it great for families. KID-APPROVED WEEKEND IN DENVER DAY 1 More than 500 species of ocean-dwellers roam landlocked Denver at Downtown Aquarium (1) . Have close encounters with sharks, sea turtles, stingrays and even Suma-tran tigers as they swim in more than a million gallons of water. Nearby is the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marisco Campus (2) , an imagination-stimulating journey for newborns through age 8. Kiddos and their grown-ups can race to the top of a 3½-story climber, step inside a 6-foot bubble, sculpt a masterpiece out of clay or zip through the air in Adventure Forest. Older kids will want to check out urban adventure parks for skate-boarding, BMX, mountain biking, skiing/boarding and more right in town. Denver Skatepark and Progresh are a couple to scope out. More: denv. co/extremesports End your first day on the 16th Street Mall , a mile-long promenade and one of the city’s most visited attractions. It’s a great spot for dinner, with plenty of kid-pleasing choices. Every block boasts a landmark or public art sculptures, a perfect scavenger hunt as you make your way around. Your littles will grin from ear to ear in the Mile High City, COLORADO thanks to a wide array of family-friendly attractions. DENVER & CITIES OF THE ROCKIES 1 DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM, VISIT DENVER; CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DENVER AT MARSICO CAMPUS; BUTTERFLY PAVILION; WATER WORLD, KEN PAPALEO; WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES AIR & SPACE MUSEUM, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: SEA TURTLE, ISTOCKPHOTO; SKATEBOARD, ISTOCKPHOTO; THE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY; BETH SCHNEIDER; ELITCH GARDENS THEME & WATER PARK, VISIT DENVER. 2 STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Aurora (page 192), Arvada , Brighton (page 193), Castle Rock (page 194), Centennial , Commerce City , Denver (page 195), Englewood (page 197), Evergreen (page 198), Federal Heights (page 198), Glendale , Golden (page 199), Greenwood Village (page 200), Highlands Ranch (page 200), Lakewood (page 201), Littleton , Morrison (page 202), Parker , Roxborough , Sedalia (page 203), Thornton (page 204), Wheat Ridge DAY 2 Go to where the wild things are: the Denver Zoo . One of the nation’s most popular zoos, 100 / 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 100
