Denver has a wide spread — from completely free nature refuges to $200 zip line days. Here's what you'll actually pay, broken down honestly.
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Completely Free
These cost $0 to enter. Budget only if you want food.
| Activity | Notes | |---|---| | Denver Museum of Nature and Science Park | Playground free; museum admission separate | | Central Park Playground | Free public playground | | Westlands Park Playground | Free; Greenwood Village | | Denver Audubon Kingery Nature Center | Free outdoor nature center | | Morrison Nature Center | Free wetlands/prairie trails | | Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge | Free; bison, deer, eagles | | City Park Nature Play | Free nature play area | | Washington Park Playground | Free; Washington Park | | Nature Playground at 39th Ave Greenway | Free public nature play | | Central Park | Free public park | | Great Lawn Park | Free public park | | Westminster Station Nature Play Park | Free public nature play | | Ruby Hill Park | Free; free summer concerts at Levitt Pavilion | | Bluff Lake Nature Center | Free | | Leon A Wurl Wildlife Sanctuary | Free | | Paco Sánchez Park | Free; bring your own food | | Paco Sanchez Playground | Free | | City Park Playground | Free; within City Park | | Garland Park | Free; bring your own food | | Park Playground | Free; Green Valley Ranch area | | Downtown Playground | Free public playground |
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Under $50 for a Family of 4
Spark the Senses Indoor Playground — $35–$55. Sensory-focused indoor play. Memberships available for regular visitors.
Tumble Haus — $40–$60. Indoor gymnastics-style play. Good for toddlers and young kids.
SweetPlay Greenwood Village — $40–$60. Indoor play; Greenwood Village. Members get the best rates.
Play Street Museum - Lowry — $40–$55. Themed indoor play museum for young children. Membership pays off quickly for monthly visitors.
Kids Dig — $45–$65. Fossil dig experience. Good for curious 6–12 year olds.
Kids Wonder — $45–$65. Indoor exploration and play.
Butterfly Pavilion — $45–$65. Thousands of free-flying butterflies. One of the best price-to-experience values in Denver. Wear bright colors.
Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms — $30–$50. Outdoor farm experience with seasonal activities. Spring and fall are best.
Plains Conservation Center — $20–$40. Outdoor prairie education. Affordable and genuinely educational.
The Hudson Gardens & Event Center — $20–$35. Gardens and outdoor events. Check for family programming.
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$50–$100 for a Family of 4
Kids Empire Aurora City Place — $50–$70. Large indoor play venue. Grip socks required — bring your own. Weekday mornings are much less crowded.
Kids Empire North Glenn — $50–$80. Same chain, North Glenn location. Check kidsempire.com for current pricing.
Go Bonkers — $50–$80 (admission for 2 kids; adults typically free or nominal). 4.8-rated indoor playground in Aurora. Sunday hours limited to 12–6pm.
Museum of Illusions — $60–$80. Forced perspective rooms and illusion exhibits. Self-paced — no rush to keep up with a group.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary — $50–$80. Rescue sanctuary for large predators. Elevated walkways. Genuinely unlike a zoo.
Funcity Adventure Park — $60–$90 (admission for 2 kids ~$15–$20 each; adult supervision fees vary). Check current pricing.
Lava Island — $40–$65. Indoor play venue. Check current pricing online.
BOUNCE AND PLAY — $40–$65. Local bounce venue; generally more affordable than national chains.
Adventure Forest at Children's Museum of Denver — $55–$80 (included with Children's Museum admission ~$16 per person). The outdoor nature play forest plus the full indoor museum — easily 3–4 hours.
Freyer - Newman Center — $60–$80 (adults ~$17 each + kids ~$10 each; part of Denver Botanic Gardens). No food on-site. Combine with outdoor gardens.
Gardening Help At Denver Botanic Gardens — $30–$55. One ticket covers the full Botanic Gardens campus including the conservatory and discovery center.
Denver Botanic Gardens: Morrison Discovery Center — $55–$70 (included with Botanic Gardens admission). Hands-on nature exploration for younger children.
Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory — $55–$70 (included with Denver Botanic Gardens admission). The warm, humid glass dome is the best winter activity in Denver.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park — $70–$110 (~$18–$25 per jumping child per session). Book online for best pricing.
Denver Zoo Lights — $55–$90 (seasonal; check dates and current pricing). The holiday lights event — more expensive than standard zoo admission but a genuinely different experience.
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$80–$150 for a Family of 4
Slick City Action Park — $80–$120. Indoor waterless slide park. Book timed entry online; early slots are cheaper.
Immersive Gamebox - 9+CO Denver — $80–$120. 360-degree immersive game rooms. Book the right session length for your group (30–60 min sessions).
Kangaroo Ranch — $80–$120. Hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos. Hours are seasonal — check the website first.
Activate Westminster — $80–$130. Tech-powered active game rooms. Book online; sessions fill up on weekends.
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park — $80–$120. Climbing walls and dodgeball beyond standard trampolines. Buy online for 10–15% off.
The Bounce Place Colorado Mills — $55–$80 (admission ~$14–$18 per child; adults typically free or minimal). Located at Colorado Mills.
Boondocks Food and Fun - Parker — $80–$140. Go-karts, laser tag, mini golf, food court. Parker location south of Denver. Activity packages beat individual pricing.
Malibu Jack's Thornton — $100–$160. Attraction packages vary; combo deals deliver better value than individual activities.
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$150+ for a Family of 4
Castle Rock Adventure Park — $120–$200+. Zip line tours. The premium outdoor adventure in the Denver area. Book at castlerockziplinetours.com. Minimum age/weight requirements — check before booking. About 45 minutes south of Denver.
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How to Save Money in Denver
Annual membership at Denver Zoo or Denver Botanic Gardens. Both pay for themselves in 2 visits. Denver Zoo charges ~$15 per child and ~$20 per adult per visit — a family membership covers that in a single outing.
Free nature is exceptional here. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is 20 minutes from downtown and completely free — bison, eagles, deer, prairie dogs. It's genuinely impressive and costs nothing.
Weekday mornings. Kids Empire, Go Bonkers, and most indoor play venues are significantly less crowded Tuesday–Thursday before noon. Many have lower weekday rates.
Pack food for outdoor days. Denver Botanic Gardens has no on-site café outside the main gates. Chatfield Farms and the nature centers have no food vendors at all. Pack a cooler and save $20–$30 easily.
Book everything online. Castle Rock Adventure Park, Activate Westminster, Slick City, and Urban Air all have walk-up premium pricing. Online is always cheaper.