# Things to do in Denver with kids Written 2026-10-06 by Play Day. Things to do in Denver with kids: the zoo, the Museum of Nature and Science, Mordecai Children's Garden and top playgrounds, plus where to eat. Denver with kids starts in City Park. The zoo, the Museum of Nature and Science and two good playgrounds all sit in or beside it, so it's the one place where you can fill a whole day without getting back in the car. The rest of the list is a few smaller outings: a children's garden by the botanic garden, a museum and an aquarium in the Platte River Valley, the art and history museums at Civic Center, and a handful of playgrounds that are better than the ones near your hotel. Denver is spread out, so a plan of three stops in a day usually ends up as two. Pick one part of town per day and let the playground be the second stop. Each part of town gets somewhere to eat nearby. Staying over? There's a short list of hotels at the end, and a longer one on its own page. ## How we picked These are the places we'd send a friend with a three-year-old and an eight-year-old. We kept to places that work for kids under about ten. That leaves out the mountain day trips (great, but they're a different plan), the bars and breweries that happen to let kids in, and the chain play places you can find in any city. ## City Park The zoo, the nature museum and the playgrounds are all inside one big park a couple of miles east of downtown. They're walkable from each other, but it's a lot of ground for small legs, so plan on a car or a stroller between the far ends. ### [Denver Zoo](https://ourplayday.com/places/denver-zoo-conservation-alliance-denver) Neighborhood: City Park Why we picked it: The big-animal day in City Park, with a little railroad for anyone who has stopped walking. Bring a kid who wants to see real animals up close and you'll fill the day. The big habitats are Toyota Elephant Passage, Primate Panorama and Predator Ridge, and the zoo has a little railroad, which does a lot of work with anyone who has stopped walking. It's a big zoo, so pick two or three habitats and leave the rest. Toddlers are happier for it. It has changing tables and is stroller accessible. - Free entry: No - Restroom: Yes - Changing table: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [Discovery Zone at the Museum of Nature and Science](https://ourplayday.com/places/discovery-zone-at-denver-museum-of-nature-science-denver) Neighborhood: City Park Why we picked it: The part of the museum built for kids up to about eight, with a waterway, a fossil dig and a construction corner. This is the part of the museum built for the youngest kids, up to about age 8. There's a Colorado-themed waterway to splash through, a place to dig for fossils and a construction corner, so it's loud, wet and exactly what a preschooler wants. Pack a spare shirt. The rest of the museum (dinosaurs, space, gems) suits school-age kids better, and it's a good rainy-day answer. If your kids are older and don't care about water play, the Discovery Zone is the part to skip. - Free entry: No ### [City Park Playground (Dragon and Castle)](https://ourplayday.com/places/city-park-playground-dragon-and-castle-denver) Neighborhood: City Park Why we picked it: The City Park playground with a sculpted dragon and a merry-go-round every kid can use, close enough to split a zoo day. The one with the dragon: a sculpted dragon to climb through, castle towers and a merry-go-round that kids of every ability can use. There are swings and picnic tables, and it suits preschoolers and school-age kids alike. It's close to the zoo, so it's the easy way to split a zoo day in half. - Free entry: Yes - Ages: Ages 5 and up ### [City Park Nature Play](https://ourplayday.com/places/city-park-nature-play-denver) Neighborhood: City Park Why we picked it: The wood-and-rock playground with a giant bighorn sheep, on the museum side of City Park, so it pairs with the Discovery Zone. A giant bighorn sheep to climb, animal tracks to find in the ground and natural streams and slides to explore. It's built from rock and wood rather than bright plastic, and it suits preschool and school-age kids who like to scramble. It's on the museum side of the park, southwest of the Museum of Nature and Science, so it pairs with the Discovery Zone rather than the zoo. - Free entry: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes - Ages: Ages 5 and up ## The botanic garden and Washington Park Two outings on the south side of central Denver, a few miles apart. Treat them as separate half days, not a pair. ### [Mordecai Children's Garden](https://ourplayday.com/places/mordecai-children-s-garden-denver) Neighborhood: Denver Botanic Gardens Why we picked it: The children's garden with a dirt pit, a swinging bridge and a stream, for kids who want to dig and splash. A garden made for getting dirty: a dirt pit to dig in, a swinging bridge, a stream to splash in and a mountain to climb that stands in for the Colorado alpine. Pack dry clothes. It's inside the Denver Botanic Gardens, so you can pair it with the rest of the grounds when someone wants a walk. It's a warm-weather place, and the listing has the season and how to book. - Free entry: No - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [Washington Park Nature Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/washington-park-nature-playground-denver) Neighborhood: Washington Park Why we picked it: A playground of wood rather than plastic, with separate areas for younger and older kids, inside a park made for picnics. A playground made of wood instead of bright plastic: a rope bridge connecting treehouse-style forts, log structures to climb, a sandbox and a few oversized wooden bugs. There's an area for younger kids and another for older ones. It sits inside Wash Park, which has two lakes and wide lawns, so it's easy to turn into a picnic afternoon. Homegrown Tap & Dough is close by when it's time to eat. - Free entry: Yes - Ages: Ages 5 and up ## Downtown and the Platte River The Platte River Valley sits just west of downtown, and the Children's Museum and the aquarium are both there. Both are a short ride from a LoDo hotel, and a rideshare is the easier answer with a stroller. ### [Joy Park at the Children's Museum of Denver](https://ourplayday.com/places/joy-park-at-children-s-museum-of-denver-denver) Neighborhood: Platte River Valley Why we picked it: The outdoor run-around at the Children's Museum, with sand, a river and ruins to scramble through, for a kid who needs to move. The Children's Museum's outdoor area, and the reason to bring a kid who needs to run. There's sand to dig, a river to mess about in and canyons and ruins to scramble through. It has a changing table and is stroller accessible. It suits preschool and school-age kids who like to dig and climb. It's outdoors, so save it for a dry day (or one where wet is the plan). - Free entry: No - Changing table: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [Downtown Aquarium](https://ourplayday.com/places/downtown-aquarium-denver) Neighborhood: Platte River Valley Why we picked it: The short indoor stop in the Platte River Valley, laid out as a walk-through that works like a scavenger hunt. Fish, rainforest animals and one giant tank, laid out as a walk-through, so it works as a scavenger hunt: send your kid to find the one animal they pick first. It's stroller accessible and indoors. It's a short visit rather than a day, so pair it with Joy Park at the Children's Museum or a lunch at the Milk Market. - Free entry: No - Wheelchair access: Yes ## Civic Center and the Golden Triangle The art museum and the history museum are a couple of blocks apart, and both are good when it's raining or too hot. They suit school-age kids more than toddlers. ### [Denver Art Museum](https://ourplayday.com/places/denver-art-museum-denver) Neighborhood: Golden Triangle Why we picked it: The art stop for school-age kids, with hands-on art-making next to the collections, and an indoor plan for rain. Hands-on art-making alongside the collections, so kids get to make something instead of only looking. It's stroller accessible and has restrooms. It suits school-age kids best. Toddlers will want to touch the art, so pick one gallery and the hands-on space and call it a visit. - Free entry: No - Restroom: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [History Colorado Center](https://ourplayday.com/places/history-colorado-center-denver) Neighborhood: Golden Triangle Why we picked it: The history stop for kids who would rather press and climb than read a label, and an indoor pair with the Art Museum. A history museum full of hands-on Colorado exhibits, so it works for kids who would rather press and climb than read a label. It's stroller accessible and has restrooms. Pair it with the Art Museum on a day you need to be indoors, and pick one of the two if your kids tire fast. - Free entry: No - Restroom: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes ## Playgrounds worth crossing town for Every Denver neighborhood has a decent playground. These are the ones that give you something you won't find near your hotel. They're all free, and none is walkable from the others, so pick the one on your way. ### [Long's Pine Grove](https://ourplayday.com/places/long-s-pine-grove-denver) Neighborhood: Four Square Mile Why we picked it: The playground that feels like a forest, with rope bridges and boulders, and the pick for a local-feeling afternoon. It feels more like a forest than a playground: rope bridges, boulders to climb, a woodsy cabin and a sand area. There's shade, restrooms and stroller access, and the grass field next to it is good for kids who need to run. It's in southeast Denver, away from the tourist parts of town, so it's the one for a local-feeling afternoon. It suits preschoolers through school-age kids. - Free entry: Yes - Restroom: Yes - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [Sloan's Lake South Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/sloan-s-lake-south-playground-denver) Neighborhood: Sloan's Lake Why we picked it: Two rocket-shaped climbing structures with a zip line, so it's the pick for a space-obsessed kid, beside a lake path. Two climbing structures shaped like rockets, with slides and a zip line. A space-obsessed kid goes straight up. It's beside the lake, so it pairs with a lap of the water path. It suits preschool and school-age kids. - Free entry: Yes - Ages: Ages 5 and up ### [Paco Sanchez Playground](https://ourplayday.com/places/paco-sanchez-playground-denver) Neighborhood: West Denver Why we picked it: A giant microphone as the climbing tower, plus a spiral slide and a zip line, so bigger kids have plenty to race between. The climbing tower is a giant microphone, and there's a spiral slide and a swing zip line, so bigger kids have plenty to race between. It suits preschool and school-age kids. It's on the west side of town, not far from Sloan's Lake, so the two make a good pair if you're out that way. - Free entry: Yes - Ages: Ages 5 and up ## Where to eat nearby Somewhere to eat near each part of town, picked for places kids will actually eat at. ### [Syrup](https://ourplayday.com/places/syrup-city-park-denver) Neighborhood: City Park Why we picked it: Pancakes, waffles and French toast with house-made syrups, and a patio on the edge of City Park near the zoo. Much of the menu is built to carry syrup: pancakes, waffles and French toast with house-made flavors, so a kid who goes best on pancakes has plenty to pick from. There's a patio as well as indoor seating. It sits on the edge of City Park near the zoo, which makes it the easy start before the zoo or the museum. ### [Blue Pan Pizza](https://ourplayday.com/places/blue-pan-pizza-congress-park-denver) Neighborhood: Congress Park Why we picked it: Detroit-style pizza where kids spread their own sauce and toppings, and the closest of these to the botanic garden. Detroit-style pizza, and the kids' menu lets them build their own: the cooks stretch the dough and the kids spread on the sauce and add toppings, which turns a long wait into a project. It has crayons on the table, and the team will give a kitchen tour if you ask. The Congress Park spot is small, and it's the closest of these to the botanic garden, so it works after Mordecai. ### [Sam's No. 3](https://ourplayday.com/places/sam-s-no-3-downtown-denver) Neighborhood: Downtown Why we picked it: A family-owned diner on Curtis Street since 1927, with Mickey Mouse pancakes, coloring pages and a gumball machine. A family-owned diner with a huge menu, a big kids' section (Mickey Mouse pancakes, mac and cheese, corn dogs), coloring pages and a gumball machine, plus high chairs and stroller access. It's been on Curtis Street since 1927. It's one for a table with a toddler and a picky eight-year-old at the same time, and it's downtown, so it's easy to fit around the museums. - Wheelchair access: Yes ### [Denver Milk Market](https://ourplayday.com/places/denver-milk-market-denver) Neighborhood: LoDo Why we picked it: A food hall with skee-ball and foosball where everyone orders something different, two blocks from Union Station. A food hall with pizza, pasta, gelato, crepes and a lot of other counters, so everyone can order something different and still sit together. It has a kids' menu, plenty of seating, and games for the wait: skee-ball, foosball and air hockey. It's in LoDo, two blocks from Union Station and the nearest of these to the Platte River Valley. ### [Homegrown Tap & Dough](https://ourplayday.com/places/homegrown-tap-dough-wash-park-denver) Neighborhood: Washington Park Why we picked it: A neighborhood pizza spot with a fire-pit patio and a game hut for kids, the lunch after the Wash Park playground. Wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta in a neighborhood tap house, with a kids' menu. The patio has a fire pit, and there's a little arcade hut for kids. It's close to Wash Park, which makes it the easy lunch after a morning at the playground. ## Where to stay Denver hotels look closer to the zoo on a map than they feel. These four sit in the parts of town the plan runs from, and there's a longer list of Denver hotels for kids on its own page. ### [The Rally Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/the-rally-hotel-denver) Neighborhood: McGregor Square Why we picked it: The downtown base for the Platte River and Civic Center days, with a rooftop plunge pool and games the front desk lends out. The downtown base for the Platte River and Civic Center days. There's a rooftop plunge pool and hot tub, and the front desk lends out games and cards. From here, City Park is a drive. ### [Warwick Denver](https://ourplayday.com/places/warwick-denver-denver) Neighborhood: Uptown Why we picked it: The Uptown base, with suites that have a separate living area and a heated rooftop pool, a short drive from the zoo. In Uptown, with a heated rooftop pool. The suites have a separate living area, which helps when someone is asleep at 7pm. It's a short drive to the zoo, not a walk. There's no kids club. ### [Catbird Hotel](https://ourplayday.com/places/catbird-hotel-denver) Neighborhood: RiNo Why we picked it: The toddler pick: a full kitchen in every room and a downstairs playroom with bikes and games to borrow. Every room has a full kitchen, and there's a playroom downstairs with bikes and games to borrow. It's the pick for a toddler, since you can cook and the playroom absorbs the hour before dinner. It's in RiNo, a short drive from City Park and the downtown museums. There's no pool. ### [Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek](https://ourplayday.com/places/halcyon-a-hotel-in-cherry-creek-denver) Neighborhood: Cherry Creek North Why we picked it: The calmer base in Cherry Creek North, with a rooftop pool, for the Botanic Gardens and Washington Park days. A rooftop pool with cabanas, in Cherry Creek North. It's the base for the Botanic Gardens and Washington Park days, and it's calmer than downtown. It's a drive to City Park and the downtown museums. ## Put a day together City Park day: Syrup for breakfast, the zoo in the morning, the dragon playground to split the day, and the Discovery Zone after lunch if there's energy left. Garden day: Mordecai in the morning, Blue Pan Pizza for lunch, then Wash Park and its nature playground. Downtown day: the Children's Museum's Joy Park, lunch at the Milk Market, then the Aquarium. Museum day: the Art Museum and History Colorado, with Sam's No. 3 in between. ## Altitude, sun and dry air Denver is a mile above sea level, and the air is dry. Kids don't usually notice the altitude, but grown-ups can feel tired and headachy on day one, so keep the first day light and carry water everywhere. The sun is strong even when it's cool, so pack sunscreen and hats for the playground days, and lip balm for the dry air. ## Getting around From the airport, the A Line train runs to Union Station in LoDo, which is the easy way in if you're staying downtown. After that, you'll want a car or rideshare for City Park, the botanic garden and the playgrounds. The downtown places connect on foot, and the Civic Center museums are a couple of blocks apart. ## Questions ### What is free to do in Denver with kids? The playgrounds: City Park Playground (Dragon and Castle), City Park Nature Play, Washington Park Nature Playground, Long's Pine Grove, Sloan's Lake South and Paco Sanchez cost nothing to use. ### What can you do in Denver with kids when it rains? The Discovery Zone at the Museum of Nature and Science, the Children's Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, the Denver Art Museum and History Colorado are all indoors. The Discovery Zone is the one for under-eights. ### What is the best thing to do in Denver with a toddler? The Discovery Zone at the Museum of Nature and Science, built for kids up to about eight, with a waterway and a construction corner. Mordecai Children's Garden and Joy Park at the Children's Museum are the outdoor answers on a warm day. ### Is the Denver Zoo or the Museum of Nature and Science better with kids? Do both, on different days if you can. They're both in City Park, so they're easy to reach together, but each one fills most of a morning. The zoo is the better pick for a sunny day, and the museum for a rainy one. ### Do you need a car in Denver with kids? For most of this, yes, or a rideshare. The A Line train from the airport gets you to Union Station, and the downtown and Civic Center places connect on foot. City Park, the botanic garden and the playgrounds are a drive apart. ### Where should you stay in Denver with kids? Downtown, at The Rally Hotel, for the Platte River and Civic Center days. Uptown, at Warwick Denver, for City Park. RiNo, at Catbird Hotel, if you want a kitchen. Cherry Creek, at Halcyon, for the botanic garden and Wash Park. The longer list of Denver hotels for kids has pools, suites and kitchens. Page: https://ourplayday.com/guides/united-states/colorado/denver/things-to-do-with-kids