Fancy yourself an amateur archaeologist? Whether you want to dig for fossils or simply marvel at the sight of gigantic dinosaur fossils, you can enjoy all sorts of dinosaur delights in Denver. Check out how to have a dino-themed getaway in the Mile High City.
Best Western Denver Southwest
Chain hotels are often made from the same cookie cutter, but consider the Best Western Denver Southwest the exception. This location near downtown Denver has been completely renovated with a dino-inspired theme, trading ornamental vases for fossilized skulls and blasé lobby art for walls impressed with dinosaur fossils in what’s become a hotel-meets-natural history museum. Even the pool features a mosaic of a prehistoric sea and its inhabitants so you can swim with the dinosaurs. Plus, this hotel remains budget-friendly with rates starting at $75 per night.
Dinosaur Ridge
Just 10 minutes from the Best Western Denver Southwest, Dinosaur Ridge offers a peak at the Denver area’s prehistoric residents. Check out fossilized stegosaurus bones, dinosaur footprints and ancient watering holes while you hike along Triceratops Trail or Dinosaur Ridge Trail, either on a self-guided or guided tour. Access to the trails is free.
Denver Museum of Science and Nature
More than 115,000 fossils await you at the Denver Museum of Science and Nature, including scenes like an allosaurus and stegosaurus in the heat of battle. Exhibits allow you to get hands-on with fossils and explore prehistoric habitats up close. Plus, you can observe scientists at the museum as they examine and prepare fossils. Admission is $13.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
While this incredible setting in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Foothills is best known for its natural acoustics as a music venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is also filled with fossil fragments. As you explore the sandstone ridges that define Red Rocks, you’ll be surrounded by Denver’s Jurassic past.
(Main image: Dave Catchpole)
