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Boulder Attractions
Beyond the attractions listed, the Boulder Creek Winery, 6440 Odell Place (tel. 303/516-9031; www.bouldercreekwine.com), offers a complimentary tasting Thursday through Sunday from 1 to 5:30pm, and BookCliff Vineyards, of Palisade, has a north Boulder tasting room at 1501 Lee Hill Rd. (tel. 303/449-9463; www.bookcliffvineyards.com), open 1 to 6pm Friday through Sunday in summer (closed winter Thurs). These are two of the top wineries in the state in terms of awards won; Boulder Creek is known for its cabernets and merlots, and BookCliff is the only Front Range winery that grows its own grapes.
Museums
There are three art galleries on the University of Colorado campus, all with free admission. The CU Art Museum (tel. 303/492-8300) displays the work of CU students and faculty as well as pieces from the Colorado Collection, about 5,000 works by international artists including Warhol, Dürer, Rembrandt, Tiepolo, Hogarth, Hiroshige, Matisse, and Picasso. There are also rotating exhibits. The museum is located in the new-for-2010 Visual Arts Complex.
At the University Memorial Center, the UMC Art Gallery (tel. 303/492-7465) organizes and hosts a variety of exhibitions featuring regional and national artists. In the music-listening rooms, visitors can peruse current periodicals while listening to modern and classical music. The gallery is on the second floor of the center, just left of the information desk; it’s open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.
The Andrew J. Macky Gallery (tel. 303/492-8423), at the main entrance of Macky Auditorium, shows touring exhibits and works by local artists. It’s open Wednesday from 9am to 4pm.
There are also studios and a gallery at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St. (tel. 303/440-7826; www.thedairy.org), which also houses two theaters, classrooms, and several dance, theater, and arts organizations.
Especially for Kids
City parks offer the best diversions for children.
On the Boulder Creek Path, the underwater fish observatory behind the Millennium Harvest House fascinates youngsters. They can feed the huge trout swimming behind a glass barrier on the creek (machines cough up handfuls of fish food for 25¢). Farther up the path, on the south bank around 6th Street, Kids’ Fishing Ponds, stocked by the Boulder Fish and Game Club, are open to children 11 and under. There’s no charge for either activity.
Likewise, the Pearl Street Mall is a terrific spot for kids, featuring giant beaver and snail sculptures to frolic with, massive faux boulders to climb, and a pop-jet fountain to cool off in on hot summer days, not to mention such kid-friendly shops as Into the Wind and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
The Fiske Planetarium (tel. 303/492-5001; www.fiske.colorado.edu) offers visitors a walk through the solar system. Dedicated to the memory of CU alumnus Ellison Onizuka and the six other astronauts who died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion, the outdoor scale model begins at the entrance to the planetarium with the sun and inner planets, and continues across Regent Drive to the outer planets, located along the walkway to the Engineering Center. Admission is free; allow at least a half-hour. The planetarium offers kids’ after-school and summer discovery programs, star shows, and other programs in which you get a chance to look at the sky through the planetarium’s telescopes. Admission for these events is usually around $5 and parking is $1.50; call for the latest schedule.
On the north end of town, at Gateway Park Fun Center, 4800 N. 28th St. (tel. 303/442-4386; wwww.gatewayfunpark.com), you'll find go-karts, a human maze, batting cages, minigolf, and more.
19 Results
- Tour
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
This brewery produces some 6 million barrels of Budweiser and other brands each year, distributed to 10 Western states. Tours end at the tasting room with a free sample. You can also visit the barn and see the giant Clydesdale horses used to promote Anheuser-Busch beers since 1933,… - Tour
Banjo Billy's Bus Tours
A rollicking journey through Boulder and its storied history, Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours uses one of the funkiest vehicles you’ve ever seen. Featuring armchairs for guests inside, the exterior looks like the offspring of a log cabin and a school bus--and features 13 disco balls, five… - Tour
Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours
A rollicking journey through Boulder and its storied history, Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours uses one of the funkiest vehicles you’ve ever seen. Featuring armchairs for guests inside, the exterior looks like the offspring of a log cabin and a school bus—and features 13 disco balls, five… - Tour
Boulder Beer Company
From the grinding of the grain to the bottling of the beer, the 25-minute tour of Colorado’s original microbrewery ends as all brewery tours should: in the pub. Tours pass by glistening copper vats that turn out hundreds of kegs of Boulder Beer a day. The pub overlooks the bottling… - Hiking/Biking Route
Boulder Creek Path
Following Boulder Creek, this nature corridor provides about a 6-mile-long oasis and recreation area through the city and west into the mountains. With no street crossings (there are bridges and underpasses instead), the path is popular with Boulder residents, especially on weekends,… - Museum
Boulder History Museum
From Chief Niwot to the Colorado Chautauqua, Boulder's fascinating history is unraveled here in the permanent “Storymakers” exhibit on the second floor of the 1899 Harbeck-Bergheim House in southwest Boulder. The museum also features one or two temporary exhibits every year; the 2014… - Museum
Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
Well worth a visit, “B-MoCA” spotlights some of the quirkier nooks and crannies of the arts world with a special exhibition or two at a time. A recent one entitled “Game Changer” featured 11 contemporary artists and their often critical take on sports. Other recent exhibits showcased… - Cooking Class
Butterfly Pavilion
A walk through the butterfly conservatory introduces the visitor to a world of grace and beauty. The constant mist creates a hazy habitat to support the lush green plants that are both food and home to the 1,600 butterfly inhabitants representing 100 species at any given time. If you… - The Performing Arts
CU Boulder College of Music
The College of Music presents more than 400 musical events to the public each year, ranging from fully staged operas to early and new music performances. - Tour
Celestial Seasonings
The nation’s leading producer of herbal teas, housed in a modern building in northeastern Boulder, offers tours that are an experience for the senses. The company began in a Boulder garage in 1969 and now steeps in more than 1.6 billion cups of tea a year, sourcing more than 100… - The Performing Arts
Colorado Music Festival
Begun in 1976, this series is the single biggest annual arts event in Boulder, with visiting musicians from around the world performing in the acoustically revered Chautauqua Auditorium. The festival presents works by composers of the classical through modern eras, such as Bach,… - Ride
Fort Collins Municipal Railway
One of the few remaining original trolley systems in the nation, this restored 1919 Birney streetcar runs on its original route, along Mountain Avenue for 1 1/2 miles from City Park to Howes Street. Today it’s more for fun than practical urban transport. Allow 30 minutes. - Museum
Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art
This is the personal art collection of Ed Trumble, the founder of Leanin' Tree, a greeting card company; it features about 400 paintings and bronze sculptures. Subject matter ranges from cowboys to wild animals, and the outdoor sculpture garden offers a chance to experience some art… - Tour
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Inspired by the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, I. M. Pei designed this striking pink-sandstone building, which overlooks Boulder from high atop Table Mesa in the southwestern foothills. (You might recognize the center from Woody Allen’s “Sleeper,” as some scenes were… - Market
Old Town
A redbrick pedestrian mall flanked by streetlamps and centered on a bubbling fountain is the focus of this restored historic district. The main plaza, which covers several square blocks, extends diagonally to the northeast from the intersection of College and Mountain avenues; on… - Market
Pearl Street Mall
This four-block-long tree-lined pedestrian mall marks Boulder’s downtown core and its center for dining, shopping, strolling, and people-watching. Musicians, mimes, jugglers, and other street entertainers hold court on the landscaped mall day and night, year-round. Buy your lunch… - Tour
Redstone Meadery
Drunk by Beowulf and Shakespeare, mead is one of the oldest fermented beverages. There are now over 100 active meaderies in the United States, including this standout in Boulder. Founded by David Myers in 2000, the meadery crafts several beverages that quickly demonstrate why this… - Museum
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
This joint history and science museum boasts a large collection of Folsom points of any Western museum. There are historical artifacts from Fort Collins as well as pioneer and Victorian objects, a number of cool hands-on science exhibits in the Schatz Family Exploration Zone, and a… - Library/University
University of Colorado
The largest university in the state, with nearly 29,000 students (including about 4,600 graduate students), “CU” dominates the city. Its student population, cultural and sports events, and intellectual atmosphere have helped shape Boulder into the city it is today. The school boasts…
Boulder Shopping
For the best shopping in Boulder, head to the Pearl Street Mall, where you’ll find not only shops and galleries galore but also street entertainers.
Twenty Ninth Street, centered on the former site of the Crossroads Mall at the intersection of Canyon Boulevard and 29th Street (tel. 303/444-0722; www.twentyninthstreet.com), is a major new multiuse development featuring an outdoor shopping center. Open since 2006, tenants include Eddie Bauer, Ruby’s Diner, MontBell, Borders, Apple, and Century Theatres. Hours are 10am to 9pm Monday through Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday.
The indoor-outdoor, 1.5-million-square-foot FlatIron Crossing (tel. 720/887-7467; www.flatironcrossing.com), an upscale mall featuring Nordstrom, Dillard’s, and Brookstone among its 200 shops, is a more comprehensive option for the devout shopper. It’s 9 miles southeast of Boulder off U.S. 36 in Broomfield. Hours are 10am to 9pm Monday through Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday.
Arts & Crafts
Boulder Arts & Crafts Cooperative -- For 4 decades, this longstanding Pearl Street Mall store has offered a wide selection of artwork, most made by locals. 1421 Pearl St. tel. 303/443-3683. www.boulderartsandcrafts.com.
Books
Being a college town, Boulder is one of the best cities in the world for a browsing bookworm. It reportedly has more used-book stores per capita than any other U.S. city. Chain outlets include Barnes & Noble, 2915 Pearl St. (tel. 303/442-1665). The independents run the gamut from the Kerouac and Burroughs specialists at Beat Book Shop, 1717 Pearl St. (tel. 303/444-7111), to the “explicitly socialist” nonprofit Left Hand Book Collective, 1200 Pearl St. (tel. 303/443-8252). Trident Booksellers, 940 Pearl St. (tel. 303/443-3133), is a good used-book shop with a coffeehouse attached.
Gifts & Souvenirs
The best stops for T-shirts, University of Colorado paraphernalia, and other Boulder souvenirs are Jackalope and Company, 1126 Pearl St. (tel. 303/939-8434); Where the Buffalo Roam, 1320 Pearl St. (tel. 303/938-1424); and the CU Bookstore, 1111 Broadway (tel. 303/442-5051). Long a hub for Eastern religion, Boulder also has a plethora of Tibetan gift shops--Old Tibet, 948 Pearl St. (tel. 303/440-0323), is the longest standing.
Sporting Goods
Sports Authority, 3320 N. 28th St. (tel. 303/449-9021), is a good all-purpose source, while the following are more specialized--and interesting--retail outlets.
Boulder Army Store -- Sure, this store started as a military surplus outlet, but today it is one of the premiere spots to get outdoor gear in one of the premiere outdoor cities in the country. The selection spans tents, boots, sunglasses, and most any other item you'll need before wandering into the nearby wild. 1545 Pearl St. tel. 303/442-7616. www.boulderarmystore.com.
Hardware
McGuckin Hardware -- Open since 1955, this is the anti-Home Depot. Fiercely independent and ultra-supportive of local products, McGuckin is a cavernous hardware store that harkens back to a pre-Big Box era. You'll find tools and lumber alongside outdoor gear, housewares, art supplies, and toys in the 60,000-square-foot space. 2525 Arapahoe Ave. tel. 303/443-1822. www.mcguckin.com.
Kitchenware
Peppercorn -- Bar none, this is the best kitchen store in the Rocky Mountain region. You will find every imaginable pot, pan, and cooking gadget, plus plenty for other rooms in your home in this sizable space. 1235 Pearl St. tel. 303/449-5847. www.peppercorn.com.
Kites and Toys
Into the Wind -- Into the Wind is known for its kites, and with good reason—it likely has the best selection in the state—but that's just the beginning of the whimsical catalog available here. Wind-up gorillas? Check. Black-light posters? Check. Hacky-sacks, inflatable taxidermy, and propeller beanies? Check, check, and check. 1408 Pearl St. tel. 303/449-5906. www.intothewind.com.
8 Results
- Bookstores
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble is one of Boulder’s treasured one-stop-shops, carrying books and magazines as well as toys, games, and coffee. Boulder Army Store
Sure, this store started as a military surplus outlet, but today it is one of the premiere spots to get outdoor gear in one of the premiere outdoor cities in the country. The selection spans tents, boots, sunglasses, and most any other item you'll need before wandering into the…- Arts & Crafts
Boulder Arts & Crafts Cooperative
For 4 decades, this longstanding Pearl Street Mall store has offered a wide selection of artwork, most made by locals. - Bookstores
Boulder Book Store
A Boulder institution and community hub, the Boulder Book Store has more than 100,000 new and used tomes on its shelves, as well as a full calendar of lectures and readings, and a definitive Boulder vibe. - Toys
Into the Wind
Into the Wind is known for its kites, and with good reason—it likely has the best selection in the state—but that's just the beginning of the whimsical catalog available here. Wind-up gorillas? Check. Black-light posters? Check. Hacky-sacks, inflatable taxidermy, and propeller… McGuckin Hardware
Open since 1955, this is the anti-Home Depot. Fiercely independent and ultra-supportive of local products, McGuckin is a cavernous hardware store that harkens back to a pre-Big Box era. You'll find tools and lumber alongside outdoor gear, housewares, art supplies, and toys in the…- Kitchenware
Peppercorn
Bar none, this is the best kitchen store in the Rocky Mountain region. You will find every imaginable pot, pan, and cooking gadget, plus plenty for other rooms in your home in this sizable space. - Malls & Shopping Centers
Twenty Ninth Street
Twenty Ninth Street is centered on the former site of the Crossroads Mall at the intersection of Canyon Boulevard and 29th Street ([tel] 303/444-0722; www.twentyninthstreet.com). Tenants include Apple, Macy's, Coldwater Creek, Sur La Table, Eddie Bauer, Trader Joe's, Smashburger,…
Boulder Nightlife
As a cultured and well-educated community (almost 60% of adult residents have at least one college degree), Boulder is especially noted for its summer music, dance, and Shakespeare festivals. Major entertainment events take place year-round, both downtown and on the University of Colorado campus. There’s also a wide choice of nightclubs and bars, but it hasn’t always been so: Boulder was dry for 60 years, from 1907 (13 years before national Prohibition) to 1967. The first new bar in the city opened in 1969, in the Hotel Boulderado. The notoriously healthy city banned smoking in public places in 1995, 11 years before the state did the same thing.
Entertainment schedules can be found in the Daily Camera’s weekly Friday Magazine; in the daily Denver Post; in Westword, the Denver weekly; or in the free Boulder Weekly.
The Performing Arts
Music, dance, and theater are important aspects of life for Boulder residents. Many of these activities take place at Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado (tel. 303/492-8008; www.colorado.edu/music) and other campus venues, as well as the Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Rd. (tel. 303/442-3282; www.chautauqua.com), and the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St. (tel. 303/440-7826; www.thedairy.org).
Sellout Picnic -- As the revered Chautauqua Auditorium opens up to let the breeze in during summer performances, the sound carries out into the surrounding public parkland. In the event of a sellout (or if you just are pinching pennies), pack a picnic dinner and head to the park to get a free listen as you watch the sunset over the Flatirons.
11 Results
- The Performing Arts
Boulder Bach Festival
The oeuvre of Johann Sebastian Bach is the focal point at this longstanding event. The main slate of festival events takes place in February and March, but there are recitals and concerts all year long. - The Performing Arts
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Founded in 1958, this community orchestra is one of the best in the West. Their annual concert series spotlights contemporary and time-tested classical works, typically performing at Macky Auditorium at CU. Boulder Theater
Eclectic is the best adjective for the calendar here, where performers in 2014 ranged from Lauryn Hill to George Thorogood & The Destroyers.- The Performing Arts
CU Presents
CU Presents is the home of the performing arts on the beautiful University of Colorado Boulder campus. With hundreds of concerts, plays, recitals, and more on our stages each year, there's something for everyone to enjoy. - The Performing Arts
Colorado MahlerFest
Aficionados of Gustav Mahler mass in Boulder in May of each year for a far-flung slate of performances, lectures, and other events dedicated to the legendary director of the Vienna Opera. - The Performing Arts
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
The Bard gets his due at this annual summer festival at CU that sees several productions at the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre and the indoor University Theatre Main Stage. The 2014 lineup included “The Tempest,” “The Mery Wives of Windsor,” “Henry IV,” and the comedic “I Hate Hamlet.” - Bars & Pubs
Conor O’Neill’s
Live music, trivia nights, and a social atmosphere complement the traditional Irish pub fare and taps of Irish beer. Just when you thought it couldn't get more Irish, you find out that the actual place is Irish, designed and crafted in Ireland and installed by Irish laborers. Fox Theatre and Cafe
The best music venue on “The Hill” and one of the most acoustically endowed old theaters anywhere, the Fox is a beloved institution. Jam bands tend to dominate the calendar.- Bars & Pubs
Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery
Boulder's best microbrewery offers some interesting suds to say the least. Beyond the flagship Colorado Kind Ale, there are beers brewed with chocolate, coffee, and raspberries flowing from the tap, and seasonal experiments are the norm. The menu includes burritos, burgers, and a… - Bars & Pubs
The Sink
Since opening in 1923, this venerable college hangout has seen it all: CU dropout Robert Redford was once the janitor, and President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in 2012. But celebrity trivia aside, this is the best place to get a whiff of Boulder's culture while knocking… - Bars & Pubs
West End Tavern
A picture perfect neighborhood bar with a legendary rooftop deck, the West End Tavern is named for its location on the far fringe on the Pearl Street Mall. The Southern-tinged menu is also notable. Chicken and biscuits, anyone?
