Top Rated Attractions in Denver

Experience the great outdoors at Denver Botanic Gardens. Sprawling over three acres (nine hectares), this natural oasis is replete with several themed gardens. Stroll along bonsais at the Japanese Garden, or enjoy a fairytale-like experience with Winnie the Pooh and friends at the Storybook Gardens. Xeriscape Demo Garden is great to gather tips on home gardening and horticulture, while the Rock Alpine Garden showcases a unique topography. Take a guided tour and marvel at the verdant landscape dotted with exotic flora, lawns, waterfalls and ponds. In addition, these gardens offer several botanical exhibitions, illustrations and workshops that are both fun and interesting.

Where else can you visit polar ice caps, a tropical forest, the African Savannah, and a jungle all in one day? The spectacular Denver zoo offers state-of-the-art habitats featuring more than 3500 animals representing 600 species. Visit with sloths, tree frogs, and a moray eel at the indoor Tropical Discovery exhibit. Or wander through the seven-acre Primate Panorama exhibit. From cold climate penguins to tropical flamingos, Bird World will inspire your appreciation of winged things. It is open 365 days a year.

Located just down the street from Coors Field, Wynkoop Brewing Company is the perfect pre-game destination during baseball season. But that doesn't mean it's unpopular during the rest of the year. This brew pub, one of Denver's first, offers an impressive variety of entertainment and dining options, boasting an upstairs pool hall and a delicious menu of food such as burgers, sandwiches and a buffalo meatloaf. Tours of the brewery are also organized, wherein visitors can witness the various stages and procedures of brewing a fine batch of beer.

At La Rumba, formerly known as 9th Avenue West, sultry salsa dancing takes center stage. Within this spacious and colorful club, decorated down to the bathrooms with art from Picasso and his contemporaries, comfortable couches and sleek tables line the slick-tiled floor which gives way to salsa dancing through the night. This is one of Denver's few clubs that will make you feel out of place if you enter in T-shirt and shorts; dress is very classy. Free salsa dance lessons are also given.

Enjoy the best live music that Colorado has to offer at the Buffalo Rose; there is live music every night and during the summer, you can even enjoy it from the live patio. The bar is frequented by a delightful mix of people and has a decent selection of Mexican small bites and an array of good strong drinks to complement their time here. It gets pretty raucous on the weekends so be prepared for a good time. The music covers almost every genre of music, ranging from reggae to hip hop. So choose your night and walk down this eclectic live music haunt.

Macky Auditorium is the venue of choice for many orchestras and it is the primary home of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. It is run under the learned hands of the internationally acclaimed director, Theodore Kuchar, who also leads the prestigious Australian Festival of Chamber Music every year, in fact, this Philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the finest in the West. Guest appearances have featured the likes of Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yo-Yo Ma, and Sarah Chang.