Black American West Museum 3091 California Ave (303) 292-2566 The Black American West Museum tells the forgotten story of African American cowboys, who made up as many as one third of all the cowboys on the great cattle drives. Housed in the home of Dr. Justina Ford, Denver's first African American doctor, the museum has exhibits, historic photos and artifacts that tell the story of the many contributions made by African Americans in settling the West. Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum 987 Half Lookout Mountain Rd (303) 526-0747 This museum is filled with memorabilia honoring the famous frontier scout, showman and Pony Express rider, William F. Cody. Exhibitions include gun collections and posters from the Wild West Show. A beautiful view of the mountains and the plains is visible from his gravesite. Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center 6252 W 104th Ave (303) 469-5441 Featuring a lush tropical forest filled with up to 1,600 free-flying butterflies, this is an adventure you won't want to miss. There is also an insect center, gift shop, outdoor gardens and many fun, educational exhibits. The Children's Museum of Denver 2121 Childrens Museum Dr (303) 433-7444 The Children's Museum of Denver is a unique participatory museum for children and families. This museum features interactive exhibits and activities. Children can learn to ski on KidSlope, shoot baskets, compare measurements in SizeWise, sample the latest in computer software in CompuLab, and much more. The Colorado History Museum 1300 Broadway (just off Civic Center) (303) 866-3670 The Colorado History Museum offers a series of dioramas and exhibits that trace the colorful history of the Indians, explorers, gold miners, cowboys and pioneers that have called Colorado home. Exhibits include an outstanding collection of William Henry Jackson photos and a large diorama of Denver as it appeared in 1860. Call for information on special exhibits. Colorado's Ocean Journey 700 Water St (303) 561-4450 Colorado's Ocean Journey is a world-class aquarium that takes visitors on two journeys following two rivers that both start 12,000 feet above sea level. On one side, visitors follow the Colorado River through red rock canyons and flash floods on its way to the Sea of Cortez. On the other side, visitors twist through tropical rain forests following the Kampar River through the mountains of Sumatra on their way to a coral reef filled with sharks and colorful fish Colorado State Capitol 1475 Sherman St (303) 866-2604 The Colorado State Capitol stands a mile above sea level with a plaque on the 15th step to mark the spot that is 5,280 feet (1,609 m) high. The dome is covered with 200 ounces of pure gold and there is a beautiful view from the rotunda of the entire Front Range, from Pikes Peak, all the way north to the Wyoming border, a distance of over 150 miles. Denver Art Museum 100 W 14th Ave (303) 640-2793 Denver Art Museum has what is considered to be the finest collection of American Indian art works in the world covering all tribes, as well as 30,000 other art objects in seven curatorial departments. The museum celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 1993 with newly remodeled Asian, Pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial galleries and renovated African and Oceanic galleries. It is the largest art museum between Kansas City and the West Coast. Denver Botanical Gardens 105 York Street (303) 331-4000 The Denver Botanic Gardens has a large conservatory, an alpine garden with rare tiny flowers, a Japanese tea garden, as well as a water garden with hundreds of water lilies that bloom in late summer. It is just one of 506 public gardens in Denver where over 240,000 flowers are planted each year. Denver Museum of Natural History 2001 Colorado Blvd (303) 370-6310 The Denver Museum of Natural History is the fourth largest museum of its kind in the nation, with over 80 dioramas depicting animals from around the world. It also features an outstanding dinosaur collection, a Hall of Life devoted to studying the human body, a planetarium, an outstanding geological collection and an IMAX theater. The museum has recently opened Prehistoric Journey, a permanent exhibit that takes a fascinating look at the Earth's 3.5 billion-year history of life. Denver Zoo In City Park between York & Colorado Blvd on 23rd Ave (303) 331-4100 The Denver Zoo is consistently rated as one of the top 10 in America with 3,500 animals in lovely spreading grounds in City Park. "Tropical Discovery," is a 1.5-acre rainforest under glass in which visitors feel the sensation of walking through a jungle teeming with wildlife. Other highlights of the Zoo include "Northern Shores" where you can watch polar bears swim underwater and Primate Panorama, where visitors can get as close as 10 feet to over 29 species of monkeys Six Flags Elitch Gardens Theme Park I-25 at Speer Blvd (303) 455-4771 Six Flags Elitch Gardens Theme Park is a one hundred-year-old theme park known for its European atmosphere, elaborate floral gardens, and thrill rides. In 1995, Elitch Gardens moved to an expanded location in downtown Denver along the South Platte River with all new rides, gardens, lagoons, restaurants and amusements. Molly Brown House 1340 Pennsylvania St (303) 832-4092 The Molly Brown House honors "Unsinkable Molly Brown," the heroine of the Titanic disaster with mementos from her life preserved in her beautiful home on Capitol Hill. Molly was one of the most colorful characters to come from Denver's gold rush period. While sailing on the Titanic, she took command of a lifeboat and was credited with putting down a panic. Her life story was the inspiration for the hit musical and film, "Unsinkable Molly Brown." Red Rocks Amphitheatre 12 mi west of Denver in Morrison Colorado Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a 9,000-seat natural outdoor arena carved out of huge, 500-foot (152 m) high, red sandstone cliffs, all overlooking Denver and the plains. With its views and geologic wonders, it's one of the world's most famous concert sites and has played host to everyone from the Beatles to symphony orchestras. Seventy million years ago, the rocks were the beach of an ancient inland sea that covered eastern Colorado and Kansas. Today, it's a wonderful site for hikes, picnics and concerts. Tiny Town 6249 S Turkey Creek Rd (303) 790-9393 Tiny Town is a child-sized village with dozens of "Old West" buildings, all built at 1/6 scale in a scenic mountain location. An authentic toy steam locomotive circles the park giving children and adults a ride past the miniature town. U.S. Mint W Colfax Ave & Cherokee St (303) 844-3582 The U.S. Mint is where over five billion coins are made each year and there are free 20-minute tours on weekdays. It is also the second largest storehouse of gold bullion in the U.S. after Fort Knox. The gift shop has many unique coins not available anywhere else, and there is a small museum on the history of money.