City Cast

The Best Tourist Treasures Around Denver

Adrian González
Adrian González
Posted on June 26   |   Updated on June 28
A kid in a western hat practices their lasso skills on top of a plastic horse.

A kid practices their lasso skills at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave.  (Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Denver is full of tourist traps that can fool even the most experienced local. Last week, the City Cast Denver podcast got together to share our favorite tourist treasures — the touristy places around town that, in our opinion, are actually worth it. Here are the highlights.

🦒 Peyton Garcia’s Pick: Denver Zoo

Peyton resisted the urge to pick her fave city-close getaway, Estes Park, and instead shouts out the Denver Zoo.: “They have everything and they're so focused on conservation and education. It's just a great example of what a zoo should be.”

🚂 Olivia Jewell Love’s Pick: Tiny Town

Our City Cast Denver producer says: “When I was a kid in Kansas City, there was this little park I used to go to that had this miniature town. So when I was reporting in Morrison, this is like what I did as a kid, but way better, because it is a literal model of every building.”

🤠 Paul Karolyi’s Pick: Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave

Producer Paul says of the unique park site: “The Buffalo Bill Museum is phenomenal. It's owned by the city of Denver, it's part of our mountain park system. It is chock-full of incredible artifacts.”

⛰️ Bree Davies’ Pick: Winter Park

Even though she grew up in Colorado, host Bree has thoughts on the mountains: “as a person that doesn't like skiing or snow or being cold, my favorite time to go to the mountains is the summertime. So my pick is Winter Park — they have this unlimited activity pass and it includes a gondola ride, so you can go 10,000 feet up and see the Continental Divide..

Just ten miles northeast of Denver, this place has some of the best wildlife you will ever see in one place. It was originally used by the Army to develop chemical weapons during World War II, and now boasts 20 miles of hiking trails, an archery range, and tons of educational opportunities.

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