Attractions
2Denver has some of the finest museums in the West with a wide variety of historical, western, artistic and horticultural emphasis.
The Black American West Museum tells the forgotten story of African American cowboys, who made up as many as one third of all the cowboys on the great cattle drives. Housed in the home of Dr. Justina Ford, Denver's first African American doctor, the museum has exhibits,
historic photos and artifacts that tell the story of the many contributions made by Blacks in settling the West. 303 292-2566.
Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum is filled with memorabilia honoring the famous frontier scout, showman and Pony Express rider, William F. Cody. Gun collections and posters from the Wild West Show are some of the items found here. A beautiful view of the mountains and the plains is visible from his grave site. 303 526-0747.
Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center features a lush tropical forest filled with up to 1,600 free-flying butterflies. There is also an insect center and gift shop, as well as outdoor gardens and many fun, educational exhibits. 303 469-5441.
The Children's Museum of Denver is a unique participatory museum for children and families to experience hands-on, interactive exhibits and activities. Children can learn to ski on KidSlope, shoot baskets, compare measurements in SizeWise, sample the latest in computer software in CompuLab, and shop in the grocery store. 303-433-7444.
The Colorado History Museum offers a series of dioramas and exhibits that trace the colorful history of the Indians, explorers, gold miners, cowboys and pioneers that have called Colorado home. Exhibits include an outstanding collection of William Henry Jackson photos and a large diorama of Denver as it appeared in 1860. Call for information on special exhibits. 303 866-3670.
Colorado Ocean Journey which opened in June 1999, is a world-class aquarium that immerses visitors on two journeys, from the Continental Divide in Colorado to Mexico's Sea of Cortez, and the other from an Indonesian rain forest to the Pacific Ocean. The Rocky Mountain West's only aquarium will also show visitors how all water and water life are inter-related.303 561-4450.
 The Colorado State Capitol stands a mile above sea level with a plaque on the 15th step to mark the spot that is 5,280 feet 1,609 m high. The dome is covered with 200 ounces of pure gold and offers a beautiful view from the rotunda of the entire Front Range, from Pikes Peak, all the way north to the Wyoming border, a distance of over 150 miles 241 km. Free tours on weekdays of the beautiful rooms and appointments. 303 866-2604.
The Coors Brewery offers free tours of the largest single brewery in the world. Colorado brews more beer than any other state and this Golden brewery brews more beer than any other place on the planet. Free tours of the entire complex, from brewing to bottling, with free beer samples for those over the age of 21. 303 277-2337.
Chatfield Park's unique opportunities for resource education, diverse ecosystems, expansive trail  system coupled with boating in a beautiful setting make the park special for all recreational users. When visitors see Chatfield's beautiful rolling foothills, expansive reservoir and abundant wildlife, they can't believe the park is just outside the Denver metro area. Yet, Chatfield is one of the most complete parks in Colorado. The park includes camping, a full-service livery, miles of hiking and biking trails, a popular lake, the Chatfield marina and one of the most popular hot-air balloon launch areas on the Front Range. With nearly 1.5 million visitors annually, Chatfield has a lot of admirers. The park is popular for its relaxed environment and beautiful views of the nearby foothills. Great blue herons nest at Chatfield from March through September in the heronry on the south side of the park. Come out to this delightful retreat for great camping, boating and fishing.
Denver Art Museum has what is considered to be the finest collection of American Indian art works in the world covering all tribes, as well as 30,000 other art objects in seven curatorial departments. The museum celebrated it's 100th Anniversary in 1993 with newly remodeled Asian, Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial galleries and renovated African and Oceanic galleries. It is the largest art museum between Kansas City and the West Coast. 720-865-5000.
The Denver Botanic Gardens has a large conservatory, an alpine garden with rare tiny flowers, a  Japanese tea garden, as well as a water garden with hundreds of water lilies that bloom in late summer. It is just one of 506 public gardens in Denver where over 240,000 flowers are planted each year. 303 331-4000.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the fourth largest museum of its kind in the nation, with over 80 dioramas depicting animals from around the world. It also features an outstanding dinosaur collection, a Hall of Life devoted to studying the human body, a planetarium, an outstanding geological collection and an IMAX theater. The museum has recently opened Prehistoric Journey, a permanent exhibit that takes a fascinating look at the Earth's 3.5 billion year history of life. 303-322-7009.
The Denver Zoo is consistently rated as one of the top 10 in America with 3,500 animals in lovely spreading grounds in City Park. "Tropical Discovery," is a 1.5-acre rainforest under glass in which visitors feel the sensation of walking through a jungle teeming with wildlife. Other highlights of the Zoo include "Northern Shores" where you can watch polar bears swim underwater and Primate Panorama, where visitors can get as close as 10 feet to over 29 species of monkeys. The Zoo celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996. 303-376-4800.
Six Flags Elitch Gardens Theme Park is a hundred-year-old theme park known for its European  atmosphere, elaborate floral gardens, and thrill rides. In 1995, Elitch Gardens moved to an expanded location in downtown Denver along the South Platte River with all new rides, gardens, lagoons, restaurants and amusements. 303 455-4771.
The Molly Brown House honors "Unsinkable Molly Brown," the heroine of the Titanic disaster with mementos from her life preserved in her beautiful home on Capitol Hill. Molly was one of the most colorful characters to come from Denver's gold rush period. While sailing on the Titanic, she took command of a lifeboat and was credited with putting down a panic. Her life story was the inspiration for the hit musical and film, "Unsinkable Molly Brown." 303 832-4092.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a 9,000-seat natural outdoor arena carved out of huge, 500-foot 152 m high, red sandstone cliffs, all overlooking Denver and the plains. With its views and geologic wonders, it’s one of the world's most famous concert sites and has played host to everyone from the Beatles to symphony orchestras. Seventy million years ago, the rocks were the beach of an ancient inland sea that covered eastern Colorado and Kansas. Today, it’s a wonderful site for hikes, picnics and concerts.
Tiny Town is a kid-sized village with dozens of "Old West" buildings, all built at 1/6 scale in a scenic mountain location. An authentic toy steam locomotive circles the park giving children and adults a ride past the miniature town. 303 790-9393.
 The U. Mint is where over five billion coins are made each year and there are free 20 minute tours on weekdays. It is also the second largest storehouse of gold bullion in the U. after Fort Knox. The gift shop has many unique coins not available anywhere else, and there is a small museum on the history of money. 303 844-3582.
RECREATION / ACTIVITIES
Bally’s Total Fitness (800)677-4447
YMCA Glendale (303)639-4711
24 Hour Fitness (303)377-4424
Focus Gyms (303)355-5145
AMF Monaco Lanes Bowling (303)388-5677
IMAX Theatre (303)322-7009
Continental Theatre (303)758-2345
United Artist Theatres (303)757-3700
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Denver is a clean, young and green city with over 200 parks and dozens of tree-lined boulevards. The architecture reflects the city's three boom periods: Victorian, when silver was discovered in Leadville; turn-of-the-century, when gold was discovered in Cripple Creek; and contemporary, when the energy boom added 16 skyscrapers to the downtown skyline in a three year period, 1980-1983.
Lower Downtown called "LoDo" by locals is on the northern edge of downtown Denver and offers one of the nation's greatest concentrations of Victorian buildings and warehouses, many of which have been refurbished to house restaurants, art galleries, offices and shops. This is the center of the city's brew pubs, with six large brew pubs and micro breweries, each brewing six to eight exclusive beers, all within easy walking distance of each other. Downtown is also the home of Auraria Campus where three colleges have over 30,000 students.
With eight theaters offering 10,800 seats, the Denver Performing Arts Complex is the second largest performing arts center in the nation after Lincoln Center in New York in seating capacity and the largest in the world under one roof. Located downtown, the four-square block center features: Boettcher Concert Hall, the nation's first symphony hall in-the-round. The Denver Center Theater Company which won a Tony Award in 1998 for best regional theatre acting company; the Temple Buell Theater, a new 2,800-seat Broadway theater that opened in 1991 with Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, "Phantom of the Opera" and hosts other top road attractions such as "Miss Saigon," "Will Rogers Follies," "M. Butterfly;" and “Sunset Boulevard,” as well as, the world's first voice research laboratory. The center is entered under a block-long glass arch and is noted for its unusual and striking architecture.
than at any other 3,000-seat or smaller theatre in the nation. Over 600,000 people paid to see productions at the Buell in 1997. The Performing Arts Complex had three of the nation’s top 15 theatres in 1997, with the Auditorium Theatre placing 8th and Boettcher Concert Hall placing 12th. And in 1998, the Denver Center Theatre Company won a Tony Award for best regional theatre.
declares Denver to be the 7th best market in North America for gross revenues from touring Broadway shows after Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco and Boston.
Golf
Lone Tree Golf Club
Arrowhead Golf Club
Canterberry offers dramatic views, from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak, to compliment its unique layout. Ravines and arroyos wind through the landscape to create a golf course like no other in the region. Rated "Top 10 Best New Affordable Public Courses in North America" by Golf Digest.
Deer Creek Golf Club
Omni Interlocken Golf Club
Thorncreek
small private college. Students enjoy the personal attention so important to the educational experience. Average class size is 20, and faculty members do much more than teach: they serve as mentors, advisers and friends. Students can earn a bachelor's and master's degree in five years. For educational opportunities, our location in the Rocky Mountain West and in one of America's most vibrant cities is hard to beat. Students spend time interning in downtown firms, volunteering in local elementary schools, examining issues that face urban neighborhoods, appreciating cultural offerings, studying mountain streams and exploring the back country.
If you are looking for an accredited university, that's totally centered around CHRIST; where you can live the full campus life; and get a degree to jumpstart your career; all within the beautiful state of Colorado - just minutes from the Rocky Mountains, then look no further.
Culinary Arts, Food & Beverage Management, Food Services Management, Hotel Management, International Business, Management, Marketing and Sports/Event/Entertainment Management. A Baking & Pastry Arts program will be added in September 2002. Other culinary programs such as Garnish Your Degree provide individuals who already have an undergraduate degree the opportunity to pursue a career change to the culinary arts.
The Metropolitan State College of Denver confers more baccalaureate degrees than any other public baccalaureate institution in the nation. The college offers arts and sciences, professional and business courses and programs to a diverse student population. Excellence in teaching and learning is MSCD’s primary objective. The college's mission is to provide high-quality, accessible, enriching education that prepares students for successful careers, postgraduate education and lifelong learning in a multicultural, global and technological society. The college fulfills its mission by working in partnership with the community at large and by fostering an atmosphere of scholarly inquiry, creative activity and mutual respect within a diverse campus community. More than thirty years ago, the state legislature created MSCD as Colorado's urban College of Opportunity. Since then it has occupied an important niche in the state's system of higher education, because, by statute, it was designed to be unique.
positive impact in a changing society. Standing within the Catholic and United States traditions, we are inspired by the particular Jesuit vision of Ignatius Loyola. This vision challenges us to attain the inner freedom to make intelligent choices. We seek to provide value-centered undergraduate and graduate education, as well as to strengthen commitment to community service. We nurture the life of the mind and the pursuit of truth within an environment conducive to effective teaching, learning and personal development. Consistent with Judeo-Christian principles, we apply knowledge to human needs and seek to preserve the best of the human heritage. We encourage the continual search for truth, values and a just existence. Throughout this process, we examine and attempt to answer the fundamental question: "How ought we to live?"
