If you’re an animal lover, here’s the perfect way to go wild on your birthday, courtesy of the Denver Zoo.
The popular attraction offers complimentary admission on your birthday, as well as a few more treats to make the day extra special. [Read more…] about Go Wild For Free On Your Birthday at Denver Zoo
The Jefferson County Public Library offers FREE passes to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Firefighters Museum, Dinosaur Ridge, the Denver Trolley, Golden History Museums, History Colorado Center, MCA Denver. Molly Brown House, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls & Toys.
Passes are available in limited quantities each day and allow different numbers of people to enter the attraction at no cost. You must have a current JCPL library card (you’ll need the number handy to get your pass), but any Colorado resident can get a card, as long as you present some sort of photo ID at any one of its library locations.
Because the Culture Pass page can be sorted by date, the simplest method is to pick your day and see what’s available.
A masked bandit roams Colorado. Actually, a number of them. See these desperados for yourself up-close and personal once a month at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. This FREE event from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. is open to all.
Join a naturalist and meet the Refuge’s black-footed ferrets. Discover how this fragile species was brought back from the brink of extinction and why black-footed ferrets were released into the wild at the Refuge. You’ll also get a chance to see the ferrets have their mid-morning snack. Reservations are required. [Read more…] about See Live Black-Footed Ferrets at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge
Gnome, sweet, gnome! Garden gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet, recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.
Want to have fun, but on a budget? Case solved. Here’s a great way to entertain the kids on the cheap: Through Thursday, April 19, get a buy-one-get-one FREE ticket to see the family flick “Sherlock Gnomes.” [Read more…] about BOGO Free Ticket For “Sherlock Gnomes”
The Arapahoe County Library District offers FREE Exploration Passes good for admission to the Butterfly Pavilion, Wings Over The Rockies Air & Space Museum, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Four Mile Historic Park, Morrison Natural History Museum, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, the Molly Brown House, Clyfford Still Museum and Dinosaur Ridge. Passes are available in limited quantities each day and allow different numbers of people to enter the attraction at no cost.
Note that you must have a current ACL library card (you’ll need the number handy to get your pass) but any Colorado resident can get a card as long as you present some sort of photo ID at any one of their library locations.
Because the Exploration Pass page can be sorted by date, the simplest method is to pick your day and see what’s available.
Be sure to read the “Pass Information” for each attraction. Some passes admit four people, others only two. And you are limited in the number you can get in a 30-day period.
Why do families move to Colorado? Because it’s a great place to raise your kids. And you don’t have to spend a lot of dough to have a good time. To help you in your quest to find no-cost or low-cost family fun, we’ve created a great post – Cheap Fun with Kids. We don’t even go into the outdoor recreational activities, such as hiking, biking, skiing or whitewater rafting. You know about all that stuff.
But how about watching money (nickles, dimes, quarters) being produced right here in Denver? Stroking a live tarantula in the palm of your hand? Stepping in the footsteps of dinosaurs? Peering into the cockpit of an Air Force bomber? Sliding down a pint-size firehouse pole? See what we discovered in Denver, Boulder and the ‘burbs and be sure to tell your friends about our latest page. You might even want to bookmark this one. It’s a goodie!
Hammond’s Candies has been making delicious candies since 1920 and they still do it the old-fashioned way in small batches. FREE factory tours run Monday through Saturday every half-hour and are a great way to entertain the entire family. The tour shows the candymakers hand-pulling and hand-twisting oversize candy canes, as well as ribbon candy, lollipops and chocolate. And everyone gets a free candy sample. Sweet!! [Read more…] about Sweet Deal: Free Hammond’s Candy Factory Tour
Parents will “take issue” with this freebie from LEGO. Kids always enjoy receiving mail and, if they’re LEGO fans, this offer will make them run even faster to the mailbox. LEGO Life Magazine is a FREE magazine created for kids between ages 5 and 9, mailed to your home five times a year. Every issue is packed full of LEGO news and behind-the-bricks interviews, comic adventures, games and puzzles, building challenges and Cool Creations built by LEGO fans, as well as sneak peeks at the latest sets and themes. Parents can subscribe here.
The Carousel of Happiness is Nederland’s magical menagerie featuring 56 whimsical, hand-carved animals on a restored 1910 Looff carousel, turning to the music of a 1913 Wurlitzer ban organ. Rides are only $1. Visitors to the Carousel can also enjoy picnicking at Barker Reservoir, hiking the trails of the Mud Lake and Caribou Ranch open space areas and the Indian Peak Wilderness Area. In the winter, the carousel is a popular stop for families enjoying Eldora Mountain Resort. While the carousel is open year-round, days and hours vary depending on season. Check the website for details. 20 Lakeview Dr., Nederland, 303-258-3457.
The MY Denver Card just keeps getting better. What started as a program to give kids (ages 5 to 18) FREE year-round access to the city’s 28 recreation centers and 29 pools, as well as the Denver Public Library, also includes FREE admission and/or other deals at 13 arts, culture and science organizations and attractions, including the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver Zoo, History Colorado Center and, Buffalo Bill Museum.
Benefits at the various cultural sites are offered at various times throughout the year, so you need to check the MY Denver Card site for specifics. [Read more…] about MY Denver Card – Free Fun and Activities For Kids
Dining out can be very expensive, especially with the whole family. That’s why frugal families stretch their dollars by eating at restaurants where kids eat FREE or at a discount. Recently, we spent hours (and hours) updating our “Kids Eat FREE” page for you, our dear readers. (You’re welcome!) You can review our updated Kids Eat FREE page here.
However, we still highly encourage you to check first, before loading up the kids — as offers often change. If you’re in doubt about any requirements or restrictions, ask first before ordering. Or, even better yet, call ahead. An unexpected large tab can be quite frustrating for parents, so don’t be shy about asking questions.
We’ve also included a list of the basic guidelines, so you’re better prepared to navigate the menu of offers. If you know of a KEF promo we missed, send us an e-mail at bryan@milehighonthecheap.com.
Looking for a low-key kids activity? Every week, Grandrabbit’s Toy Shop hosts a FREE story time for kids followed by a FREE themed craft afterward. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays at two Grandrabbit’s locations. Locations are 14644 Orchard Pkwy., Westminster, 303-815-1500; and 2525 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, 303-443-0780.
How many of Colorado’s 42 state parks have you visited? Now you and your family can visit any or all of them for FREE. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has teamed up with the Colorado State Library to offer the Check-Out Colorado program. Each of 287 libraries (including public, military and college/university libraries) has two seven-day hang-tag park passes good for entrance to all Colorado state parks, and they can be reserved and checked-out just as books can. The pass also includes a backpack a guide to Colorado’s state parks, a set of binoculars, a copy of Wildlife Viewing Guide Book and field guides to trees, wildflowers and wildlife.
Each state park pass allows FREE entry (normally $7 to $9) into the parks for one carload of visitors. filled with park information and educational activities. Hike or bike the multi-use trails, find wildlife in their natural surroundings, visit a nature center or bring a picnic. With a license or camping reservation, you can try fishing or camp out overnight. Visit your local library or check the Participating Libraries List to find a library near you.
Greetings! We thought we knew about every factory tour in town, but you learn something new every day. You’ve definitely seen Leanin’ Tree Greeting Cards in gift shops, flower shops and drugstores in Colorado. Now, you can watch as flat sheets of blank paper are transformed into the beautiful, full-color cards. Feel the roar of printing presses, each the size of a school bus, as they crank out two sheets per second. Follow the production process through precise cutting equipment, the rush of automated batching, and super-fast machines folding 500,000 envelopes in a single shift.
For our “15 FREE and Cheap Tours in Denver” round-up, click here.
The factory is located in Boulder at 6055 Longbow Dr. The 45-minute tours are FREE and run Monday through Friday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Parking is complimentary, too. No reservations required. For bargain hunters, visit the Gift Shop at the end of the tour for discounted greeting cards and unique gifts. Even better, you can also visit the Leanin’ Tree Museum and Sculpture Garden of Western Art for FREE. The museum (located at the same address) displays the private art collection of Ed Trumble, founder of Leanin’ Tree Greeting Cards. The museum will close permanently on August 31, 2017. (Note: The factory, tours and gift shop will remain open.) For more tour details, read on… [Read more…] about Free Tours of Leanin’ Tree Greeting Cards & Sculpture Garden
Note: Updated procedure for obtaining Mint Tour tickets. Sometimes, we forget about the treasures right in our own backyard. If you’ve ever wondered how to make money or have visitors in town, Denver has one of the best experiences right in its back pocket. Established in 1863, the U.S. Mint of Denver produces 50 million coins a day, each one stamped with a little “D.” FREE tours show every step in the process of turning dull, blank metal slugs into shiny pocket change. Guided tours are available from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday (no tours on Federal Holidays.) They run about 45 minutes. It’s very important that you note the revised procedure for getting tour tickets. [Read more…] about Money-Maker: Free Tours of the U.S. Mint of Denver
Find daily food and drink specials at area restaurants.
Daily Food & Drink Specials
When only 100% off will do, plan your week with this list of free activities.
Free things to do in Denver
Eat up with restaurants where kids dine free or on the cheap.
Top Spots Where Kids Eat Free
Find the best free or cheap things to do with your kids in Denver and Boulder.
Top Denver kids activities
Discounts on concerts, attractions, plays, festivals, sports and more.
Denver ticket deals
Coming or going? Know your options for DIA transportation and parking.
DIA Transportation & Parking
Find the area's best consignment stores and thrift stores.
Denver Consignment Stores
Our favorite events and activities that are always free or cheap.
Always Free in Denver