OTHER TREATS AWAITING VISITORS

FAMILY FUN

The thrill rides and other lures of Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park, America’s only such downtown attraction, and City Park’s 75-acre Denver Zoo, particularly known for its tiger and elephant attractions.

MAGICAL MUSEUMS

The splendid Denver Art Museum, with its cutting-edge architecture by Daniel Liebskind, is now under expansion and full of great collections, among them Native American arts and crafts; the Clyfford Still Museum, devoted to the work of a leading abstract expressionist; and the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, a treasure house of Colorado artists’ work and international design.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Start out by researching what’s on at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the second-largest performing arts complex in the USA. Then head for a local favourite such as RiNo’s Nocturne jazz club.

UNIQUE HISTORY

The gold-domed Colorado State Capitol, the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center (ask about the photo displayed of the AfricanAmerican who managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan) and the Molly Brown House Museum, dedicated to the colourful heroine of the Titanic disaster, are all must-sees while in Denver.

SHOPPING

For a downtown experience, the two-block Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall; for the Rocky Mountain region’s premier shopping experience, the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, which includes Macy’s and Nordstrom department stores and more than 160 other retail options, and the surrounding Cherry Creek North neighbourhood – they are about a fiveminute cab ride from downtown. Among the dining options are Matsuhisa (www.matsuh isarestaura nts.com/home/denver), run by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa with his new-style Japanese cuisine and The Cherry Cricket (www.cherrycricket.com), popular for its burgers.