23 Cool Things to Do in Littleton (By a Local)
👉 Jump to: Best Things to Do | Sites & Attractions | Outdoor
If you’re looking for things to do in Littleton, I’ve got you covered. I’m a Littleton local, and I love this little town.
Littleton is about a half-hour drive from Denver, so you get the best of both worlds — a slower pace and open space near the foothills, but proximity to downtown Denver. This list encompasses a bit of everything that makes Littleton great, from nature and outdoor activities to food and arts.
If you want to stay near Denver, but outside the crowded, expensive downtown area, consider the best places to stay in Littleton as a nice alternative.
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23 Best Things to Do in Littleton, Colorado
Historic Downtown Littleton
Browse quaint shops in a historic neighborhood.
📍 Google Maps | Website
Main Street Littleton exudes small-town charm with its restaurants and shops. It’s bookended by The Melting Pot on one end (warning – people say the bathroom is haunted) and a small park on the other.
iN-TEA is a great spot to curl up with a window seat and a pot of tea to read or people-watch. The Lazy Greyhound is a great spot for cocktails, and Palenque Cocina y Agaveria is well-known for its extensive mezcal list. They also have excellent Mexican food!
Littleton Museum
Learn about Littleton’s past.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-3950 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 4:30 pm Tues – Sat, 11 am – 4:30 pm Sun, Closed Mon | Entrance: Free
The Littleton Museum features an indoor museum with exhibitions and children’s interactive exhibits. Head outside and you’ll find an 1860s homestead farm and an 1890s farm. Depending on the day you visit, you might also find volunteers dressed in 1800s costumes and working in the blacksmith’s shop or teaching in the one-room schoolhouse.
Looking for even more area museums? Be sure to check out my list of the 17 most interesting museums in Denver.
Hudson Gardens
Stroll through quiet, themed gardens.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 797-8565 | Website | Hours: sunrise – sunset daily | Entrance: Free
There are a variety of different gardens here including a rose garden, a vegetable garden, and a water garden. There is also a beekeeping area and a running outdoor model train that kids will love. In summer, the Gardens often host concerts at night and other events during the day.
Sites & Attractions
Breckenridge Brewery
Sip a local beer and relax at this family-friendly brewery.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 803-1380 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 10 pm Mon-Sat; 11 am – 8 pm Sun
The Breckenridge Brewery is actually an entire complex off of Santa Fe where you can relax, eat, play lawn games, or vibe by the fire pit. Oh yeah, you can also sample the craft beer this brewery is widely known for! This makes a great spot for date nights or for families hanging out on a warm afternoon.
Town Hall Arts Center
Enjoy local theater and art.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-2787 | Website
The Town Hall Arts Center is housed in a building built in 1920. The THAC puts on musicals, plays, and other theatrical events and is a wonderful local theater. A small fine arts gallery makes a great place to browse during intermission.
Tattered Cover Bookstore
Browse the latest bestsellers and uniquely Colorado books.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 470-7050 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 8 pm Mon-Sat; 10 am – 6 pm Sun
The Tattered Cover is a Colorado chain of bookstores. They carry popular bestselling novels, but also a variety of more unique books written by local authors or featuring Colorado settings. I always look for the shelf of staff recommendations with personal notes when I get to the store.
Carson Nature Center
Fish and learn about the local ecosystem.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 730-1022 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 4:30 pm Tues – Fri, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm Sat & Sun, closed Mon and holidays | Entrance: Free
The Carson Nature Center features stuffed and live animals that are native to the area. There’s also a water table where kids can see how sand and obstacles affect how water moves through an area. The adjacent South Platte Park has spots for fishing and observing wildlife.
Colorado Antique Gallery
Check out hundreds of antique shops.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-8100 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Mon – Sat, 12 pm – 6 pm Sun
The Colorado Antique Gallery boasts that it’s the largest antique mall in Denver. You’ll find furniture, collectibles, jewelry, and just about any kind of antique you can imagine. The antique mall has 285 dealers in the 50,000-square-foot showroom.
Depot Art Gallery
See the talent of Littleton creatives.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-0781 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 4 pm Tues – Sun, closed Mon
The Littleton Depot Art Gallery showcases the work of local artists in the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, including photography, watercolors, paintings, and other art forms. A 1890s caboose makes a fun spot for some art of the galleries and displays as well.
Outdoor Attractions
Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms
Tour flower gardens and farms.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 865-3500 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 4 pm daily | Entrance: $13 adults, $7 ages 3-15, under 3 free
Chatfield Farms is a part of the Denver Botanic Gardens (which is one of the best things to do in Denver). While the Denver Botanic Gardens have well-ordered gardens, the Chatfield Farm flowers are less orderly and kind of wander where they want. The area also has historic buildings including an 1918 dairy barn and silo and an 1874 schoolhouse. This is also a great spot for birdwatching.
Robert Clement Park
Enjoy lots of activities at this lakeside park.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 409-2600 | Website |Hours: 5 am – 10 pm daily
There’s lots for kids and adults to do at Robert Clement Park (known to locals simply as Clement Park)! There are several playgrounds, including a newly remodeled one, a splash park, a skate park, and a trail around the lake. There are also soccer, volleyball, and softball fields, along with batting cages. In summer, the amphitheater hosts live music on warm evenings.
Bear Creek Lake Park
Practice archery, paddle the lake, or go for a hike.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 697-6159 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 10 pm (May – Sept), 7 am – 8 pm (March, April & Oct), 8 am – 6 pm (Nov – Feb) | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee
Bear Creek Lake Park offers plenty of summer activities, from fishing to paddling the lake to waterskiing. A separate area of the park includes a year-round archery range, and it’s a lovely spot for winter hikes or runs. The Bear Creek Lake Visitor Center has taxidermied animals for kids to learn about, along with other exhibits. Behind the Visitor Center, rangers often host talks or hikes that end up back at the fire pit in the evening.
Roxborough State Park
Watch for wildlife and take a scenic hike!
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 973-3959 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 9 pm daily | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee
Roxborough State Park has a visitor center that kids will enjoy exploring, along with tree-lined hiking trails and lots of spots for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. The Carpenter Peak trail is a bit of a climb, but you’re rewarded with views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains, including the snow-capped peak of Mount Blue Sky. Roxborough State Park also makes our list of the best day trips near Denver!
Chatfield State Park
Sail, bike, or horseback ride at this state park.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 791-7275 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 10 pm daily | Entrance: $12 vehicle fee
This is one of Colorado’s many popular state parks, and there are lots of outdoor activities to try! Go horseback riding at the park stables, paddle board on the reservoir or the nearby pond, fish, or ride your bike through the park. It’s also a quiet spot for winter hikes, ice fishing, and, after a good snowstorm, snowshoeing.
Deer Creek Canyon Park
Get great views of the foothills.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 9 pm daily
Deer Creek Canyon Park is a great hiking spot in Littleton, with dog-friendly trails. The park has been closed since mid-2024, but will partially reopen on May 15, 2025.
The area is also good for mountain biking. Trails lead to nice views of the hogbacks (the name for the foothills in this area) and views of downtown Denver as well. Check out Abigail’s roundup of the best hikes in nearby Denver for more hikes in the area!
High Line Canal
Walk a portion of this 71-mile urban trail.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 767-2452 | Website | Hours: dawn – dusk daily
The High Line Canal trail stretches from Aurora to Roxborough State Park. It’s a relatively flat trail, and the Littleton portion wanders past yards with farm animals and other interesting things to look at. Writers Vista Park is a good parking place to travel a portion of the trail.
Colorado Journey Mini Golf
Mini golf with a Wild West feel.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 734-1083 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 9 pm daily | 18-holes: $5.50+ adults, $4.75+ senior and under 13
Colorado Journey Miniature Golf has two 18-hole courses for guests, and each features parts of Colorado history. I highly recommend adding this spot to your list if you’re searching for fun things to do in Denver with kids!
Various holes are designed to look like Mesa Verde, the Conestoga Pass, saloons, and other Wild West buildings. Courses also have streams and water features for fun activities!
Waterton Canyon
Hike among the bighorn sheep.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 634-3745 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 7 pm daily
Waterton Canyon is known for the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep which are often on the trail or very nearby! The trail heads up to the Strontia Springs Dam and connects with the Colorado Trail. Along with the famous sheep, I’ve also seen wild turkeys and deer here.
Hildebrand Ranch
See how Littleton settlers lived.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 8 pm daily
Hildebrand Ranch is part of Chatfield Farms and includes a house, garden, stable, milking barn, and wagon shed. There is also a granary and ice house, and the blacksmith shop was recently renovated.
Mary Carter Greenway Trail
Ride along the river.
📍 Google Maps | Website
This bike path follows the South Platte River, beginning at Chatfield State Park and ending in Englewood. The path goes by Hudson Gardens, which is a good stop for water, bathrooms, and even coffee at Nixon’s Coffee House next to the trail.
Ketring Park & Lake
Ride or walk around this green space and pretty suburban lake.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 953-7625 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily
Ketring Lake, next to the Littleton Museum, allows fishing and is a pretty spot! Ketring Park has a wide, grassy lawn and is a nice place for a picnic. The paths around the park are flat and great for kids to practice biking.
Gallup Gardens
Stroll this small garden path after a trip to the library.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 798-5131 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily
Gallup Gardens is across the street from the Littleton Museum and next to the Bemis Public Library. A trail through the gardens features a story walk, with framed book pages kids can follow to read a tale along the path. A sculpture and a small pond make this a nice place to sit with a book after a library visit!
River Tubing
Float down a lazy section of the South Platte River — which ends at an awesome craft brewery.
📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 722-1645 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Thurs – Mon (seasonal) | Tube rentals: $37 – $42 adults, $33 – $38 under 13
There are several places to tube near Denver, but the South Platte is my personal favorite. It’s much longer than popular spots in Golden and Boulder, spanning 2.5 miles from Blackrock Lake to Reynolds Landing.
July is the best time to visit, as the mid-summer flow allows for a relaxing, sun-soaked ride that lasts a good 90+ minutes.
While the water is higher (and colder) earlier in the season, this stretch is very family-friendly. However, I recommend booking with Adventure West if it’s your first time tubing the South Platte. Along with a tube rental and shuttle ride to the put-in, its staff will give you a few safety tips and landmarks to look out for.
The best part? Breckenridge Brewery lies adjacent to Reynolds Landing and makes for a perfect next stop.
– Abigail Bliss
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And that’s it for some of the coolest things to do in Littleton! What will you check out when you come to visit?
The area surrounding Littleton is also worth further exploration. Highlands Ranch is a nearby town, so investigate the best things to do in Highlands Ranch next!
