Colorado Convention Center – Experiences

Interested in exploring Denver, but not sure where to start? A storied city like this is packed with potential, and with 300 days of sunshine, it’s the perfect place to visit year-round. The Mile High City has so much to offer that visitors could spend an entire day just touring breweries, exclusively exploring museums, or solely focusing on sports.

Our itinerary is perfect for those starting off at the Colorado Convention Center who want an introduction to Denver. It will bring you to new heights, unique eateries, historic locations, art galleries, and more.

In addition to this established destinations, Denver holds plenty of seasonal festivals that energize the streets of the Mile High City. Not to mention the hundreds of events taking place at the Colorado Convention Center year-round. The convention center sits amid the downtown area. This makes it the perfect place to begin your exploration of the Mile High City.

 

Morning

Noon

Night

 

Morning

Start your day with some spice at a truly unique spot. City O’City is distinctly its own, completely different from pubs and generic restaurants you may resort to while traveling in a new city. The food is going to be worth the six-minute drive from the Colorado Convention Center.

Its menu features endless options for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free eaters. Because of this, City O’City is the type of place anyone can eat at and enjoy. Their dining room is adorned in eclectic decor and filled with a fun, friendly staff. They prioritize using local produce whenever possible, and have their own urban micro farm which provides produce in the summer.

This funky, bohemian restaurant serves up dishes like nothing you’ve had before. Wake up your taste buds by ordering the kimchi pancakes. This dish comes with pickled carrots, sesame seeds, and finished with a sweet soy sauce. Add an egg or tofu if you choose! You can also try a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs or tofu, potatoes, pinto beans and cheese.

City O’City is truly part of the community, and emphasizes those bonds by pairing with local vendors to support one another, or hosting monthly in-house gallery shows. Everyone’s welcome, from lifelong residents to 24-hour visitors, to be a part of their community.

Colorado Convention Center

City O’City sits right down the street from the Colorado State Capitol, so you will be able to check out one of the big destinations to see in Denver, all while enjoying a unique meal.

After filling up your body with a wholesome and healthy breakfast, take a five-minute walk up the street to check out the beautiful home base of the Colorado state government. This incredible building is just a four-minute drive from the Colorado Convention Center.

The Colorado State Capitol, built in 1894, may look familiar. This is because it was modeled after the U.S. Capitol building. The historical and striking architecture is similar, but the Colorado State Capitol makes a name for itself with its golden dome glinting in the sunlight. This striking feature was once made of copper, but the architects changed it in 1908. The creators were aware of copper’s tendency to oxidize, á la Statue of Liberty, so they swapped it out for gold. Its unique shape and high altitude makes the building clearly discernible when you’re viewing the Denver city skyline.

Denver lives up to its nickname “The Mile High City” on the 13th step of the Capitol. This spot officially marks one mile above sea level.

The palatial lobby of the State Capitol building features an open, airy environment containing smooth marble railings, and ornately carved marble pillars. It also contains stained glass windows adorned with images of people and events relevant to the history of Colorado. The open, airy lobby sweeps upwards to a captivating view of the inside of the dome. While it’s beautiful from the outside, you shouldn’t miss the impressive interior rotunda.

The capitol offers free tours Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Groups under ten people do not need reservations. This way, interested individuals can enjoy the glimpse into history any time during the week.

After you’re done admiring the Colorado State Capitol Building, you take a walk through Civic Center Park, the luscious greenery waiting outside. Denver.org referred to it as “the centerpiece of Denver’s green space,” with important destinations surrounding it. In the summer, guests can enjoy the wave of colorful flowers unfolding in front of them.

By walking west down W 14th Avenue, you’ll pass by the Greek Amphitheater made of expertly carved stone columns and perfectly laid brick. All the while, the silent statue of a lion watches over all the activity in the amphitheater. Right behind the classic amphitheater is a unique site to be seen, the art installment “Giant Chair with Tiny Horse.” This piece gives onlookers exactly what it promises: a sculpture of a tiny horse sitting on top of a giant, red chair.

Colorado Convention Center

Once you’ve taken a picture of this funky, modern art piece, the Denver Art Museum is right nearby.

Founded in 1893, the Denver Art Museum, or DAM, is one of the largest museums between Chicago and the West Coast. They have a collection of over 70,000 art pieces and 12 permanent collections.

DAM has had many homes throughout Denver, from the public library, to a mansion downtown, to a section of the Denver City and County Building. The museum has now gotten so large that it requires two buildings, located a four-minute drive from your home base, the Colorado Convention Center.

The museum opened with the seven-story North Building, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti. The opening of the North Building marked the first time all the museum’s artwork was under one roof, and is still Ponti’s only completed piece in the United States.

As the museum and its collections grew, so did the need for a new building. In 2006, the Denver Art Museum opened the 146,000 square foot Frederic C. Hamilton building. The building, designed to represent geometric crystals found in Denver, doubled the museum’s size. On a bright day, the Frederic C. Hamilton building reflects Colorado’s signature sunshine by way of the thousands of panels on its roof.

If you’re traveling with children, you may want to take advantage of Denver Art Museum’s “Create Playdate” program. This free, drop-in program caters to young children and includes story time, art making, and more.

Every Wednesday and Friday at noon, the Denver Art Museum holds a “Talk at 12,” a 30-minute conversation that goes in depth about a certain exhibit or unique event taking place in the museum. This thought-provoking program is free with admission.

If you or people in your party require specialized tours for any reason, Denver Art Museum can accommodating you through its Custom Access Programs. There are specialized tours geared towards those with dementia and their care partners, families who’d like a less sensory-stimulating experience, individuals in need of an ASL interpreter, people with low vision ability, and more. Contact the museum at least two weeks in advance to organize your own accessible tour.

 

Noon

Colorado Convention Center

After you’ve had your fill of the Denver Art Museum, you are a seven-minute car ride from Union Station, an iconic Denver locale. This quick drive will bring you right past the Colorado Convention Center.

Although it’s more than a century old, Union Station’s recent revitalization transformed this classically beautiful train station into a cultural hotspot for dining and shopping.

The restaurants inside could satisfy any taste. Whether you’re looking for a high-end meal or just grabbing a quick bite to eat while shopping, Union Station will suit your needs. You wouldn’t believe the twist Snooze takes on traditional breakfast food. Next Door American Eatery sources their produce completely from American farmers. Mercantile Dining & Provision is simultaneously a restaurant of a James Beard Award-winning chef, and a European-style market.

You can find hidden gems and handcrafted gifts at 5 Green Boxes. Book lovers can blissfully browse Tattered Cover Book Store’s curated selection. Those in need of a pick-me-up can head to BLOOM, a flower shop that will brighten anyone’s spirits. Worn out from a busy day in the Colorado sun? Grab a latte with an adorable pig pictured in the foam, and just people-watch.

There’s something for anyone to do in Union Station, which is conveniently six minutes from Colorado Convention Center by car. Visitors to Union Station can take a tour for $20 through The Crawford Hotel, which is located inside the station.

Right across from this iconic, centennial building is another historic hotspot, Wynkoop Brewing. Four friends founded Wynkoop Brewing in 1988, making it Colorado’s first brewpub. Wynkoop had a modest beginning, just a few guys in a then-questionable neighborhood, making beer in the basement of their pool hall. Now the LoDo neighborhood is a bustling and popular one, with Union Station’s recent revamp, Coors Field, Colorado Convention Center, and Larimer Square nearby. All along, Wynkoop has remained true to its brazen approach to brewing up crazy new concoctions.

Wynkoop offers public and private tours of their brewery. Visitors can also sit on their long, spacious outdoor patio and enjoy predetermined food and beer pairings. Wynkoop recommends the Beer Cheese Dip paired with the Rail Yard Ale; a match made in heaven!

Afterwards wandering around Wynkoop, it’s time to take a 10-minute walk to the Daniels and Fisher Tower. This recognizable 325-foot clock tower was built in 1910 as part of the Daniels & FIsher department store. At the time of its construction, the tower was the tallest building between the Mississippi and the state of California. Eventually the department store vacated the tower, which was saved and renovated into residential and office space in 1981. Daniels & Fisher Tower has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969, and is still one of the most recognizable landmarks in Denver.

The building contains a 2.5-ton bell that takes up the top two floors of the building, which was modeled after St. Mark’s Bell Tower in Venice, Italy. At the top of the tower sits the enormous clock, which has faces on all four sides. Visitors can journey upstairs to get a unique behind-the-clock view. Then, from the 20th floor Observation Deck, admire the 360-degree view of the city and the mountains looming in the distance. See if you can spot the big blue bear knocking on the window of the Colorado Convention Center!

 

Night

After a hike up to the bell tower, your growling stomach will be happy to hear that a popular Denver restaurant is just a five-minute walk away. You’ll pass right by the Colorado Convention Center as you make your way to Mici.

Mici is a proudly Italian eatery that prides itself on family values and delicious recipes passed down for generations. “Mici” is a play off the family’s last name, Micelli. When dining here, you very well might see a Micelli family member eating a meal alongside customers. Three generations of the family help run of this award-winning, local chain.

Mici makes their pizza dough fresh in-house, rolls their meatballs by hand, and invests hours into cooking their sauces.

Customers can order their pizza in multiple sizes, or as a calzone. One of their specialty pizzas is the Caprarola, which includes nitrate-free pepperoni, family-recipe sausage, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and mozzarella. If you get a 16-inch pizza, you can add a bottle of house wine for just $13.

For those who want a lighter fare, Mici’s Casa Gorgonzola salad includes red grapes, candied walnuts, mixed greens, and balsamic vinaigrette. Craving some pasta? The Tortellini alla Miceli is a specialty pasta, and includes Parmigiano-Reggiano cream sauce, prosciutto di Parma, and green peas. Fill up on some delicious food that will make you feel like part of a big, Italian family.

After you’re done with your delicious meal, the distinctive Paramount Theatre is just six minutes down the street. You’ll be able to spot it with the prominent, red, old-timey marquee proudly displaying its name.

When it was built in 1930, Paramount Theatre’s popularity skyrocketed due to its grandeur and high standards. Denver citizens are in awe of this theatre to this day, which maintains its Art Deco atmosphere and vintage vibes from its glory days.

Its grand ceilings are detailed with gold paint surrounding a centerpiece chandelier. The walls contain muted paintings of orange trees that transport you to another time and place. You’ll be completely enamored by the theater itself before the show even starts.

Though the theatre may be old, the acts it hosts are very much in touch with the current times. When you’re in Denver, see if there’s a show at the Paramount that sparks your interest. The vibrant venue hosts everything from stand-up comedians and rock and roll bands to classical music performances and stimulating lectures. You may already be seeing a show at the Colorado Convention Center, but the more the merrier.

After enjoying your travel back in time, you can end your busy day by relaxing at Denver’s highest open-air rooftop. 54thirty is six minutes around the corner from Paramount Theatre, and is the perfect spot to end your day. This seasonal, rooftop bar is a perfect gathering spot for people wanting to get up high in the Mile High City.

The bar has a warm atmosphere to soak in the sunset, gaze upon the Rocky Mountains, or watch twinkling lights of downtown Denver. The mountainous landscape stands in contrast to the city skyline, showing a pleasing duality that makes Denver so unique. The string lights hanging

You won’t want to miss out on one of the best rooftop bars in the city, so grab a drink and decompress after a long day. You’ll soak in the panoramic views of Denver one last time for the night, and then realize that even after all this exploring, you are only a five-minute walk from the Colorado Convention Center.