Denver Parks and Gardens

(Denver, Colorado - CO, USA)

Denver's love for the outdoors is reflected in the fact that it is home to over 200 parks, gardens and scenic reserves. These parks and gardens range from specialist botanic gardens to mountain parks and reserves on the outskirts of Denver.

The largest, City Park, encompasses Denver Zoo and Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Rest assured you won't have to walk far if you feel the need to escape the city's fast pace of life as parks and gardens are scattered throughout the metropolitan area.

Cheesman Park

Address: 8th Avenue and Franklin Street, Denver, Colorado CO, 80206-2813, USA
Tel: +1 303 322 0066
Built on top of a 19th-century graveyard, Denver's Cheesman Park includes botanic gardens and enjoys a central position, as well as great views of the State Capitol and the mountains in the distance. The scenic, wide-open grounds feature a magnificent white marble acropolis.
Open hours: daily - dawn to 23:00
Admission: free

City Park

Address: York Street and East 17th Avenue, Denver, Colorado CO, 80205, USA
Tel: +1 303 964 2500
This is Denver's largest park, established in 1881 and containing two lakes where visitors can go fishing or boating. Other attractions at City Park include playing fields, tennis courts, picnic areas, walking trails, playgrounds and a golf course. Here you'll also find the zoo and Museum of Nature and Science, including the IMAX theater.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free

Civic Center

Address: Broadway and Colfax Avenue, Denver, Colorado CO, USA
Tel: +1 303 964 2522
Located in the heart of downtown Denver, the Civic Center is home to a beautiful Greek amphitheater built in 1919, several sculptures and statues and one of the city's largest flower gardens. Numerous festivals are held at Denver's Civic Center during the summer months.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Denver Botanic Gardens

Address: 1005 York Street, Denver, Colorado CO, 80206-3014, USA
Tel: +1 303 331 4010
The Denver Botanic Gardens contain a diverse range of plant species from a variety of climates, including the desert, plains and alpine regions from around the globe. The gardens offer visitors a chance to wander through an authentic Japanese garden, a herb garden, a fragrance garden and even a 'romantic garden' modeled on the artwork of Monet. The tropical conservatory at the Denver Botanic Gardens is also popular, full of colorful flowering plants as well as plants used for a variety of purposes, such as for dyes, building materials and medicines.
Open hours: September to April, daily - 09:00 to 17:00, May to August, Saturday to Tuesday - 09:00 to 20:00, Wednesday to Friday - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for seniors and children, children under four free, seasonal variations apply

Congress Park

Address: 9th Avenue and Elizabeth Street, Denver, Colorado CO, USA
Once part of Cheesman Park, this nearby park offers an outdoor swimming pool, eight tennis courts, two softball fields, a soccer field, a picnic area, a basketball court and a playground area for children.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

Address: 56th Avenue at Quebec Street, Denver, Colorado CO, USA
Tel: +1 303 289 0930
Located west of the airport on grounds that were once used by the army for the manufacture of chemical weapons, this area of Denver has made a turn about with the help of a massive cleanup campaign to become an important wildlife refuge. The grasslands and wetlands at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge are now home to a huge variety of animals and the refuge has become one of the most popular areas in the country for bald eagles, who regularly roost here during the winter months.
Open hours: Saturday and Sunday - 08:00 to 16:30
Admission - free