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Explore the Best & Most Fun Things to Do in Golden, Colorado: A Guide to the Top Places to Visit

Golden sits up high enough that the seasons genuinely mean something out here. Summer is when the whitewater park and the trails will both properly work. The mesa and Lookout Mountain both bake by the middle of the day. Winter closes some of the country off and opens up the brewery tours. The museums will cover whatever the weather decides to throw at you here.

Are you looking for a getaway that puts you in the mountains fast? Look at Golden, Colorado. This small town sits a short drive from Denver and runs enough activity and oddity to make a trip stick.

Whether the history, the outdoors or the beer is what brought you, Golden serves all three. You can take the town’s Wild West past at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave, walk real country at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, or work through the local brews at the Coors Brewery.

Downtown Golden is the other stop nobody should skip, with its small shops, its restaurants and the music running most nights. And if you want something you cannot do elsewhere, Golden holds the Colorado Railroad Museum and the Golden Moon Distillery. No matter what you follow, Golden will fill the days properly.

Key Takeaways

• Golden, Colorado offers a wide range of activities and experiences, from historic attractions to outdoor adventures to a vibrant downtown scene.
• Visitors can explore the town’s Wild West history, hike through stunning natural landscapes, sample local brews, and enjoy unique experiences like the Colorado Railroad Museum and the Golden Moon Distillery.
• With its proximity to Denver and its many exciting offerings, Golden is the ideal destination for a fun and adventurous getaway.

Historic Attractions

If history is your subject, Golden, Colorado is where to go. The city holds several museums and historic sites that open the past up. Here are the historic attractions worth your time in Golden.

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave

Located on Lookout Mountain, the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave stands as a tribute to the Old West showman Buffalo Bill Cody. The museum holds artifacts from Buffalo Bill’s life and career, including his Wild West Show, which toured the United States and Europe through the late 1800s. You can also visit Buffalo Bill’s grave, which sits with the mountains opening away on every side.

Golden History Museum

The Golden History Museum is where to start on the local history of Golden. The museum runs exhibits on the early settlers, the gold rush and how the agriculture and industry here developed. The museum also runs events and programs across the year, including lectures, workshops and activities for families.

Colorado Railroad Museum

The Colorado Railroad Museum is unmissable for anybody who follows history or railroads. The museum holds historic locomotives, passenger cars and cabooses, along with exhibits on the railroads of Colorado. You can ride a vintage train, work through the exhibits and read what the railroads actually did to the American West.

Mines Museum of Earth Science

The Mines Museum of Earth Science sits on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines and holds minerals, fossils and other geological specimens. The museum also runs exhibits on mining and on the history of the Colorado School of Mines. You can take a guided tour, put your hands on the activities and learn how the Rocky Mountains were actually built.

Whether local history, the Old West or geology is your subject, Golden, Colorado has the material. Be sure to take these historic attractions if you want the city’s past properly.

Outdoor Adventures

If the outdoors is what brought you to Golden, Colorado, you have landed well. The city sits inside real country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Clear Creek Canyon. Here are the strongest outdoor days you can take in Golden.

Hiking Trails

Golden runs a range of hiking trails that suit every level of walker. Whether you started last week or have walked for years, one of them will fit. Here are the better-known hiking trails in Golden:

Clear Creek Trail

The Clear Creek Trail runs 20 miles alongside the Clear Creek River. It’s the one to take for an easy walk or a bike ride, with the water beside you the whole way. You can also fish the river if you carry a license.

North Table Mountain

North Table Mountain is a mesa standing just north of downtown Golden. The mesa gives you the city and the mountains behind it in one look. There are several trails up it, running from easy to moderate.

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Golden Gate Canyon State Park sits a short drive from Golden. The park covers over 12,000 acres of outdoor ground, running hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. There are over 36 miles of trails in the park, from the easy to the genuinely hard.

Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain is where the outdoor people go first. The mountain gives you the city and the range behind it from one place. There are several trails on it, running from easy to hard. You can also take the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve, which runs exhibits and programs on the local wildlife and the country it lives in.

If the outdoors is what you came for, Golden will not disappoint you. From hiking to mountain biking to the drives, every interest is served. So pack the bags, take the gear and get out into it.

Brewery Experience

If beer is your subject, Golden, Colorado is where you want to be. The city holds several breweries with reputations that travel well beyond the state. Here are the strongest brewery experiences you can have in Golden.

Coors Brewery Tour

No visit to Golden is complete without the Coors Brewery Tour. This brewery has stood in Golden since 1873 and puts the beer-making process right in front of you. You’ll get the history of Coors and how the beer is actually made. The tour costs nothing, and there is tasting at the end of it. Book in advance, because this one draws 300,000 people every year.

Golden City Brewery

Golden City Brewery is a family-owned operation that has been brewing since 1993. They keep a long list on, including IPAs, stouts and lagers. The brewery runs at an easy pace, and the outdoor beer garden is where you drink it. They also run brewery tours, so you can see how it is put together.

Barrels and Bottles Brewery

Barrels and Bottles Brewery is a small family operation working mainly in Belgian-style beers. They run a compact tasting room where you can work through the list and hear how it is brewed. They also run brewery tours, where the equipment and the history both get explained.

Cannonball Creek

Cannonball Creek is the one that keeps winning awards for its craft beers. They keep a long list on, including IPAs, stouts and lagers. Their tasting room is small and easy, and you can drink there over a board game or a conversation. They also run brewery tours, so the equipment and the process are both on show.

Whether you follow beer closely or simply want a good afternoon, Golden’s breweries will serve you. From the Coors Brewery that everybody knows to the small tasting rooms of Barrels and Bottles and Golden City Brewery, the beer here does not run out in Golden.

The climb up North Table Mountain is the one that really pays out. It is a mesa, so the ground goes up hard and then goes flat. The city sits below you and the whole range stands up behind it. Nothing you can simply drive up to gives you that same arrangement. An hour of real work buys you the whole of Golden at once.

Downtown Golden

If you want somewhere with real character in Golden, Colorado, Downtown Golden is the answer. With its old-Western-style buildings and streets set between the mountains, it is the part of town nobody should skip. Here are the strongest places to check out in Downtown Golden.

Restaurants and Shops

Downtown Golden runs restaurants and shops for every taste. Whether pizza, ice cream or coffee is what you want, the options are here. Some of the ones people name include Woody’s Pizza, which does wood-fired pizzas properly, and D’Deli, which turns out fresh sandwiches and salads. If you want something sweet, take Golden Sweets for the ice cream and the rest of it.

Foothills Art Center

If arts and entertainment are your subject, do not skip the Foothills Art Center in Downtown Golden. This center runs exhibitions and events across the year, showing local and national artists. With its galleries and its outdoor sculpture garden, an afternoon goes quickly there.

Sherpa House

For a meal you will not get at home, head to the Sherpa House in Downtown Golden. This restaurant does Nepalese and Indian cooking in a small, warm room. Be sure to order the momos, the traditional Nepalese dumplings filled with meat or vegetables.

The Golden Mill

If you want the outdoor version, head to The Golden Mill in Downtown Golden. This spot runs rock climbing, yurt camping and other outdoor days. With the mountains standing around it, a summer day there sorts itself out.

Overall, Downtown Golden is the part of the Golden City area nobody should miss. With its streets, its restaurants and shops and its outdoor options, every interest is covered here.

Unique Experiences

If you want things you cannot do elsewhere in Golden, Colorado, you have landed well. There are plenty of odd and genuinely interesting days here. Here are the strongest of the unusual experiences you can have in Golden:

American Mountaineering Museum

For anybody who climbs, the American Mountaineering Museum is unmissable. The museum covers the history and the culture of mountaineering, and it is where you learn what the sport actually cost its pioneers. The exhibits are interactive and hold your attention. You’ll see artifacts from some of the climbs everybody has heard of. The museum sits in downtown Golden and opens every day of the week.

Parfet Park

Parfet Park sits in the heart of Golden and rewards a slow hour. The park takes its name from George Parfet, the owner of the Coors Brewery, and it is where you sit and let the day pass. There are picnic tables, benches and open grass across it. The park also runs a playground for children, and it is where the events and concerts happen.

Whitewater Park

If you want the adrenaline version, head to the Whitewater Park. The park sits on Clear Creek and is where the kayaking, tubing and rafting happen. The park runs several rapids, and it is where people learn to read moving water. If water sports are not your thing, you can still stand on the bank and watch others take them on.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a research facility working on renewable energy technologies. The lab opens to the public, and the tour covers the latest work in solar, wind and bioenergy. The tour costs nothing, but you have to reserve a place in advance. The lab sits just outside Golden, and the parking is not a problem.

No matter what your interests, Golden has something you will not find elsewhere. Whether mountaineering, parks or renewable energy is your subject, the days here fill themselves. So pack the bags and get ready for a proper trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some unique outdoor activities to do in Golden, Colorado?

Golden, Colorado is built for anybody who wants to be outdoors. You can hike, bike and climb in the mountains right there. You can also kayak, raft or fish in Clear Creek. If you want the easy version, take a picnic in one of the parks or a drive through the country around it.

What are the best restaurants to try in Golden, Colorado?

Golden, Colorado runs a genuine range of cooking. For something out of the ordinary, try the Buffalo Rose Saloon, a Wild West-themed restaurant doing American food. If Mexican is what you want, head to El Callejon, a family-owned place doing it properly. If you want something new, go to Abejas, a farm-to-table restaurant working with seasonal and local ingredients.

What are some must-see attractions in Golden, Colorado?

Golden, Colorado holds plenty that shows off its history and its country. Visit the Colorado Railroad Museum for the state’s railroad past. Take a tour of the Coors Brewery, one of the largest breweries anywhere. Go to the Lookout Mountain Nature Center and Preserve for the long views over the city and the local wildlife.

What are some fun events happening in Golden, Colorado?

Golden, Colorado runs events across the whole year that cover most interests. In the summer, take the Golden Music Festival, a three-day event with live music and local food vendors. In the fall, go to the Golden Fine Arts Festival, a two-day event showing the work of local artists. In the winter, take the Olde Golden Christmas Parade, a festive event with decorated floats and lights.

What are some great day trip options from Golden, Colorado?

Golden, Colorado sits near plenty that makes a strong day trip. Visit the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, a natural amphitheater with rock formations and live music. Go to the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, the drive that takes you to the summit of Mount Evans, one of the highest peaks in Colorado. Explore the city of Denver, which is a short drive away and runs plenty of culture and entertainment.

Frequently asked questions about Golden, Colorado

How big is Golden Gate Canyon State Park near Golden?

Over 12,000 acres of it. There are more than 36 miles of trails inside that, running from easy walks up to genuinely hard ones, along with mountain biking and rock climbing on the same ground. The Clear Creek Trail runs its own 20 miles the other way. North Table Mountain is the short sharp version of it. Pick by how many hours you have actually got to spend on it.

When did the Coors Brewery open in Golden, Colorado?

Back in the year 1873, in fact. It has been running here ever since, and the tour still draws 300,000 people a year, which is why you book it before you arrive rather than after. The tour itself does not actually cost you anything at all now. Golden City Brewery has been going since the year 1993 instead. That is two dates, and both of them are still pouring today.

What is inside the Colorado Railroad Museum at Golden?

Locomotives, in the main, yes. The collection runs historic locomotives, passenger cars and cabooses alongside exhibits on the Colorado railroads, and you can ride a vintage train while you are there. The Mines Museum of Earth Science is the other one in town. That one covers the minerals, the fossils and all the mining history. Two museums, and between them you get the whole state’s story.

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