My last full day visiting the Denver area and I was looking to something kind of quick to do. I…read morethought this museum would fit the bill, so I came! The best part is that it has FREE Admission!! I parked out in the lot just off E. Alameda Pkwy near the front of the Aurora Municipal Center. I was kind of stumped as to where to enter the museum. I walked past the cool sculpture called "Light Of Dawn" by Rafe Ropek. If you keep walking on that sidewalk, you will find the entrance is at the far end of the building right near the gate/fence. I really wanted to see the 1913 Street Car Trolley! It is in a room all by itself. It has been immaculately restored! I like the vintage ads inside! There's lots of information about transportation, too! You can learn how Aurora started out and grew! There was a Buckingham Square Mall that opened in 1971. It had two Palace Guard mascots named Buck and Ham. It was demolished in 2007. It was rebuilt into what is now Gardens On Havana shopping center. I was fascinated to learn that there in a Mission Viejo neighborhood in Aurora. It was modeled after the Mission Viejo in Orange County, CA! In the exhibit of "Growing Home Aurora", there's an extensive collection of memorabilia! I found out that Niagara Bottling, LLC has a plant in Aurora! I wandered through the "Mosaic of Cultures: Aurora's Mexican Community" area. For history's sake, I should have eaten at La Cueva. It is featured in this area. The founders of the restaurant immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950's. There's an exhibit called "Tatanka: The Spirit of the Land" that has lots of beautiful Bison paintings by Arturo Garcia. On my way out, I picked up A Guide to Aurora, too! It lists landmarks and historic sites with pictures. It was great to learn about Aurora!

I've lived here for most of my life and never knew this place existed and I was at the municipal…read morecenter for Pokemon so often. The museum is free and there's a lot thats being discussed to increase visibility. The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. They have such a diverse knowledge about the history of Aurora and some of Colorado so feel free to ask questions. I learned a lot about Aurora. It gets such a bad rep and is most well known for tragedies. I never knew there was such history about this city. The hit of the museum and a must see is the trolley. I wish Denver had kept the trolley running so it made it special like in San Francisco. What a wonderful piece of Colorado history at the museum. You can also walk and sit in the trolley as well. Take the time to read the ads.

Trail of Lights Review Trail of Lights is a lovely…read moreexperience. The event was sold out and amazingly the trails were not very populated (bonus!) The cottonwoods, pine trees and ranch buildings were illuminated in a very colorful and most abundant way (you can even see the farms from 470)! Mask requirement in the warming huts but otherwise bring them just to keep warm while walking the 3miles. There is a shorter path option but you don't want miss out on all the glorious displays. The beverage house has hot and cold drinks available and snacks that include kettle corn and roasted nuts. Avoid the mad rush downtown and add this to your list of must see holiday displays!

So this is a beautiful place, but the reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it…read morewasn't very big. Plus they've always advertised the lavender "field" as being an actual "field" in photos- but it's more of a lavender patch if anything. Though this would be the perfect spot for a wedding- the small size and designated wedding areas are super adorable, so I definitely recommend that!

This visit to the Denver Firefighters Museum is for one of my childhood friends, who blogs about…read morefiretrucks on Instagram and works as a 911 dispatcher in Tennessee. We had lots of time to kill before going to the convention center later in the day, so I suggested this museum to my parents when I found it during a random maps search around the city. And to all you parents out there, this museum could save your child's life in the event of a fire. Admission to get in was $9. Getting around the museum is kinda like being in IKEA, where they have footprints on the floor telling you where to go in order. This museum, which is in the shape of an actual fire station and has two floors, shows you the entire history of how and where the 911 dispatch system was first invented, types of firetrucks used over the years, how to dial 911 in case of a fire, where firefighters stay while on the job, and so forth. In the back on the first floor is an educational video of what to do if there's a fire. Upstairs there was so much more, we were shown firefighters' patches from almost every state, which stopped at Pennsylvania for some reason. I guess they're still collecting patches from Rhode Island all the way to Wyoming. I took pics of patches from Kentucky and Massachusetts (where my childhood friend used to live), Maine (where my dad is from), Nevada (where we live), and New Hampshire (where I was born and where my mom is from). It was very interesting seeing all the patches from each county and city in my state of residence. Replicas of dormitories where firefighters stay in while on the job were also shown, which I found very interesting. I took so many pics here but Yelp will only let me add 20 at a time. Don't forget to sign the guestbook upstairs and the survey downstairs before you leave! This was a very educational visit and we're very happy that we got a tour of this museum. If you want something to do in the city, then I suggest visiting the Denver Firefighters Museum!

This was a great place for us to take our little ones. They had a lot of cool things for them to…read morelook at and interact with and they had Firefighters reading the kids books in the play area which I thought was super sweet. It's a bit smaller than a traditional museum because they converted an old Firehouse which is a unique idea. Overall I really thought the museum was well down and helps teach kids (and adults) about the history of firefighters in the Denver area.

Be a member like me and join the Botanical Gardens! Many benefits like being able to use your…read moremembership at other botanical gardens in different states! The rare beauty of Mother Nature and the landscapers and keepers of this facility is a wonderful collaboration! The water features, flowers and colorful flower palate and scents and smells will touch all of your senses!

Wow, how have I overlooked this review?…read more The botanic gardens are a staple for us when we need to get some exercise and enjoy nature but don't have time to drive into the mountains. We have been members for years and make the most of it. Every season offers a unique beauty and new aspects of natural wonders to enjoy. These gardens are well maintained and very affordable. Lots to see and smell regardless of season. I applaud the expertise and hard work that goes into creating an enjoyable experience that is often shared by 1000's on a summer weekend. Get your tickets online and cruise thru the main entrance. Certain times of the year it's very busy and time slots sell out in advance. Food in the garden is always good and ranges from coffee and pastries to a healthy lunch or dinner. Routine art installations complement the gardens and the indoor, temperature controlled environments offer color year round. We go early whenever we can to beat the crowds but sometimes and afternoon stroll is just as nice. Holidays bring special light installations and a new opportunity to see the garden even when it's cold and snowy. I recommend this all the time.

As a Denver local, I've been wanting to check this museum off my list for almost a decade. Today I…read morefinally made it, and all I can say is... WOW! Definitely of the best museums we have here in the city- and it's very affordable at $13/pp. This is one of the most exceptional displays and collections on transportation history I've ever seen. If you tend to take your time through museums, I would budget at least 2.5 hours for this one. They probably have over 100 different vehicles, not including bikes, trains, planes, etc.. Note: I would not recommend this space for children, however. This will be my new spot to take out of town guests!

Worth the drive up to Denver to see the big boy. Took my little son who is obsessed with "choo…read morechoos". Had a wonderful time looking at the trains, cars, and tractors. Lots of neat vehicles there. Can't wait to take him again when he's a little older.

If you're looking for a spot to have a picnic, you have found the right place. Even though I spend…read moremost of time in Washington Park I do love walking to this gem especially when the leaves are changing colors. You will find some shaded grass areas, tennis courts, and a playground area if you have little ruggers. When you finish, walk around the neighborhood and be wowed by the neighborhood architecture. If you cross university you can also walk through the DU campus.

The park itself is spacious and well-kept, with big open lawns perfect for tossing a frisbee,…read morereading under a tree, or setting up a picnic. There are tennis courts, a playground, shady paths, and just enough distance from traffic to feel peaceful. It's a solid pick whether you're there to relax, learn a little astronomy, or just enjoy the scenery in one of Denver's more underrated green spaces.

We've gone to all the iterations of Camp Christmas: the first one at Stanley, outdoors in Lakewood,…read moreeven the virtual COVID one. This year's is smaller as expected but brings just as much spirit (and puns). It's great that they spread out a bunch of stuff throughout Stanley Marketplace but it's definitely worth it to pay for the Express experience as well, really cool stuff you can only see there. Some of which I definitely recognize from past iterations but also many new creations.

Expectations blown away!!…read more We really expected this to be snoozy and a waste of time and it turned out to be absolutely the opposite. Well thought out! Amazingly detailed Fun and engaging Colorful and Campy At moments, thought provoking, trying to solve every Christmas tree pun! Well worth the $20 We went with friends. Had some drinks. Had some laughs and really enjoyed ourselves. It was busy but not crazy busy so I think their reservation system worked well. We laughed so hard a couple of times I knew we had come to the right place. I absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun campy Christmas experience that you could do with friends or family or both!! Drinks are a tad pricey but definitely stout.

The Denver Mile High Tree has been a holiday tradition since 2019, but it has led a somewhat…read morecheckered existence, starting on 16th Street and then moving to the DCPA Sculpture Park, Civic Center Park, and in 2025 to the Tivoli Quad on the Auraria Campus. The tree is 110 feet tall (higher than the Rockefeller Center tree and tallest in North America) with 60,000 LEDs and choreographed light and music shows. It's a free event, operating from late November to New Year's. One of the best aspects is the ability to walk inside the tree which is 39 feet in diameter at the base and accomodates quite a few people. You can lie on the grass and look up at the amazing images which is a surreal experience. The tree was a collaboration between Spain's ILMEX Illumination and Brut Deluxe studio. It is definitely worth a visit.

It was beautiful during Christmas time and there were so many people singing Christmas songs…read moretogether