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Two
blocks east of the
downtown shopping
district is the
starting point for
touring the world's
largest brewery.
Vans collect
tour-goers at
13th and Ford
Streets.
The
tour includes a
brief history of the
business, an
explanation of the
brewing process, a
chance to see the
beer being made, and
a trip to the Coors
hospitality room,
where visitors have
the opportunity to
sample Coors
products.
Golden is fortunate
to be the home of
the National
Renewable Energy Lab
(NREL). Founded in
the 1970s by the
Carter
administration, NREL
has been working on
solar, wind,
biomass, and other
forms of sustainable
energy for 30
years. Many of the
technologies they
developed have gone
from egghead stuff
in a lab to
availability in your
local Home Depot!
Their
Visitors' Center
is a good place to
learn about current
technology and
what's coming next.
Almost a hundred
years after his
death, the showman
Buffalo Bill still
exerts a sense of
romance about the
old west. This
museum exhibits his
show posters,
costumes, and tells
of his long and
colorful life. The
museum is located
atop Lookout
Mountain, and the
view up there is
spectacular.
See their web site
to learn more....
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The
Visitor's
Center
is a
good
place
for
out-of-towners
to start
a visit
to
Golden.
An army
of
volunteers
keeps
this
place
staffed,
and
they're
always
very
happy to
provide
maps,
directions,
and
recommendations.
Pamphlets
describing
local
attractions
are
plentiful
and free
for the
taking.
This
building
is also
the home
for the
Chamber
of
Commerce.
A shady
side
patio
offers a
good
place to
rest and
watch
the
creek. |
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The
heart of downtown is
Washington Avenue
and the many
interesting side
streets that cross
it. Golden has a
number of historic
buildings, with the
earliest dating to
the mid-19th
century. The oldest
buildings in town,
not surprisingly,
tend to be in and
near the downtown
area. Local
historian Richard
Gardner has built a
database of historic
structures in
Golden. To see it
online, visit the
Golden Landmarks
Association site
and click on the
"Historic
Structures" link.
We
currently have three
Historic Districts
in town. The
12th Street district
is the oldest. It
was was placed on
the National
Register on
September 22, 1983,
and locally
designated in 1984.
The
8th and 9th Street
district was
designated in 2002,
with the East Street
district following
in 2004.
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Miners
Alley
has been
a great
addition
to
downtown.
They
produce
high-quality
plays in
a
wonderful,
small
venue.
Check
their
web site
to see
what's
currently
on
stage.
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Heritage Square
Music Hall puts on
some really funny
plays, and they are
amazing vocalists.
The ensemble cast
appears in all of
their plays, so it's
easy to learn to
recognize the
actors. They have a
nice
new web site,
listing their
current and future
plays. They also
have a good
children's theater
with performances on
Saturday afternoons.
The
Golden Farmers
Market has been
running for several
years now, and has
been a huge success.
It's another one of
those
go-there-and-see-everyone-you-know
events, a good place
for Saturday
breakfast from late
spring through
mid-fall. Vendors
sell produce,
flowers, plants, and
prepared food. The
market is held in
the empty lot next
to the library.
Since it's right
next to the Creek,
many people include
a creek walk as part
of their experience.
Photos courtesy
of Sharon Wheatley
Heritage Square
Amusement Park
is worth a visit
with the little
ones. Activities
include go kart
tracks, bumper and
paddle boats,
miniature golf, some
amusement rides,
ponies, and fishing.
The Heritage Rio
Golden Train circles
the park. The
Children's Theater
makes a great field
trip.
The
Heritage Square Alpine Slide is
fun for older kids
and adults. A chair
lift transports
riders 490 feet to
the top of a
mountain where they
can slide to the
bottom on a plastic
sled at their own
speed.
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A wide
variety of
parks
can be found
all over
Golden.
Lions and
Parfet Parks
are closest
to downtown
Golden. In
addition to
a plethora
of
playgrounds,
the Golden
Parks
provide
tennis
courts
(Lions
Park),
batting
cages
(Ulysses
Park),
soccer and
baseball
fields
(Ulysses). |
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This
popular bowling
alley was recently
renovated and offers
hours of fun at
reasonable rates.
Rosie's Diner, a new
restaurant inside,
serves Italian,
Mexican, and
American entrées
along with a full
bar. Learn
more...
The
Astor House is one
of the older
structures in
Golden, having
opened in 1867.
During the years
that the territorial
legislature met in
Golden, many of the
legislators boarded
at the Astor House.
It now serves as a
museum, with the
hotel rooms set up
to show how a
legislator might
have lived (a
roll-top desk for
doing business), or
a cowboy, or a
family (in a
multi-room suite).
The
dining room/parlor
on the first floor
are full of
interesting
artifacts, such as a
stereoscope and a
piano that the
guests would have
used for
entertainment, and
the kitchen is
stocked with antique
food preparation
tools.
The
Astor House presents
a very popular
series of "teas"
featuring
performances or
lectures and, yes, a
yummy high tea.
See their web site
to learn more....
The
Lookout Mountain
Nature Center and
Preserve is well
worth visiting.
Located just above
the city on Lookout
Mountain, they have
a beautiful
facility, built
largely of recycled
materials. Exhibits
cover migrating
birds and
information about
the ponderosa pine
forest. The center
sits on a 110 acre
property that
includes several
nature trails.
Learn more at their
web site....
Our
golf course, Fossil
Trace, has won
design awards and
offers breath-taking
scenery. It opened
in July of 2003 and
has developed quite
a positive
reputation as being
one of the state's
finest golf
courses.
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Extremely
popular with
locals, this
brewery is
about as
"micro" as
they come.
The beer is
brewed and
sold in a
carriage
house behind
one of the
finest
houses in
the 12th
Street
Historic
District.
They make a
red ale, an
India pale
ale, a brown
ale, and
several
other
brews--all
delicious.
There is a
small
seating area
in the
carriage
house and a
larger one
in the yard
outside. |
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One
(steep!)
block
south of
the
shopping
district
is the
Foothills
Art
Center.
Foothills
is a
highly-respected
gallery
with
juried
exhibits
that
rotate
throughout
the
year.
They
also
offer
classes
and
lectures.
From
Thanksgiving
till
Christmas
each
year
they
host a
holiday
art
market
which
offers
great,
unique
arts and
crafts.
See
their
web site
to learn
more.... |
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This
museum
was
started
in the
1930s
and has
been
collecting
and
interpreting
interesting
Golden
artifacts
ever
since.
It's a
good
place to
learn
about
the
Indians
who
occupied
this
area
prior to
European
settlement.
They
also
have
nice
displays
on
domestic
life of
the
pioneers,
ranching,
mining,
antique
guns,
and many
of
Golden's
historic
businesses.
See the
museum's
web site
to learn
more.... |
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During the summer,
Cafe 13 runs a
satellite operation
selling lunch and
ice cream on the
museum's patio,
which overlooks
Clear Creek and the
Living history
park.
Golden History
Center Patio - a
great lunch spot in
the summer!
This
collection of old
buildings on the
south side of Clear
Creek is one of
Golden's many
historic treasures.
The buildings in the
park are not
original to the
site; instead, they
are all buildings
that were slated for
demolition in the
mountains West of
town. A number of
Golden-area
residents attended
school in the one
room Guy Hill School
House. The Reynolds
cabin, root cellar,
blacksmith shop, and
chicken coops are
all relicts of
pioneer times. The
Park is open to the
public. To arrange
tours of the
buildings, see
their web site....
The
CSM Geology Museum
showcases minerals
and fossils from
Colorado and around
the world. The
upper floor exhibits
exquisite mineral
collections as well
as displays on
Colorado mining
districts. The lower
level of the Museum
holds many
educational
displays. These
include fossil,
meteorite, mineral
properties, and
interactive
radioactivity
displays. The
highlight of the
lower level is a
walk-through faux
uranium mine. Within
the mine is a
photomontage showing
Colorado miners at
work, a display of
mine lamps through
time, display about
radon, and a
collection of
fluorescent
minerals.
See their web site
to learn more....
The
kayak park is
interesting even for
those of us who
don't kayak.
Several years ago,
the City "groomed"
the Creek as it runs
through downtown
Golden, to make it
particularly good
for kayaking. They
rearranged the rocks
and boulders on the
stream bed to make
interesting chutes.
Now, kayakers are
often seen in the
Creek, starting at
the West end, across
from Lions Park, and
ending down at
Vanover Park, on
Ford Street. The
trail on the North
side of the creek
generally has a few
kayak-toting people
in wet suits,
carrying their boats
back upstream for
another run.
The
Rocky Mountain Quilt
Museum has really
put us on the map
with the large and
enthusiastic cult of
quilters! People
travel from all over
the world to visit
our museum. Their
quilt exhibits
change several times
each year. They
also offer education
programs and a
wonderful gift
shop.
See their web site
to learn more....
The
community center,
located at the West
end of 10th Street,
is a beautiful
facility, with a
recreation pool
(including slides
for the kids) and a
lap pool, a dance
studio, a
rock-climbing wall,
a gym, an indoor
track, and a weight
room with weight
machines, free
weights, stationary
bikes, and
treadmills. The
facility is open to
the public.
See
their
web site to
check hours of
operation and
admission fees.
710
10th Street map
303-996-2755
This
spectacular
new museum
opened in
February
2008 and is
attracting
mountaineers
from around
the world
Co-sponsored
by the
Colorado
Mountain
Club,
American
Alpine Cub,
and National
Geographic
Society, the
museum is
"...dedicated
to the
heroism,
technology,
culture and
spirit of
mountaineering."
Learn more
at their web
site... |
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The
Henry S. Hall Jr.
American Alpine Club
Library is an
internationally
known resource on
alpinism, climbing,
and mountain regions
and cultures.
Established in 1916,
it is one of the
oldest alpine
research facilities
in the United
States, and the
largest outside of
Europe, boasting a
circulating
collection of nearly
20,000 books and
videos devoted to
mountaineering and
rock climbing.
Learn
more at their web
site...
The
Golden Library is
right next to the
History Center.
Golden residents
appreciate the
frequent programs
and the extensive
collection of
books: Golden
library is part of
the Jefferson County
Library system, so
whatever titles they
don't have on the
shelves, they can
generally get.
Visitors to Golden
can use the
library's internet
connection to check
e-mail or do a quick
web search. They
may also enjoy just
relaxing with the
magazines and
newspapers in the
periodicals section.
This
museum wins the
prize for the
biggest artifacts in
town! They have a
fascinating
collection of old
trains--engines,
cabooses, passenger
cars--dating from
the 19th century.
Several times a
year, they offer a
"steam-up," where
they start one of
their old engines
and take visitors on
a ride through the
museum grounds.
Their museum
building also
contains a huge
model railroad set
up and lots of
interesting railroad
memorabilia.
Popular with
railroad
enthusiasts,
children, and people
who never thought
they were
particularly
interested in
trains, this museum
draws people from
all over the country
and is always a good
place to take
visitors.
See their web site
to learn more....
Golden Oldy Cyclery
is a private museum
in the owner's
house. It's a
fascinating
collection of
antique bicycles,
professionally
displayed and
interpreted. The
owner/curator of the
collection often
loans his bikes to
other front-range
museums and makes
frequent appearances
in Golden events,
riding his
high-wheeled
bicycles. The
museum holds
occasional open
houses. Visits at
other times are by
appointment.
See their web site
to learn more....
Head
West on Golden's
19th Street to take
the
Lariat Loop up
Lookout Mountain and
Mount Zion. The
drive offers several
pull-offs to allow
you to enjoy the
breath-taking view
of Golden, the Table
Mountains, Denver,
and the plains
beyond. Buffalo
Bill's Grave is at
the top of the
mountain. He is
said to have chosen
the spot for its
incomparable view!
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A
favorite
activity in
Golden is to
walk along
the paved
paths on
either side
of Clear
Creek
through the
downtown
area. The
paths extend
for several
blocks,
beginning at
Vanover Park
on the East,
and ending
West of the
city's
campground.
Three
bridges
cross the
creek, and
benches are
placed
throughout
the path
system, to
allow people
to sit and
enjoy the
creek and
mountain
scenery. |
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Located a few miles
south of Golden is a
world-renowned
"outdoor museum"
dedicated to the
dinosaur discoveries
made here in the
Golden area. Many
dinosaur fossils
have been extracted
from this area, and
fossilized
footprints are easy
to spot. The museum
includes a Visitors'
Center and trails
filled with
interpretive signs
to help visitors
understand what
they're seeing in
the rock formations.
See their web site
to learn more....
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