The Gateway Cities: Denver, CO

www.denver.org

Where the New West Meets the Old

Denver is a mile high and climbing! This vibrant young city is located at the base of the Rocky Mountains and enjoys a mild year-round climate with 300 days of bright sunshine. Golf courses and outdoor cafes remain open all year. Denver is in the midst of a cultural renaissance with three new art museums and an incredible new opera house that is part of the second largest performing arts center in America.

The heart of Downtown Denver is a mile-long pedestrian promenade - the 16th Street Mall. The mall is lined with shops, outdoor cafes and flower baskets. At one end of the mall is LoDo, a trendy historic district where century-old brick buildings now house more than 90 brewpubs, music clubs and restaurants. Denver is gaining a reputation for its fie dining with many young, nationally acclaimed chefs. Area specialties include Southwestern and Mexican dishes, Souith American cuisine, Asian and pan-Asian, and locally raised steak and buffalo meat.

Denver is also a cultural city. Enjoy live music at a concert under the stars at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The Denver Performing Arts Complex has 10 theatres that can seat 10,000 people for symphony, opera, dance and theatre. The renowned Denver Art Museum is building a new wing designed by Daniel Libeskind, while two other new art museums are planned for downtown.

With so much sunshine and a young, active population, Denver is an outdoor activities center. Denver has the largest city park system in America with 1,000 kilometers of paved bike trails and more than 200 parks. There are more than 90 golf courses in the area and it is just a short drive to a dozen ski areas and thousands of kilometers of hiking trails. Denver is ideally located as the hub of a great Rocky Mountain vacation.

There are three sports stadiums in downtown Denver for seven professional sports teams, including basketball, soccer, American football, baseball, lacrosse and more.

For a different type of adventure, Six Flags Elitch Gardens is America's only downtown amusement park with 50 thrill rides, a half pipe roller coaster and an entire water theme park.

Denver is the largest shopping city in a 1,000 kilometer circle. Denver Pavilions is located in the heart of downtown and Cherry Creek Shopping District has 500 shops, boutiques, galleries and department stores including Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's, all just two miles from downtown. Quaint neighborhoods surrounding downtown offer hidden gems, one-of-a-kind shopping, cafes and restaurants.

Colorado's colorful history is on display at the Colorado History Museum, which tells the story of the mountain men, prospectors, American Indians and pioneers who have called Colorado home. Denver's "Old West" character is preserved in hundreds of beautiful old buildings and a collection of museums, ranging from the gravesite of Buffalo Bill Cody to museums devoted to narrow gauge railroads. Each January, the National Western Stock Show gallops into town with a rodeo and stock show that showcases real wild west fun.

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