Denver's Booms and Busts: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

Denver has reinvented itself more times than almost any other city in the American West. On this audio tour, you'll trace its path from a gold-rush outpost to the capital of the Rockies, and hear how it survived a railroad bypass, a silver crash, and mid-century bulldozers. You'll start at Coors Field, then pass the Dairy Block, a 1920s milk-bottling plant turned boutique hotel and food hall, and Wynkoop Brewing, the brewpub that revived this neighborhood in the 1980s. You'll stop at Union Station, whose facade was Denver's answer to a railroad that almost bypassed the city. You'll continue down the 16th Street Mall, then reach Larimer Square, Denver's oldest block, saved from demolition when Dana Crawford bought it after her car broke down there in the 1960s. You'll finish at the Federal Reserve Bank, where a free museum lets you watch currency processed and sends you home with shredded cash. In 60 minutes, Denver tells you its own story: boom, bust, and back again.

1. 1

   Coors Field

   Pass by

   This self-guided audio tour starts at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, in the heart of Lower Downtown.

2. 2

   Denver Union Station

   Pass by

   You'll stop at Union Station, whose granite facade was Denver's deliberate answer to the transcontinental railroad that almost bypassed the city entirely.

3. 3

   16th Street Mall

   Pass by

   Continuing down the 16th Street Mall, you'll learn how it was designed by I.M. Pei and is still the spine of downtown.

4. 4

   Larimer Square

   Pass by

   You'll reach Larimer Square, the oldest block in Denver. In the 1960s, it was slated for demolition when a woman named Dana Crawford's car broke down here, and she decided to buy the block instead of losing it to a parking lot.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

   The tour ends at the Federal Reserve Bank, where a free on-site money museum lets you watch currency being processed – and hands you a bag of shredded cash to take home.

• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.