35 Frugal & Free Things to Do in Denver

Whenever I travel somewhere new, I find myself searching for lists of free & cheap things to do in the city I’m in. So, I figured it’d be helpful to have a similar list for Denver visitors to refer to when coming to our city.
Listed below are just a few of my favorite frugal things to do around here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Grab a Groupon for a brewery or 2 + restaurants!
People watch and window shop on 16th Street. You can even take the free Mall Ride if you don’t feel like walking!
Rent a B-cycle or Lime/Bird/Razor/Lyft electric scooter to get around the city
Have a picnic or simply hang out at a park – City Park, Wash Park and Cheesman are some of the most popular!
Check out City Park Jazz every Sunday night during the summer in City Park!
Ride bikes, walk, or run along the Cherry Creek Trail, stretching from northern downtown Denver to the southern areas of Denver and beyond
Wander around REI – right off the Cherry Creek Trail!
Walk, bike or run around Sloan’s Lake, where you can also fish or go boating
Sip some coffee while people watching at one of many hip coffee shops in Denver ~ St. Mark’s, Thump, and Fluid are some favorites!
Book lovers – find some good reads at the Tattered Cover Book Store downtown!
Tour the U.S. Mint for free Monday – Thursday
Tube down the South Platte during the summer
Window shop in Denver’s premier Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Go bar hopping downtown ~ start at 1-UP if you’re into classic arcade games!
Check Front Porch’s Name Night Calendar to see if your name is on the list to drink for free all night!
Go to one of Denver’s restaurant happy hours! [frugalandfree post to come!]
Visit Union Station and grab a bite to eat or a drink to sip while people watching or reading a book
Go to the Santa Fe Art Walk every First Friday of the month. While you’re there, check out Denver Open Media for free food and entertainment starting @ 6!
Peruse the Clyfford Still Museum for free on one of the listed free days on their website
Every first Saturday of the month, get into the Denver Art Museum for free!
Learn about Denver’s art history at the Golden Triangle free walking tours during the summer
Check out Denver’s unique street art in the city’s hippest area, RiNo!

RiNo Street Art

Free Saturdays @ the DAM

RiNo Street Art
Find yourself exactly 1 mile high on the 13th step of the Capitol building in Civic Center Park. While you’re here, take a tour of the Capitol for free Monday-Friday
Go to Tennyson Street, where you’ll find galleries, popular restaurants, unique shops and the Denver Cat Company!
Head into the Highlands – the northern part of Denver – where you’re guaranteed great views of the city at Linger & Avanti (catch their happy hours for better prices!)
Catch the sunset from the top of downtown Denver’s highest open rooftop bar, 54thirty (the drinks aren’t cheap but the views are priceless)
Cheer on the Rockies at Coors Field or the Avs and Nuggets at the Pepsi Center – you can usually find good deals for these!
Walk around the University of Denver’s campus & support the DU Pioneers hockey team at one of their games
Watch a rugby game in “Rugby Town USA,” Glendale!
Take the light rail to your destinations!
Grab 3 brews & keep the locally decorated glass at Keep the Glass Night every Tuesday night at Our Mutual Friend Brewery in RiNo
Wander away from the city and into Golden to go on the free tour at Coors Brewery. Sip 3 free brews after the tour!
While in Golden, go hiking on one of the several trails, including Chimney Gulch, North Table, and Mount Galbraith Park
Keep wandering away from the city and out to the mountains, where more hiking trails, like challenging 14ers, await!
& most importantly, simply enjoy Colorado’s beautiful blue skies & sunny weather!