Denver - is the capital and largest city of the US state of Colorado (CO). It is located on the east of the Rocky Mountains and forms the heart of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The population of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area is about 2,830,146 (20th largest metropolitan area in the USA). The city has a population of 557,917 and 25th-largest in the USA, the sixth-largest state capital.
Climate - Denver has a semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons. The climate, while generally mild compared to the mountains to the west and the plains further east, can often be very unpredictable.
As a major regional centre, Denver is the cultural focus of the Rocky Mountain States. The Denver Art Museum features art from around the world, and it has particularly splendid exhibits of Naive American art. The Colorado History Museum features detailed historical dioramas and a large and fascinating collection of photos of life in the Wild West. The Black American West Museum presents a lively picture of black pioneers, prospectors, cowboys, and outlaws. Finally, the Children's Museum of Denver attracts lots of visitors each year to its friendly environment.
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 artefacts that tell the story of the many contributions made by Blacks in settling the West.
Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum - is filled with memorabilia honouring 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.
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 Kid Slope, shoot baskets, compare measurements in SizeWise, sample the latest in computer software in CompuLab, and much more.
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, visitor’s 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 colourful fish.
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 - 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 remodelled 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.
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.
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. Unfortunately there are no free samples available.