Laura

One of Denver’s most beautiful buildings is also home to our state legislature. The Colorado State Capitol welcomes about 300,000 visitors annually, with nearly 70,000 visitors taking tours of the historic Statehouse including its iconic gold dome. FREE tours begin on the first floor of Capitol Building and consist of early Colorado history, Capitol construction, several stained glass windows and a quick stop outside the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. [Read more…] about Colorado State Capitol Offers Free Tours – See The Great Gold Dome Up-Close

If the weather is fair, consider a visit to the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora. It offers six miles of hiking trails where diverse wildlife can be observed including: raptors, pronghorn antelope, insects, snakes and prairie dogs. While hiking and exploring the property is always free, you can attend special days filled with demonstrations and workshops for FREE during 2026 free days: January 15, February 19, March 21, June 11, July 11, August 20, November 14 and December 17. [Read more…] about Special Free Days at Plains Conservation Center in Aurora

Saddle up for 16 days of savings! The National Western Stock Show will ride again into Denver — starting January 10, 2026. There are lots of ticket deals to be rounded up, especially if you are willing to buy your tickets in advance. (And they make great holiday gifts for friends and family who are hard to shop for, because they already have everything!) Groupon has Stock Show tickets starting as low as $24 (up to 30% off) with 28 different events available. Remember, Stock Show event tickets include general grounds admission on the day of the event, too. [Read more…] about Good Deal! National Western Stock Show 2026 Tickets – Save Up To 30%

Visiting museums can get expensive, especially for families. However, many Denver area museums and attractions offer FREE admission every month — some even offer special activities on those days. The free days are funded, in part, by taxes collected through the Science and Cultural Facilities District and/or donations from generous sponsors. Because free days are so popular, you are wise to reserve tickets in advance if the attraction has a timed-entry policy.

While admission is FREE, special exhibitions or other add-on activities may incur a fee. Dates and times may change, so always double-check before you visit.

If you want to print out this list, there is a PDF button at the end of the post. Just click on it and voila, you have the latest version to carry with you.

[Read more…] about Free Museum Days in Denver For 2026. Now You Can Print Out Our List

The kids are home from school, relatives are visiting or maybe you and your special someone are just now trying to map out how to celebrate New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day. You need a game plan that’s inexpensive because you broke the bank on Christmas and Chanukah, like so many of us. [Read more…] about Best Free & Cheap Things To Do in Denver For New Year’s Eve and Day

Driving or strolling through a fairyland of outdoor light displays is a holiday treat that costs no more than gasoline or shoe leather. And there’s no place prettier than Denver/Boulder, especially when the snowy backdrop is the real deal. Here’s a list of the best Christmas lights in the area for the 2025 season. Our list includes professional and municipal displays and private homes.

We’ve put together a Google map for the home lights to make it easier to plot your visits. To see the map, just scroll down past the pictures of the lights.

We’re updating continuously, so send your suggestion for amazing displays to Laura@milehighonthecheap.com (please include the name of the display — if you know it, address and a photo): [Read more…] about Most Spectacular Christmas Light Displays in the Denver Area – Updated: 140+ Displays!

Once again Downtown Denver is the place to be for two spectacular fireworks shows, one for those such as families seeking an earlier evening at 9 p.m. and a second, identical extravaganza at midnight on New Year’s Eve, December 31. Both run about 8 minutes. Best viewing is the mile-long 16th Street, which is lined with outdoor cafes equipped with heat lamps for those who prefer to people watch in comfort. [Read more…] about Don’t Miss New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Downtown Denver

Dazzling drones shows will light up the skies over Downtown Denver this holiday season during the  Mile High Drone Show. For 41 magical nights, 600 drones will soar into the sky, creating holiday-themed animations. Shows start November 21 and continue through December 31, 2025. The displays are at 7 p.m. each night and last about 15 minutes. [Read more…] about Drone Shows Light Up Denver Skies For The Holidays

One more reason to love your local library? FREE passes to local museums and attractions. Many library districts offer some sort of pass that gives you FREE entry to every place from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Dinosaur Ridge to the Butterfly Pavilion and Denver Firefighters Museum. For a family of four, this can be a considerable savings and a way to explore a new or favorite attraction, without having to deal with the crowds of community-wide free days. [Read more…] about Get Free Attraction, Museum & Park Passes at Local Libraries

So you’ve opened some presents, enjoyed family time, munched on a gingerbread cookie and maybe watched a rerun (or two) of “Love Actually” or “Die Hard” or “A Christmas Story.” But, there are still hours to go on Christmas Day. Is anything going on in town? In case you need to buy some last minute eggnog or just want to get out-and-about, here’s what we found open in Denver, Boulder and beyond on December 25, 2025.

Our elves will be out and about until the last minutes, so keep checking back for the latest list.

Did we miss any? Email laura@milehighonthecheap.com.

And for those planning ahead: Here’s our list of free and cheap things to do on New Year’s Eve and New Years Day. [Read more…] about What’s Open On Christmas Day 2025 in Denver