Nearby places

Getting Around These Places: A Practical Way to Plan Your Day

The places on this list fall into a few natural clusters, and planning around those clusters is the easiest way to fit more into a day without spending it in traffic. Downtown and LoDo hold Denver Union Station, Coors Field, Ball Arena and the Paramount Theatre, all within walking distance or a short light rail ride of each other. East Colfax is home to the Ogden and the Bluebird, two classic music rooms along the same long avenue. The York Street site of the Denver Botanic Gardens sits just south of Colfax near City Park. Red Rocks is the outlier, up in the foothills near Morrison and roughly a half-hour drive west of downtown in normal traffic.

Pairing places

• Ballgame or arena night: Union Station makes a good starting point. It is a transit hub with places to eat and drink, and Coors Field and Ball Arena are both reachable on foot from there.
• A Colfax evening: An afternoon at the Botanic Gardens fits well before a show at the Ogden or Bluebird. Colfax has frequent bus service, and rideshare drop-offs are straightforward.
• Theater downtown: The Paramount is close to the 16th Street area, so dinner beforehand rarely needs a car.

Red Rocks needs its own plan

There is no direct public transit to Red Rocks. Most visitors drive, use rideshare, or book one of the private shuttles that run on show nights. Parking areas sit at different heights, and the walk up to the seats is steep at about 6,400 feet of elevation. Bring water and layers, and arrive early. Evenings in the foothills can turn cool quickly, even after a hot day in the city.

Before you go

Bag policies, parking arrangements and entry times vary by venue and by event. Check each venue's official website shortly before you leave. For ideas on spending time around the city beyond ticketed events, browse our guides. If you'd like to give something back to the community while you're out and about, see Get Involved.