The Mile High city is a wonderful family vacation destination. Loaded with historical offerings from dinosaurs to wild west, modern fun theme parks and museums, and breathtaking mountain views, Denver will keep you busy for days!

We couldn’t fit it all in and we stayed downtown for 10 days. I’ll have to admit, some places we visited more than once.

Here’s a quick overview of our favorite of Denver’s many offerings:

16th Street Mall: A tree-lined shopping and dining bonanza with trolleys and horse-drawn carriages.

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs: Unique wild-game hotdog experience with kosher beef for the rest of us. Get it with cream cheese… yum!

Children’s Museum of Denver: We went here every day, practically. Huge hit with the preschoolers and toddlers!

Denver Museum of Nature and Science: Science museum with dinosaur fossils, planetarium, and super-fun Discovery Zone.

Denver Zoo: Very kid-friendly zoo, located next to the Museum of Nature and Science and across from a very nice park.

Dinosaur Ridge: A must for the dinosaur fan! Actual footprints and fossils to explore.

Downtown Aquarium Denver: Complete water cycle experience. Watch out for the waterfall…

Lariat Loop: Beautiful way to get out into the mountains for the day.

Red Rocks Ampitheater and Park: Must-see on the Lariat Loop, or a destination all its own.

Elitch Gardens: Located near the Children’s Museum. Who doesn’t love a Six Flags-style theme park?

Tattered Cover Bookstore: Historic independent bookstore with an eclectic kid’s section. My toddler loved it, even without a train table.

We keep adding more, so check back often. Better yet, add your favorites to the comments section!

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