Denver is easy with little kids: a big zoo in City Park, a children’s museum built for ages 1 to 8, and free art for anyone 18 and under.
The places we go back to all year. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
A food hall in an old RiNo building with pizza, salads and ice cream, so everyone picks their own thing.
A food hall with several small kitchens under one roof, so everyone can pick their own lunch.
The famous Lakewood Mexican restaurant. The ticket covers the meal and the show.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour. For toddler classes and every indoor playground we’ve checked, with prices and sock rules, see indoor play in Denver.
Denver Public Library’s main branch, with a big children’s library and free storytimes.
A Far Northeast branch with weekday baby, family and sensory storytimes.
An indoor soft-play city for ages 1 to 8, with ride-on cars, a pretend bakery and a ball pit. Grown-ups play free.
An indoor playground for kids 10 and under inside Town Center at Aurora, with a café. No reservation needed.
Drop-in 90-minute open play with foam climbers, tumble mats and sensory toys, plus coffee for grown-ups.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
Free public gardens in Littleton, open sunrise to sunset every day.
The city’s botanic garden. The first floor of the Freyer–Newman Center is always free, and the gardens hold several free days a year.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
A big zoo in City Park with timed-entry tickets. Kids 2 and under get in free.
A museum built for young kids, with water play, a climbing forest, a teaching kitchen and seasonal Snow Days. Parking is free.
An invertebrate zoo with a warm indoor rainforest of free-flying butterflies, plus a water exhibit with sea creatures.
General admission is free every day for anyone 18 and under, so a short visit with a preschooler costs only the adult ticket.
An aquarium with a restaurant inside, open late every day.
A big hangar of airplanes and spacecraft in the Lowry neighborhood.
A night away without a long drive.
A 50,000-square-foot indoor water park kept at 84 degrees, included with your room.
An 880-acre reservoir on rolling prairie with a swim beach and a campground, inside the metro area.
A reservoir park on the South Platte where it leaves the mountains at Waterton Canyon, with a swim beach and campsites.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in Denver without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in Denver. For regular free days, Museums on Us and EBT discounts in 2027, see free museum days in Denver.
Civic Center, 10 W. Fourteenth Ave. Pkwy.Central LibraryDenver Public Library’s main branch, with a big children’s library and free storytimes.FreeIndoorGreen Valley Ranch, 4856 N. Andes Ct.Green Valley Ranch Branch LibraryA Far Northeast branch with weekday baby, family and sensory storytimes.FreeIndoor
Littleton, 6115 S. Santa Fe Dr.Hudson GardensFree public gardens in Littleton, open sunrise to sunset every day.FreeCheesman Park area, 1007 York St.Denver Botanic Gardens (York Street)The Freyer–Newman Center’s first floor is always free.FreeFree or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
City Park, 2300 Steele St.Denver Zoo2 and under free.Kids $19Adults $272 and under free
Jefferson Park, 2121 Children’s Museum Dr.Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico CampusUnder 1 free.$19.75 eachUnder 1 free; age 1 $17.75IndoorWestminster, 6252 W. 104th Ave.Butterfly PavilionUnder 2 free.Kids $14.45Adults $19.45Under 2 freeIndoorCivic Center, 10 W. Fourteenth Ave. Pkwy.Central LibraryBaby Storytime.FreeIndoorGreen Valley Ranch, 4856 N. Andes Ct.Green Valley Ranch Branch LibraryBaby and sensory storytimes.FreeIndoor
Lakewood, 10815 W. Jewell Ave.Kids TownBuilt for ages 1 to 8.Kids $21 for 1.5 hoursAdults Grown-ups free (2 per family)IndoorHighlands, 1330 W. 38th Ave.tumble HAUSMade for crawlers and new walkers.Kids $25 per child; $5 per siblingIndoorRecurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar. For every weekly storytime by day and branch, see library storytimes in Denver.
Weekday morningsFree baby, toddler and family storytimes at branches across the city.
Schedule ↗Weekday and Saturday mornings, plus some afternoonsBaby and family storytimes at branches like Smoky Hill and Southglenn.
Schedule ↗Weekly, mostly morningsBaby play times and storytimes west of Denver, like Baby Play Time at the Golden Library on Wednesday mornings.
Schedule ↗Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Fridays at 10:30am · Bear Valley0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grownups.
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 10:30am, Saturdays at 11:30am · Central Library0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:30am · Decker0–18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0–18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:30am · Green Valley Ranch0–18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0–18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 10:15am · Park Hill0–18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0–18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:30am · Ross-Cherry Creek0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Wednesdays at 10:15am, Fridays at 10:15am · Sam Gary0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:30am · Smiley0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Wednesdays at 10:30am · Virginia Village0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 10:30am · Woodbury0-18 months. Stories, songs, rhymes and fun for babies ages 0-18 months and their grown ups.
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 9:15am, Tuesdays at 10:15am, Fridays at 9:15am · Arvada Balsam Temporary LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:15am, Thursdays at 9:15am, Saturdays at 9:15am · Belmar LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Mondays at 9:15am, Tuesdays at 10:15am and 11:15am, Fridays at 10:15am, Saturdays at 11:15am · Columbine LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Wednesdays at 10:15am · Edgewater LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 9:15am · Evergreen LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 9:15am, Thursdays at 9:15am · Golden LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Fridays at 9:15am · Lakewood LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Tuesdays at 10:15am, Wednesdays at 9:15am, Saturdays at 9:15am · Standley Lake LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗Thursdays at 11:15am · Wheat Ridge LibraryBabies (age not listed). Help the littlest minds develop and grow.
Storytime calendar ↗
2 and under free
Admission page ↗Under 1 free; age 1 $17.75
Admission page ↗Under 2 free
Admission page ↗18 and under free every day
Admission page ↗Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices. For holiday and indoor rinks with season dates, prices and skate aids, see ice skating with kids in Denver.
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Denver right now.
Yes. Kids 2 and under get in free, and online timed tickets keep entry moving.
Kids Town in Lakewood is built for ages 1 to 8, and Go Bonkers in Aurora takes kids 10 and under. Crawlers do best at tumble HAUS on a weekday morning.
Yes. Kids 18 and under get in free. It’s closed Wednesdays.
Denver Zoo: 2 and under free. Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus: Under 1 free. Butterfly Pavilion, Central Library and Green Valley Ranch Branch Library are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Butterfly Pavilion (Under 2 free) and Denver Art Museum (18 and under free every day). See best for under 3s.
Denver Public Library: Weekday mornings. Arapahoe Libraries: Weekday and Saturday mornings, plus some afternoons. Jefferson County Public Library: Weekly, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the Denver weekly list.
Every one of the 19 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 9 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 26, 2026. How we choose and check.
2 and under free; kids 3–15: $19; adults 16–64: $27. We checked this on its official site on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
Under 1 free; age 1 $17.75; kids 2–59: $19.75; adults: $19.75. We checked this on its official site on Oct 26, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
One short email every Thursday evening with the five things we’d leave the house for in Denver.
