Top Rated Attracties 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.

This museum occupies Hangar Number One on Lowry Campus, formerly known as the Lowry Air Force Base. Here, visitors can view 31 aircraft, from a World War II Corsair to the B1A Bomber. The museum also houses extensive exhibits on the history of Lowry Air Force Base, World Wars I and II, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and even the Hubbell Telescope. A display on the science of flight includes a space station simulator.

This library, a post-modern structure full of turrets and odd geometrical shapes, is a bastion of knowledge. Internally, the academic atmosphere of each study area is indicative of individual moods. Six of the ten floors of the library are open to the public. Keeping with the tradition set in 1894, the library still has a world-class children's facility. The library is a regional depository for government publications. It offers extensive genealogical resources as well as historical books, photographs, art, and memorabilia chronicling the American West. The library also offers fiction and non-fiction texts, periodicals and computers allowing free Internet access. Tours are available.

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.

This restored Victorian mansion, once the home of legendary Denver resident Maggie (Molly) Brown now serves as a popular museum that attracts more than 40,000 visitors a year. The museum explores the eccentric life of the 'Unsinkable Molly Brown,' a Titanic survivor and eminent figure in the city's Gold Rush heritage. After the tour, browse around the gift shop and check out the selection of t-shirts, books and other memorabilia. There are guided tours available and regular special events and performances also take place.

What is now the United States Mint in Denver actually began as a humble company. In 1858, Clark, Gruber and Company started a private mint, making gold coins from the spoils of the Colorado gold rush in order to save on shipping the ore to the east coast. After minting over 500,000 dollars, the US Treasury officially bought the mint in 1863. Today, the mint is a popular tourist destination in Denver, lending insights into the stages and the entire process of currency-making. One of the oldest establishments in Colorado, the mint is touted to be one of the single largest producers of coins in the world. The mint is certainly an iconic repository of American currency, and all currency produced here has the denomination 'D' inscribed on it. Having been considerably mentioned in popular media, the Denver Mint is an indelible historic landmark of the country.