Denver has become an increasingly popular city to call home due to its booming economy, diverse culture and stunning mountain backdrop. With this growth, the cost of living has undoubtedly increased. Never fear, we’ve got some tips on how to take in all that Denver offers on the cheap! AMLI’s Denver apartments are located near many of these attractions throughout the city. Here are our tips to explore Denver on a budget.
Historical sights
Denver was founded in 1868 as a gold mining town and quickly became the state capital. It has an “Old West” history, 19th century architecture, modern museums and more. Visit some of the most historic landmarks in Denver and learn more about the vast and varied past of the Mile High City. Here are a few historical sights to check out that are very cheap to visit—some are even free.
- Colorado State Capitol: free
- Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, adult admission:
- Byers-Evans House, adult admission:
- Denver Firefighters Museum: adult admission:
- History Colorado Center, adult admission: 2
- Denver Mint: free
Attraction free days
What’s better than cheap? Free! The Denver Botanical Gardens has multiple free days throughout the year where you can enjoy the gardens all for no charge. The Denver Art Museum has free admission on the first Saturday of every month which includes access to view their entire permanent collection. Visit the Art Museum, located 1.5 miles from our Uptown Denver apartments. Enjoy the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on one of their many free days during the year—there is almost one every month. You can even purchase tickets to their featured exhibits, IMAX or the planetarium shows on free days.
Urban parks
While Colorado is known for the Rocky Mountains to the west of Denver, the city itself has a beautiful urban park system. These parks are located right in the city and are free to use for walking, biking or relaxing outdoors.
- City Park: Located just 4 miles from our apartments near Coors Field, this park is huge and offers a beautiful view of the Denver skyline with the Rocky Mountains in the background.
- Weir Gulch Trail: Just west of downtown, this trail follows the South Platte River. This park is great for long distance walkers and runners as it takes you through a variety of scenery—trees, residential areas and industrial parks.
- Cherry Creek State Park: Located southeast of downtown, this huge park offers camping, fishing, trails for exploring and so much more. The lush landscape and mountain backdrop at this park is not to be missed.
- Civic Center Park: This park is steps from many of Denver’s historical landmarks as well as the capitol building. While this park is enjoyable any time of the year, it’s known for the huge flower beds that are planted each summer. This park is located less than 3 miles from our Denver LoDo apartments.
Getting around
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is the mass transit system that offers services in eight of the 12 counties in the Denver/Aurora/Boulder region. The RTD is a great and affordable way to get around as it covers 2,340 square miles. You can also opt to use the light rail system that runs throughout the city, just outside Denver and to the Denver airport. If biking is your thing, check out the B-Cycle stations that are placed throughout the city and cost only per day to rent or 5 for a month-long pass.
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