Free Things to do in Denver with Kids
Looking for cheap entertainment for your kids in Colorado’s capital? We get it! Luckily, Denver features a ton of kid and wallet friendly ways to spend the day. If you’re itching to get out of the house or find an activity that your little one will enjoy, the city has a lot to offer.
Here are our favorite free things to do in Denver with kids, we’re sure the memories you make will be priceless.
Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre
This amphitheater has been host to a ton of famous acts. However when there are no events in the park, it’s free to the public. The park is full of sandstone formations and hiking trails that your kids will enjoy. For a bit of Colorado music history, you can also find the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at the trading post. Plan your visit to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater by visiting their website here.
Hammond’s Candies Factory
Take your kids to learn firsthand how candy is made. Hammond’s Candies, the prominent Colorado candy company, leads tours through its factory in Denver every half hour. It’s free to the public with reservation at the desired tour time, and takes viewers through the factory and every step of making som of America’s favorite candies. Schedule your tour here.
Washington Park
If you’d like to take your kids to the park, there is no shortage in Colorado to choose from. However, Washington Park is one of the most beloved. The 165-acre park contains walking trails, lakes and gardens. It’s the perfect location for some outdoor exercise, a family picnic or a round of exploring.
Geocaching is also a fun family friendly activity that happens in many parks in Denver parks. Using an app, explorers pinpoint a geocache by walking and using hints and coordinates. When they come across the geocache hidden by another user, they leave an object of their own in the container or add their names to a tiny guestbook.
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is free for children under 18. In addition to children’s programming and events, the Art Museum also offers kid-friendly materials that turn learning about art into games like I Spy and Bingo. You’ll also find several classes and camps held by the museum each season. Find out their current activity listing and hours at the website here.
Catch a Free Day at a Local Attraction
Several prominent attractions around Denver, such as museums, aquariums and even the zoo, offer free admission on certain days of the year. For some attractions, the exact dates change yearly, so be sure to check out the website to find out the best times to go.
The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marisco Campus offers free admission on the first Tuesdays of every month, from 4pm to 8pm. This incredible museum offers unique outdoor experiences for children. The Joy Park exhibit offers a zip-line, a river and a waterfall. A 500 ft-long aerial adventure course is being installed in Joy Park and is set to open in Fall 2018. Among other features, there’s also a Center for the Young Child, where children under three can experience the outdoors safely in the museum.
The Denver Zoo offers select free days throughout the year. They are listed on the SCFD site, and enable children to see animal exhibits and enjoy several playgrounds in the zoo. Children will have the opportunity to see exotic monkeys, cats, seals and birds in one of the best zoos in the state.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science also offers select free days throughout the year. Children love the Discovery Zone, Space Odyssey and countless other exhibits designed to teach patrons about the natural and artistic world. You can find a guide to free hours or days listed through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District site here.
