{"id":90205,"date":"2026-05-04T08:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T14:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=90205"},"modified":"2026-05-04T09:17:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:17:40","slug":"150-fun-things-to-do-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/150-fun-things-to-do-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy 150th birthday, Colorado! In honor of Colorado’s sesquicentennial, we’re sharing 150 fun things to do and great places to visit in Colorado."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is a great place to visit year-round. Colorado is home to beautiful national parks and monuments. At some, you pay entrance fees, but you can get annual passes, oryou can find plenty of fun things to do on free days. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We love Colorado, and our state is celebrating a very big birthday this year.<\/p>\n

Happy 150th<\/sup> Colorado!<\/p>\n

On Aug. 1, 1876, Colorado officially became a state. Before that, Colorado was a territory, and it took five attempts for boosters in stunning Colorado to persuade federal officials that we deserved to become a state.<\/p>\n

The timing proved fortuitous and gave Colorado its nickname as the \u201cCentennial State.\u201d That\u2019s because our birth as a state coincided with the 100th<\/sup> anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence<\/a> and the founding of the United States in 1776.<\/p>\n

The celebration of a 150th<\/sup> anniversary is known as a sesquicentennial. (Sesqui is a root word that comes from the Latin and simply means \u201cone-and-a-half.\u201d)<\/a><\/p>\n

In honor of Colorado\u2019s sesquicentennial, we\u2019re sharing a list (in no particular order) of 150 fun places you can visit and interesting things to do in our spectacular square state.<\/p>\n

Let the adventures begin<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Start with a visit to History Colorado, where you can enjoy an exhibit all about Colorado\u2019s sesquicentennial<\/a>. It\u2019s called \u201c38th<\/sup> Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. While you\u2019re in downtown Denver, check out the gold dome of the Colorado Capitol. Is the building haunted? Take a tour and find out.<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Love western art? Visit the American Museum of Western Art<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  4. You also can check out western art at one of Colorado\u2019s historic hotels, The Broadmoor.<\/a> Stay for a night, stroll around the lake or join a sing-along at the famous Golden Bee. (Get other ideas for things to do in Colorado if you don\u2019t ski.<\/a>)<\/li>\n
  5. Another historic gem is Denver\u2019s famous Brown Palace Hotel<\/a>, where you can enjoy high tea any time of year. A visit to the Brown\u2019s soaring 8-story atrium is especially beautiful during the holidays when hotel managers gussy up the hotel.<\/li>\n
  6. While we\u2019re on the topic of interesting \u201cBrowns,\u201d have you ever heard of the Unsinkable Molly Brown? She was a legend in Colorado and helped people survive the Titanic. You can visit her former home in Denver<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  7. Native Americans called Colorado home for generations. Visit the Ute Mountain Museum and other special places<\/a> that highlight the role of indigenous people in Colorado.<\/li>\n
  8. Attend a Native American powwow<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  9. Test your fitness at the famous Manitou Incline<\/a> west of Colorado Springs.<\/li>\n
  10. Fitness buffs also can climb the red stone steps (or the seats) at Red Rocks<\/a>, the iconic natural amphitheater in Morrison, west of Denver. Along with working out or hiking in the area<\/a>, you can enjoy outdoor yoga<\/a> or see a concert at Red Rocks.<\/li>\n
  11. If you\u2019re a fan of outdoor concerts, head to \u201cThe Mish.\u201d This century-old venue<\/a>, officially called Mishawaka Amphitheatre, has drawn music lovers to the Cache la Poudre River canyon for generations and recently earned major bragging rights after being named Westword\u2019s 2026 (Readers\u2019 Choice)<\/a> Best Outdoor Venue. If you\u2019re not able to make a concert, pack a lunch and drive up a beautiful canyon to The Mish on a Sunday afternoon. Bonus: on some Sundays, there are free concerts.<\/li>\n
  12. Walk along the 3-mile Pueblo Levee<\/a> and marvel at the mural artwork that adorns it. The levee was built after the devastating 1921 flood in Pueblo and is now the longest painting in the world.<\/li>\n
  13. While you\u2019re in Pueblo, visit the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo<\/a>, where you can dine and shop, rent a paddle boat or enjoy live music.<\/li>\n
  14. Meet Rita the Rock Planter<\/a>, a towering troll sculpture created from recycled wood, outside the historic mining town of Victor. Thomas Dambo\u2019s other troll sculpture, Isak Heartstone, is in Breckenridge.<\/li>\n
  15. Take a factory tour at Liberty Puzzles<\/a> in Boulder to see how they make their much-loved wooden puzzles. Celestial Seasonings<\/a> tea, also in Boulder, offers factory tours, too. So does Hammond\u2019s<\/a> candies in Denver.<\/li>\n
  16. Experience a contemplative, sensory journey in the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace<\/a>, a light-based immersive art experience by James Turrell. The space features a retractable roof, with showtimes coinciding with sunrise and sunset.<\/li>\n
  17. Take a spin on one of the historic carousels in Colorado<\/a>, including in Burlington, Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and more.<\/li>\n
  18. Learn about the marble that sculptors used to create the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hundreds of other buildings at the Marble Museum<\/a> in this former mining town.<\/li>\n
  19. While in Marble, visit the much photographed Crystal Mill,<\/a> reachable only by four-wheel drive, mountain bike or hiking.<\/li>\n
  20. Take a mountain bike excursion in Fruita<\/a>, which has become a premier destination with more than 250 miles of trails. This is just one of many mountain bike opportunities throughout Colorado.<\/li>\n
  21. Visit the Trinidad History Museum<\/a>, which occupies an entire city block with three historic buildings and heritage gardens that tell the story of this southern Colorado city\u2019s place in the American West and the Santa Fe Trail.<\/li>\n
  22. Visit Colorado\u2019s oldest town<\/a>, San Luis.<\/li>\n
  23. Ride one of two Amtrak train routes in Colorado:\n