DISCOVERING DENVER || SEVEN FAMILY FRIENDLY OUTINGS

In my last post, I shared my new found love for all things Lodo. But every now and then, we did venture beyond Wazee + Wynkoop for the occasional family adventure. On this trip we were traveling with our seven-year-old son + four-year-old daughter, so we had to make sure the trip was fun for them be too. Here’s a collection of seven family-friendly outings we enjoyed together.

1 – Downtown Aquarium

If you have small children, you’ve likely been to an aquarium. But have you ever been to any aquarium that puts on a live Mermaid Show? Y’all this was such a neat experience. There were three mermaids that swam among the sea creatures + taught the children a short lesson on recycling + how important it was to keep the ocean clean.

After the eight-minute show, there was an opportunity to take pictures with the mermaids too! If you travel to Denver with small children, make sure you see The Mystic Mermaids!

2 – Denver Zoo

Children love the zoo. Even if they aren’t old enough to necessarily learn about the animals, they enjoy looking at them. At the Denver Zoo, you can experience some up close + person experiences, especially with their Brown Bear exhibit.

I’m not going to lie, I was a little uncomfortable watching this bear pace back + forth along the trench between us. I’m glad he wasn’t very agile or else he might have leaped over + snatched us up. And there was not fencing either. Just a trench. Ekk!!

We must’ve spent at least four hours at the zoo. There wasn’t a spot we didn’t cover. So if you’re traveling with kids, this place is definitely worth checking out.

3 – Room 5280

This was SO MUCH FUN… for three of the four of us. =/ Our family was locked in a room + was given one hour to find the clues needed to escape. My four-year-old was a tad frightened once we were locked in the room. Luckily, there was a plush bear in the room that she snuggled to bring her a little comfort. When we finally made our escape, we were all thrilled.

4 – Little Man Ice Cream

Ice Cream - so she would love us again. But also because where else can you find a 28-foot, 14,000-pound cream can operating as a business? It was a delightful experience for all. =)

5 – Red Rocks Amphitheater

The Red Rocks are just a short drive from Downtown Denver, maybe ten minutes or so + the scenery is beautiful the whole way there.

This location may not have topped the kid’s list of awesome outings, but I couldn’t help but think of how neat it would be if my children performed on that stage one day. Imagining that alone was reason enough for me to send them down + have an impromptu performance.

6 – One Mile High Step

Apparently, there is some debate as which step is exactly one mile above sea level – 13th, 15th, or 18th – it didn’t matter to me. They are all so close to each other. I just love the people stand on this step.

7 – The Money Museum

The Money Museum is neat for a few different reasons. First, it’s free! The only thing they require is that you NOT be a criminal. (They will scan your ID before entrance is permitted.)

Aside from that, you can see what a $100,000 dollar bill looks like. You can take a photo with $30,000,000,000 in cold, hard cash as your backdrop. You can design your own dollar bills, in whatever denomination you chose, then have the digital copy emailed to you. Mine Littles couldn’t wait to get home + play with their “own” money. When your tour is over, grab a bag of shredded money to go.

Time to plan a return trip. =)