23 Things to Do in Denver in Winter (By a Local)

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Looking for things to do in Denver in winter? I’ve got you covered!

I’m a Denver area local. The cold weather here is a big part of life in Colorado! But many of us don’t let it stop us from getting out with our families and enjoying all the best things to do in Denver.

Throughout the years, I’ve discovered the best winter activities in Denver both inside and outside. Here are some of the best!

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23 Things to Do in Denver in Winter

Denver Central Market

Escape the cold and sample delicious treats and coffee in this historic RiNo building. 

📍 Google Maps | Website | Hours: 8 am – 9 pm Sun – Thurs, 8 am – 11 pm Fri & Sat

Denver Central Market is the perfect place to escape the cold and enjoy a good meal at any of the delicious Denver restaurants located inside. Denver Central Market is home to several eateries, along with an ice cream shop, a confectionery, and a fish market. Overall, it’s a fun place to warm up, people-watch, and treat yourself!

Outdoor Ice Skating

Skate your heart out at different outdoor ice rinks around Denver.

📍 Google Maps | Hours: Vary | Entrance: $10-$20

Ice skating is one of the best ways to take advantage of Colorado’s chilly weather. Luckily, there are a few different outdoor ice rinks to choose from. 

Skyline Park is located in downtown Denver and is perfect for enjoying a skate beneath the Denver skyline. The rink at Evergreen Lake is unique because it’s an actual frozen lake! The rink at Belmar is another fun outdoor rink and is surrounded by holiday lights.

Denver Art Museum

Spend an afternoon experiencing Western art, Indigenous art, and more, by local and international artists.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 865-5000 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily, 10 am – 8 pm Tue, closed Wednesdays, Thanksgiving & Christmas | Entrance: $22, adult CO residents, $27 non-residents, $19 CO teachers, seniors, students, & military $24 non-resident teachers, seniors, students & military, free under 19

The Denver Art Museum is a wonderful place to spend a few hours while the snow falls outside. The museum has permanent collections, including Western American Art and Indigenous Arts from North America (one of my favorite displays!). It also has changing exhibitions. The Family Central area has interactive activities for kids. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

Colorado’s best-known national park offers sledding, snowshoeing, and winter wildlife watching.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 586-1206 | Website | Hours: Open 24 hours, every day, weather permitting | Entrance: $30 per vehicle for 1-day pass | Browse Estes Park Hotels on Booking

Rocky Mountain National Park is the most popular national park near Denver. The park stays alive with winter activities even after the snow moves in. Hit up winter hiking trails like Bear Lake or Alberta Falls, or add snowshoes to your boots! 

There are still ranger programs this time of year, and you may even see elk or other winter-loving wildlife out and about during your visit!

Note that Trail Ridge Road, which connects the east and west sections of the park, is closed during winter. Enter on the east side via Estes Park for the most winter activities. 

Things to Do Indoors

Union Station

Enjoy a cozy drink, browse a local bookstore, or catch a holiday light show at this historic building!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 592-6712 | Website | Hours: Open 24 hours, restaurant hours vary

Union Station’s Beaux-arts style architecture makes it a beautiful place to relax, read, or people-watch any time of year. Popular activities include visiting the Tattered Cover bookstore or grabbing a drink at Terminal Bar.

But visit Union Station during the holidays to enjoy its festive, colorful light show. You can also admire the 40-foot Christmas tree outside Union Station. 

Archery Games Denver

Fight cabin fever with a high-adrenaline competition that friends and family can all enjoy.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 305-4531 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily | Entrance: from $24

Going a little stir-crazy? Channel your inner Katniss Everdeen at Archery Games Denver. Visiting this indoor archery range is a fun winter activity for all ages. 

Competitors use foam-tipped arrows against the opposite team. You’ll spend a few minutes getting instructions and practicing. Then, employees will lead participants through several games in the arena. 

Archery Games Denver is fun for families and groups of friends, but it’s also one of my favorite suggestions for an unusual Denver date night! They also host Nerf Wars if that sounds more fun to you!

Ball Arena

Enjoy performances and hockey and basketball games at this downtown Denver arena.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 405-1100 | Website | Hours: Vary, depending on game/concert times | Entrance: Varies

Ball Arena in downtown Denver is the home of the champion Denver Nuggets basketball team. It’s also the home of the champion Colorado Avalanche hockey team! 

You can also enjoy concerts, comedy shows, and sporting events all year round. Winter is a good time to see Disney on Ice performances, among other events.

Craft Beer Tour

Enjoy a cold beer at one of Denver’s many cozy breweries.

📍 Google Maps | Entrance: from $58, for 21 & up only

Craft beer is a Colorado specialty we enjoy all year long. The beer itself may not be warm, but it can be drunk in a snug, warm brewery. 

We locals are especially proud of our many Colorado breweries, so definitely try out a few! Favorites include Denver Beer Company, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company, and Great Divide Brewing Company, among others.

If you’re not sure where to start, I’d recommend trying out a craft beer tour in trendy LoDo.

West Side Books

Spend a cozy afternoon browsing the shelves at this popular Denver bookstore.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 480-0220 | Website | Hours: 9:30 am – 7 pm daily 

Westside Books is the perfect place to get cozy on a cold winter day in Denver. It’s one of Denver’s best bookstores and has a variety of new, used, and rare books available on its comfortably overstuffed shelves. There’s a kids’ section where younger readers can browse as well. By the time you leave, you’ll have plenty of reading material for chilly days indoors!

Indian Hot Springs

Relax and watch the snow fall from inside a hot springs pool located a short drive from Denver.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 989-6666 | Website | Hours: 8:30 am – 9 pm Mon – Fri, 7:30 am – 9:30 pm Sat & Sun | Entrance: $30 Mon-Thu, $35 Fri – Sun

Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs is one of the best hot springs in Colorado. It’s one of the closest hot springs to Denver and the perfect place to warm up if you visit Colorado in the winter.

The giant hot springs pool has a glass ceiling and windows so you can see the wintry weather outside. Inside, you can relax in a warm pool surrounded by tropical plants. 

Brown Palace Tea

Treat yourself to a warm cup of tea in this historic hotel that’s decorated for the holidays. 

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 297-3111 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 4 pm M-F, 11 am – 4 pm Sat & Sun | Entrance: From $75, adults, from $35 under 7 

The Brown Palace Hotel is home to one of Denver’s best tea houses.

Warm up with a cup in the center of this historic Denver hotel, with live piano music in the background. You’re sure to forget about the frigid weather outside. Plus, the holiday decorations add to the cozy, festive experience.

Tea at the Brown Palace Hotel is pricey, but it’s worth it. Just be sure to make reservations ahead of time.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Learn about everything from gems to dinosaurs at one of Colorado’s top museums!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 370-6000 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily, 9 am – 9 pm most Fri, closed Christmas | Entrance: $25.95, adults, $20.95 under 19, free under 3, $22.95 senior 65+

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is easily one of the best museums in Denver and even in Colorado! It’s a great place to visit any time of the year, but it’s ideal for escaping the cold in the wintertime. 

Wander through a mine replica to see the gem displays, including a 13.5-pound gold nugget. Explore Colorado’s ancient past along the Prehistoric Journey, and see scientists at work! There are also rooms devoted to space, mummies, and a Discovery Zone for children. 

Things to Do Outdoors

Snow Tubing and Sledding

Enjoy this classic winter activity with friends and family at several snowy spots around Denver.

📍 Google Maps | Website 

Is it even winter in Colorado if you haven’t jumped on a sled or tube at least once? Luckily, there are tons of places to go tubing and sledding around the Mile High City. 

Ruby Hill Park is a popular sledding spot, and Meyer Ranch Park has a small tubing and sledding hill in the foothills. Sledding Hill Park in the Ken Caryl area is another great sledding and tubing spot that was actually saved from becoming a housing development just for this purpose!

16th Street Mall

Window shop and grab some coffee along this downtown shopping street. 

📍 Google Maps | Website 

The 16th Street Mall is an interesting place to people-watch, window shop, and get a bite to eat! It’s also decorated beautifully in the winter. 

You can wander along 16th for as far as you’d like, browsing the shops or stopping at a coffee shop. If you get cold or tired, you can hop on the free MallRide shuttle to get back up the street. 

Ruby Hill Rail Yard

Practice skiing and snowboarding tricks for free at this local park.

📍 Google Maps | Hours: 5 am – 11 pm daily 

Ruby Hill Park is the perfect place to practice your skiing and snowboarding skills for free. It has sledding areas and a terrain park for skiers and snowboarders. 

The terrain park has rails and was designed by Winter Park Resort so locals could practice without heading to the mountains. There are no lifts or tow ropes, though, so be prepared to carry your gear back up the hill each time you want to go down. 

Skiing at Loveland Ski Area

Spend a day skiing at one of Denver’s most popular ski resorts, only an hour away. 

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (800) 736-3754 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 4 pm Mon-Fri, 8:30 am – 4 pm Sat & Sun | Lift Tickets: $119, adults, $37, children, free under 5

Loveland Ski Area is one of the easiest and quickest ski resorts nearthe city. It can easily be done as a day trip from Denver, thanks to its convenient location right off I-70. There are ski trails for all different levels here. 

Colorado is, of course, known for its many extraordinary ski resorts. Arapahoe Basin is another resort close to Denver. You could get in a few quick hours of skiing or an entire day’s worth. 

Red Rocks

Visit this iconic Denver spot in winter when it’s covered in sparkling snow.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 865-2494 | Website | Hours: 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset, possible closures to public for concerts | Entrance: free; concert ticket prices vary 

There’s something special about Red Rocks in the winter. Sure, summer is when it’s alive with concerts, movies, and events. But the stillness of winter means fewer crowds and a unique scene that most people don’t witness. 

Check out the snow-covered amphitheater and then retreat to the Visitor Center to warm up. Or, grab a bite to eat at the Ship Rock Grille. 

Denver Zoo

Check on arctic animals and enjoy festive light displays at the Denver Zoo in winter!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 337-1400 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 4 pm daily, Zoo Lights Hours: 5 pm – 9 pm | Entrance: Mar 11 – Oct 31 $26 adults, $19 under 16, free under 3

Visiting the Denver Zoo is one of my favorite things to do in Denver in the winter. You can watch all the cold-loving animals like Arctic foxes and polar bears frolic in their wintry habitats. Animals that prefer warmer temps are still on display as well, in their heated enclosures. 

Don’t miss Denver Zoo Lights! This holiday event runs at night from early December to early January. You can walk the zoo and witness festive, colorful light displays.

Ice Fishing at Evergreen Lake

Catch a big fish in the dead of winter on a nearby frozen lake outside of Denver.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 880-1311 | Website | Hours: 1 hour before sunrise – 1 hour after sunset | Entrance: Free

Ice fishing is popular on several Colorado lakes, including Evergreen Lake outside of Denver. Grab your Home Depot bucket to sit on, your rod and reel, some warm clothes, and spend a day on the frozen lake. 

And if you get chilly, there are plenty of things to do in Evergreen (like visiting a local brewery!) that are indoors.

Snowshoeing

Admire Colorado’s beautiful winter scenery on a snowshoeing trek!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 295-6600 | Website | Hours: Sunrise – Sunset | Entrance: Free

When you can’t hike, snowshoe instead! There are locations near Denver where you can snowshoe once the powder starts to pile up. 

Brainard Lake near Boulder has several trails that are great for snowshoeing. Long Lake is a beginner trail that isn’t too long. There are also several tour companies that will plan a snowshoe hike if you’re not sure where to start. 

Downtown Golden

Admire lights along a scenic creekside path and enjoy this town’s festive displays.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 279-2282 | Website 

The town of Golden is less than half an hour from Denver. Visiting Golden is a great winter activity because the town puts on a cool holiday light display along a hiking trail! The Clear Creek trail and downtown Golden are decorated each holiday season with 45,000 twinkling lights. 

Park at the Golden Visitor Center (which is also decorated!), then head west down the Clear and wander into downtown Golden. Warm up with a cup of hot chocolate at Red Silo Coffee Roasters.

And if you want to make a night of it, there are lots of great places to stay in Golden.

Empower Field

Brave cold temperatures and snow for a chance to cheer on the Broncos!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 258-3000 | Website

Empower Field is home to the Broncos football team and is one of the best stadiums in Colorado. The local news even says that every time the Broncos play a game in the snow at Empower Field, it’s good for tourism in the mountains (Source).  

Be sure to catch a Broncos game if you visit Denver in the winter. You’ll be in good company, with 76,000 of your new friends all freezing their you-know-whats off, right alongside you.

Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride

Hear those sleigh bells jingling over a hushed Colorado winter landscape!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (970) 453-1520 | Website | Entrance: $109, adults, $79 under 13, free under 4

A horse-drawn sleigh ride is a quintessential winter experience near Denver. You’ll glide past snow-covered mountain scenery while snugly tucked into a sleigh on this 20-minute ride to a dinner tent. Enjoy a three-course meal inside a heated tent, with musical entertainment. At the end, you’ll bundle back up for the sleigh ride back. 

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I hope this list has given you lots of ideas for things to do in Denver in winter, both indoors and out! Leave a comment to let me know what you plan to do on our next frigid day!

Up next, check out our guide on where to stay in Denver for more help with planning the best trip possible.