Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch, Aurora (always free)
The beautiful Morrison Nature Center is a free park in Aurora, Colorado that is definitely worth checking out when you are in the area.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge | always free
The free Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City, Colorado (near Denver) is a beautiful and pristine National Wildlife Refuge, representing an impressive cleanup and conversion of a former weapons and rocket fuel processing facility. The views of the mountains from this perfect spot on the plains are quite impressive.
Free Summer Bowling For Students at Brunswick Bowling Centers
Brunswick Bowling Centers are offering free bowling for students during the summer of 2012. Kids or their parents (depending on age) sign up for Brunswick's Bonus Zone to get free bowling.
There are a few Brunswick Bowling Centers along the front range that offer the free bowling for kids promotion.
Find a bowling center: 
Bonus Zone Sign up:
Manitou Springs Great Fruitcake Toss Festival (annually in January)
Colorado is known for it's goofy festivals and the Great Fruitcake Toss is certainly one of the headliners. This Manitou Springs tradition is held every year after the holidays in an effort to dispose of certain unwanted confections you may have acquired.
Some people prefer to launch their cakes by hand but many choose to build elaborate contraptions to give their fruitcakes the send off they deserve. There are various cake launching categories as well as competitions for the best and prettiest fruit cakes.
When:
The 2014 Great Fruitcake Toss festival has been cancelled. Hopefully it will be back in 2015.
Where:
In Manitou Springs at the Manitou Springs High School track.
401 El Monte Place
Manitou Springs, CO 80829.
Golden Clear Creek Kayak festival (Wednesdays in June)
The "Golden Community Rodeo" is a weekly kayak competition in downtown Golden along Clear Creek at the Golden kayak park. You can sit or stand along the creek and watch the competition. It's pretty amazing what these kayakers can do, and definitely worth taking some time to watch. Can you think of a better thing to do on a warm spring Wednesday?
Competitors are arranged according to class. This year the classes are:
Juniors
Masters
Men: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert
Women: Sport, Intermediate, and Expert
Old Globeville Days and the Orthodox Food Festival (annually in July)
The Old Globeville Days Orthodox Food Festival celebrates Denver's international immigrant heritage with a diverse selection of free entertainment and international food. The music features outstanding performers of diverse folk heritage including an amazing Celtic performance. The incredible food selection is sample sized and you purchase tickets to try the samples. One of the best things to do in Denver on a warm mid-July weekend.
The Boulder Creek Festival on Memorial Day Weekend
The Boulder Creek Festival takes place every Memorial Day weekend in Boulder along Boulder Creek, and features great free music, dancing, rides for the kids, and other entertainment. This is one of the best festivals of the year, and a great thing to do on Memorial Day weekend.
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Celestial Seasonings Tour in Boulder (always free)
The free Celestial Seasonings tour is a fun way to learn about tea and tea making, while sampling the most popular Celestial Seasonings flavors! A stop at the Celestial Seasonings tour is a favorite vacation destination if you're traveling to Colorado.
Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs (always low cost)
Howelsen Hill Ski Area is a historic ski area and Olympic training grounds operated by the city of Steamboat Springs, and is one of the only ski areas left in Colorado that is affordable on a daily basis. This ski area is a decent place for downhill skiers and snowboarders to make some quick laps, and features a nice terrain park, but it is especially nice for Cross Country / Nordic skiers.
There are only a handful of downhill runs served by 1 rope tow and 1 chair lift, but there are miles of Nordic trails. Howelson is lit for night skiing and often stays open until 8pm.
Oh yeah, the huge ski jumps are off limits to the public but they are an amazing sight!
2012 - 2013 Rates:
Lift Tickets: $20 per adult, discounts for children and seniors.
Terrain Park Only: $10
Nordic Trails Only: $10
Children's Magic carpet learning area: Free! (see concession booth for a free ticket).
$10 night skiing tickets are also available Tuesday through Friday.
Full lift ticket pricing breakdown for 2012-2013:
Hours and Season:
CLOSED MONDAYS.
Tuesday 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 1:00 pm - 8:00pm
Thursday 3:45 pm - 8:00pm
Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Closed on Christmas Day and special holiday hours are in effect through Jan 3.
Howelson Hill Home Page and Maps:
Steamboat is fairly remote for a day trip, but if you can't afford the lodging in the area, there is a year-round campground that is reasonable called Steamboat Campground.
Underhill Museum | Idaho Springs | Always Free
The free Underhill Museum is a small but quaint depiction of early life in downtown Idaho Springs, with several rooms set up to display a typical home setting in the early 1900's. The kitchen in particular is very elaborate, and during better weather the Victorian Garden is open to the public. In addition, there is an old vault, antique cash register, and many photos of Idaho Springs through the years.
This free museum earns revenue for the History Society of Idaho Springs with a bookstore located at the entrance. They have an excellent selection of Colorado books as well as a large used book inventory.
This is a nice free historical museum to visit while browsing the shops in downtown Idaho Springs. I'm no fan of tourist trap shops that are full of cheap imported junk, like many of the shops in more popular Colorado tourist destinations. The shops in Idaho Springs are not like that. Many feature locally made artisan works for reasonable prices.
Fall and Winter hours 2011-2012:
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday 11am to 5pm.
Location:
The Underhill Museum is at the western end of the strip in downtown Idaho Springs on Miner Street. Look for the sign that says "Books".
While you're in the area check out the Visitor Center and Heritage Museum at 2060 Miner Street.
Historic Idaho Springs site:
Patsy's Candies Tour in Colorado Springs (always free)
Patsy's Candies in Colorado Springs takes the making of chocolate candy to a whole new level. Free tours of their factory demonstrate the handcrafted nature of Patsy's Candies and highlight the artisanship present in their high quality candies.
Denver Zoo Free Days
The Denver Zoo free days are by far the most popular Denver free days for families with kids, and are typically held during the fall and winter.
The Littleton History Museum (always free)
The Littleton Museum is a 14 acre indoor and outdoor history museum depicting Colorado pioneer history. Two historic farm sites featuring a schoolhouse and blacksmith shop bring history to life in a way that consistently rates this museum as one of the top living history museums in the United States.
Colorado State Capitol Free Tours (Weekdays)
The Colorado State Capital is one of the popular Denver Attractions, not only for the well known '5280 step' but also for the free tours inside.
Why take a Colorado State Capitol tour? I'll give you three reasons:
- The Colorado State Capital building in downtown Denver allows you to watch our state Legislature in action. As more people take an interest in the workings of our government, this is a great opportunity to see firsthand how the system works. The Colorado State Legislature is in session from early January to early May.
- The capitol building itself is awash in history and amazing architecture. It was built using Colorado materials as much as possible, such as Colorado gold for the dome, granite walls from Granite, Colorado, and Colorado's distinctive red onyx throughout the interior.
- The views from the Dome tour are some of the best in Denver!
Location:
Just head for downtown Denver and the 16th Street Mall, you can't miss the gold domed building beyond the southern end of 16th street mall. The steps on the western side are the most popular area to enter as the "1 mile above sea level" markers are there. The civic center park area has become very sketchy, expect to encounter quite a few homeless if you walk through the park.
Visitors to the state capitol are allowed to wander the public areas on their own, or you can take one of several guided tours:
Historical Tours:
All about construction of the building and early Colorado history, as well as some of the more interesting artifacts on display within the building. Reservations are not required unless you have a group of 10 or more. Tours are 45 minutes long and are available weekdays except holidays.
Historical Tour Hours:
10am - 3pm every Monday - Friday
Legislative Tours:
Legislative tours are a popular field trip for Colorado grade school students. When possible, you will make stops in the House and Senate galleries to see the legislature in action. This tour is only for school groups and reservations are required.
Legislative Tour Schedule:
Annually, early January through early May. Reservations are required.
Dome Tours (currently closed):
This tour climbs a long spiral staircase to an indoor observation area with amazing views of Denver.
Dome Tour Hours:
Daily from 9am to 2:30pm. Reservations are required.
Dome tours are currently closed until further notice due to dome renovations.
Mr. Brown's Attic:
This exhibit area illustrates Colorado's history and the legislative process, and includes a hands-on children's area. The attic is open 9am to 3pm on weekdays and reservations are not necessary.
For more information about Colorado State Capitol Tours, visit the Colorado Legislative Council Site: