Table of Contents:
- Museum for Families
- Indoor Activity Space
- Parent-Tot Activity
- Hike or Bike Trail with Kids
- Colorado Resort or Hotel for Families
- Family Fair or Festival
- Family Day Trip
- Summer Mountain Getaway
- Water Park or Swim Center
- Winter Resort for Families
Museum for Families
Top Five
- Butterfly Pavilion
- Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
- Denver Art Museum
- History Colorado Center
- WOW! Children’s Museum
The Winner
Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Under the roof of this building, little and big kids alike can create in the Art Studio, experiment with flavors in the Teaching Kitchen, imagine they are a firefighter or a vet, and investigate theories of motion in the giant physics playground, Kinetics. With a couple years of expansion completed, there’s even more for kids to explore outside in Joy Park, including the brand new 500-foot-long aerial adventure course, Adventure Forest (shown above). 2121 Children’s Museum Dr., Denver
Indoor Activity Space
Top Five
- Bounce City
- Kids Wonder
- Lava Island
- Mid-Air Adventures
- Spider Monkey Extreme Air Sports
The Winner
Mid-Air Adventures
Zip lines galore make Mid-Air Adventures a great place for thrill-seeking kids to burn some energy indoors in a safe environment. The 12,000-square-foot facility has giant swings, rope bridges, a 20-foot climbing wall, slides, and a toddler area, too, to keep adventurous kids busy. 9499 Washington St., Suite 100, Thornton
Parent-Tot Activity
Top Five
- Inside the Orchestra
- Music Together
- Rocky Mountain Aardvarks
- Second Star to the Right Storytime
- WOW! Children’s Museum
The Winner
Rocky Mountain Aardvarks
The music you’ll discover in Rocky Mountain Aardvarks’ kids classes is based around original songs, rhythms, and chants by New York rock musician/composer and father of three, David Weinstone. Geared toward ages three months to five years, the lively music classes incorporate influences from many musical genres, with plenty of movement, musical storytelling, and break-out dance sessions. Six metro Denver locations
Hike or Bike Trail with Kids
Top Five*
- Castlewood Canyon State Park
- Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Garden of the Gods
- Lair o’ the Bear Park
- Red Rocks Park
- Washington Park
The Winner
Lair o’ the Bear Park
The 4.6-mile hiking trail is mostly flat, making it a great beginner stroll for families with young kids and pets; beautiful views at Panorama Point included. You’ll find an abundance of picnic tables, and will be close to Bear Creek for fishing. 22550 State Hwy. 74, Idledale
* Tie occurred in this category
Colorado Resort or Hotel for Families
Top Five
- Gaylord Rockies
- Great Wolf Lodge
- The Broadmoor
- The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa
- YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center
The Winner
Great Wolf Lodge
In addition to a wide range of indoor water slides that are sure to thrill toddlers to teens, families can experience the non-water attractions at Great Wolf Lodge’s Adventure Park, featuring Howler’s Peak Ropers Course and Rustic Ridge Climbing Wall. New this summer for families is the Summer Camp-In program, which includes campfire sing-alongs, pool parties, camp cuisine, and the opportunity to earn badges for activities. 9494 Federal Dr., Colorado Springs
Family Fair or Festival
Top Five
- A Taste of Colorado
- Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition Breastival
- Denver Children’s Festival of Stories
- FarmFest at The Urban Farm at Stapleton
- Pumpkin Festival at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms
The Winner
Pumpkin Festival at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms
Visiting a pumpkin patch is a fall tradition with many families, and this festival is a favorite spot for finding the perfect pumpkin. Enjoy food vendors, activities, and artisan booths. Pick out a pumpkin from Chatfield Farms’ 10-acre patch, then use the free pumpkin “daycare” while exploring the rest of the festival. Kids can play carnival games, make crafts, and try the corn maze with you or the mini-maze by themselves. 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Rd., Littleton
Family Day Trip
Top Five
- Breckenridge
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
- Garden of the Gods
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center
The Winner
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
At the only mountain zoo in the United States, visitors love hand-feeding the giraffe herd in the African Rift Valley exhibit and seeing a skier’s-eye-view of the zoo on the Mountaineer Sky Ride chairlift. This summer, explore the new Water’s Edge: Africa exhibit, featuring hippos, penguins, lemurs, and warthogs. In addition to 750 animals at the zoo, families can sign up for unique programs such as Animal Care 101 and Starlight Safari. 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs
Summer Mountain Getaway
Top Five
- Breckenridge
- Grand Lake
- Keystone
- Vail
- YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center
The Winner
YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center
Kind of like summer camp for the whole family, YMCA of the Rockies offers a wide range of activities by day including archery, miniature golf, horseback riding, crafts, and zip lining. Sign up for one of the center’s popular guided tours of the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park, then in the evening, unwind around a campfire, and take your furry family members to the new dog park. 2515 Tunnel Rd., Estes Park
Water Park or Swim Center
Top Five
- Apex Center
- Great Wolf Lodge Water Park
- Paradice Island Pool at Pioneer Park
- Pirates Cove Water Park
- Water World
The Winner
Water World
Whether your kids are relax-on-the-shore types, thrill-ride seekers, or wobbly toddlers, Water World—one of the nation’s largest water parks—will not disappoint. Entertain your little ones at Wally World, relax on the Lazy River, barrel down the Ragin’ Colorado River in a family tube, race friends on Glacier Run, or experience Colorado’s only hydromagnetic watercoaster, The Mile High Flyer. 8801 N. Pecos St., Federal Heights
Winter Resort for Families
Top Five
- Breckenridge
- Keystone
- The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
- Winter Park
- YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch
The Winner
YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch
Boasting the best Nordic ski trails in Grand County, families looking for winter fun come here for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or fat biking, in addition to dog sledding, ice skating, tubing, and sleigh rides. Use of all Nordic trails is included in the cost of a stay in one of the cozy lodge rooms or cabins. When it’s time to warm up, guests can swim in the indoor pool, make arts and crafts, and enjoy other indoor family activities. 1101 County Rd. 53, Granby
