10 THINGS TO DO AROUND DENVER FOR $10 OR LESS
Here are 10 things to do around Denver for $10 or less
Summer often means fun in the sun and carefree days, but if you’re on a budget, it can also mean a battle between boredom and your bank account.
Here are 10 fun, affordable activities to conquer the summer doldrums without sacrificing your savings.
Play pickleball
Denver Metro Pickleball Association, various locations. Free. Schedule games at playtimescheduler.com. More info at denvermetropickleball.co.
Pickleball, which the Denver Metro Pickleball Association describes as “one of the fastest growing sports in the country,” combines elements of tennis, racquetball, badminton and table tennis.
The pickleball association organizes free socials on the third Thursday of every month. Locations rotate; register via playtimescheduler.com.
If once a month isn’t enough for you, use the scheduler to locate or schedule games whenever you want. See where and when games are being played on the weekly calendar, arrange public play sessions by skill level, and create invite-only sessions for leagues or private groups.
See how candy is made
Hammond’s Candies factory tour, 5735 Washington St., Denver. Tour hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Free. Reservations are required. Call 303-333-5599, ext. 110. More info: hammondscandies.com.
Satisfy your sweet tooth and see how candies are “pulled, twisted, shaped and packaged by hand — just like they have been since 1920,” Hammond’s Candies website says.
Get financially fit
The Money Museum of the
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Denver location), 1020 16th St., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Free. Valid photo ID is required for 18 and older. More info: kansascityfed.org
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has one of its two Money Museums in Denver, and it’s absolutely free to visit. Learn about the economy, financial fitness and historical currency. You can even create your own currency while you’re there.
Play at the airport
Denver International Airport plaza, 8500 Peña Blvd. Plaza is located between Jeppesen terminal and the Westin Hotel. Hours vary by activity. Admission is free, but getting there or parking isn’t (see below). More info at flydenver.com/events
From May 24 through Sept. 7, Denver International Airport’s plaza transforms into a 7,000square-foot park with native Colorado trees, plants and lounge seating. A variety of events are planned, including fitness classes, mini-golf, educational events and performances, according to Alex Renteria, public information officer with DIA. Check the online schedule for details.
Renteria said people can ride the RTD A-line ($10.50 per person for a ticket to and from the airport), arrive at DIA, and head up the escalators, which will lead directly to the plaza. There are also parking options: $8 per day at the Mt. Elbert shuttle lot, with a free shuttle service every 10 minutes, or $4 an hour at the parking garage (the west one is closest).
Relive the Wild West
Buffalo Bill Museum and
Grave, 987½ Lookout Mountain Road, Golden. Summer hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 1-Oct. 31. Admission: $5 for adults, $4 for people ages 65+, $1 for children ages 6-15, free for children ages 5 and under. Info at buffalobill.org.
Learn about the life and times of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the creator and star of the legendary Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. See artifacts like the Stetson hat worn by Cody before his last performance, firearms he used and the head of the last buffalo he shot. You can also design a brand, dress as a cowboy, sit in a saddle and lasso a calf. You can also visit Buffalo Bill’s grave atop Lookout Mountain.
Understand terrorism
Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (The C.E.L.L.), 99 W. 12th Ave. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays. Admission: $8 for adults, $5 for seniors ages 65+, $5 for students and government employees with ID. Visitors are recommended to be at least 14 years old.
This nonprofit learning lab aims to help people understand terrorism and the role they can play in preventing it, and features an exhibit of myths and facts about terrorism, an action center and even an artifact from the World Trade Center.
Learn about firefighters
Denver Firef ighters Museum, 11326 Tremont Place. Summer hours: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily (last admission is at 3:30 p.m.) through August; fall/winter hours differ. Admission: $9 for adults, $6 for firefighters and for children ages 5-13, free for children ages 4 and under. More info at denverfirefightersmuseum.org.
The museum’s goal is to educate the public about fire safety and the history of firefighting in Denver. Come see the artifacts, documents and photos that the museum collects and preserves, and enjoy the exhibits that are designed to “entertain, educate and guide the public in the pursuit of new interests.”
See a drive-in movie
Denver Mart Drive In, 451 E. 59th Ave. Hours: Gates open at 7 p.m., Friday-Sunday, with movies starting at sundown (between 8:15 and 8:45 p.m.). Admission: $10 a person; kids age 6 and under are free. More info at denvermartdrivein.com/upcomingshows.
Double features have never been so good. This drive-in theater features an 80-by-40-foot screen, broadcasts sound through 89.9 FM, and holds up to 275 cars. Grab some popcorn or nachos at the Mart Cafe, and settle into a double feature. like “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” playing July 19-21.
Enjoy America’s pastime, minus the crowds
National Ballpark Museum, 1940 Blake St. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays.
Special hours for Rockies home games: Open until the first pitch during night games, three hours before daytime games until 3 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for ages 65 and up, free for kids ages 16 and under and for active military. More info: ballparkmuseum.com.
This nonprofit museum is the culmination of curator Bruce Hillerstein’s lifelong love of baseball and has been recognized by Smithsonian Books as one of the top private baseball collections in the world, according to its website. The collection includes items like the last pitching rubber (a rubber slab that sits atop Major League mounds) used at Mile High Stadium for the Colorado Rockies; a historic first ticket to Bears Stadium dated Aug. 14, 1948; and an exterior “Gate B” sign from Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.
Appreciate fine art
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. TuesdaySaturday; noon-5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays. Admission: $10 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 65+ and for students, teacher and active duty military personnel with ID.
Clyfford Still Museum, 1250 Bannock St. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays. Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for people ages 65+, $6 for students and teachers with valid ID, free for kids ages 17 and under.
Travel through about 150 years of art at the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, including a current exhibit highlighting the centennial of the Bauhaus school in Germany. Or enjoy the work of abstract expressionist Clyfford Still at the museum that bears his name, which holds 95 percent of Still’s total output during his lifetime (the collection is the most intact body of work by any major artist from any century, the museum’s asserts).