Downtown Denver to Capitol Hill: A Self-Guided Walking Tour

Denver sits exactly one mile above sea level, and nearly everything about it reflects that outsized ambition. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll trace the city's arc from silver boom to civic grandeur, hearing stories of con men, socialites, heist masterminds, and the unlikely figures who shaped a metropolis at the edge of the wilderness. The tour starts at the Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall and quickly leads you to the Brown Palace Hotel, the city's most storied address, where presidents, royalty, and the Beatles have all checked in - and at least one guest has never quite checked out. Along the way, you'll walk through Civic Center Park - a grand neoclassical showpiece built by a mayor obsessed with Paris - and past the U.S. Mint, where a brazen 1922 armed robbery left one man dead, $200,000 missing, and a frozen corpse in a nearby garage. The tour ends on the west steps of the State Capitol, where you'll look out over Civic Center Park and the Rocky Mountains.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Pass by

   Denver Pavilions, the open-air shopping and entertainment complex the route passes on the 16th Street Mall, opened in 1998 with a 15-screen cinema anchoring its shops and restaurants. Any costs related to visiting the complex or making purchases there are not covered in this tour.

2. 2

   Stop 2

   Pass by

   You'll pass The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection, built in 1892 around an eight-storey atrium topped with a stained-glass ceiling. Any costs related to visiting the hotel are not covered in this tour.You'll pass The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection, built in 1892 around an eight-storey atrium topped with a stained-glass ceiling. Any costs related to visiting the hotel are not covered in this tour.

3. 3

   Civic Center Park

   Pass by

   The tour skirts Civic Center Park, Denver's formal green heart between the State Capitol and the City and County Building, which earned National Historic Landmark status in 2012. Any costs related to visiting the park and surrounding area are not covered in this tour.

4. 4

   United States Mint At Denver

   Pass by

   You'll pass The Mint, whose Italian Renaissance-style building, modelled on a Florentine palace, opened its doors in 1904. Any costs related to visiting the Mint or its gift shop are not covered in this tour.

5. 5

   Denver Art Museum

   Pass by

   You'll pass the Denver Art Museum, where Daniel Libeskind's angular Hamilton Building is clad in 9,000 titanium panels meant to echo the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Please note that admission to the museum is not included in this tour.

6. 6

   Molly Brown House Museum

   Pass by

   The route takes you past the Molly Brown House Museum, an 1889 Queen Anne home once owned by Titanic survivor Margaret Brown. Please note that admission to the museum is not included in this tour.

7. 7

   Colorado State Capitol

   Pass by

   Crossing in front of the Colorado State Capitol, you can pick out its gold-leafed dome and the marker on the west steps noting the exact one-mile elevation above sea level. Any costs related to visiting the Capitol grounds are not covered in this tour.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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