Your Denver CME conference.

Denver after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Denver time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a walk through the Denver Botanic Gardens, an hour in the Denver Art Museum, or a stroll along Larimer Square. Leave time for getting between neighborhoods, and keep your afternoon to one outing.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests on your own phone or laptop; the city is simply the setting you choose for it.

LoDo, Union Station and the 16th Street Mall

LoDo, short for Lower Downtown, is a 25-block historic district where brick warehouses now hold restaurants, rooftop bars and nightclubs. Denver Union Station is a renovated 1914 train station there with restaurants, shops and a hotel, and it has a direct rail connection to the airport.

Larimer Square has Victorian buildings that house specialty boutiques and chef-driven restaurants. The 16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian street with shopping, restaurants and attractions. Visit Denver also notes that within a one-mile radius downtown you can kayak on the Platte River, and its photos show kayaking at Confluence Park.

Museums, gardens and art districts

Visit Denver describes Capitol Hill and the Golden Triangle as the place to find museums among turn-of-the-century mansions. The Denver Art Museum is known for its American Indian and Western art, and nearby options include the Clyfford Still Museum and MCA Denver. Check each museum’s days and hours against your 2:00 PM finish.

The Denver Botanic Gardens York Street site is at 1007 York Street and covers 24 acres, with a Japanese garden, water gardens and a rock alpine garden. The River North Art District, known as RiNo, puts jazz bars, brewpubs, galleries and working studios in former warehouses and factories. The Art District on Santa Fe has more than 30 galleries and studios.

Red Rocks and trails nearby

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver and has several walking trails. The Trading Post Trail is about 1.4 miles through rock formations, valleys and a meadow on rough terrain, so sturdy shoes are recommended. The Mt. Vernon Creek Trail is about 1 mile, the Funicular Trail is short and steep, and the Red Rocks Trail connects to Matthews/Winters Park for a loop of about 6 miles.

The park says rock climbing is prohibited, pets must be on a leash and most trails are under 3 feet wide, so go slowly near drop-offs and steep grades, and check the park’s rules before you bring a dog.

Roxborough State Park, which Visit Denver places about 45 minutes from the city, has red rock formations and seven trails, including the South Rim Loop of about 3 miles. Check road and trail status before you set out.

Neighborhoods and parks for an evening

Cherry Creek is where Visit Denver says the city comes to shop, with more than 300 stores, 75 cafes and restaurants and 50 spas and salons. The Highlands have Victorian-era homes, gardens and independently owned shops. Five Points is one of the city’s oldest and most diverse neighborhoods, and South Broadway mixes taverns, vintage stores, bookstores and galleries.

For green space, City Park is the city’s largest, Washington Park has two lakes and two formal flower gardens, and the Central Park, Lowry and Northfield neighborhoods have 46 miles of urban trails. Choose one neighborhood for the evening rather than several.

Towns around Denver

A few suburbs reward a short trip. Visit Denver describes Historic Downtown Littleton as a few miles south of downtown, Belmar in Lakewood as having the ambiance of an old town village center, and Olde Town Arvada as having a small-town feel. Golden was the territorial capital until 1867 and still has a Wild West character.

Each is a separate trip with its own parking and transport, so decide on one before you go.

When to visit Denver

Visit Denver describes about 300 days of sunshine, with only 8 to 15 inches of precipitation a year. July averages a high of 88 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 56, and low humidity keeps evenings cool. October averages a high of 66 and a low of 33. Winter highs average about 45, and days reaching 60 are not unusual, since snow melts quickly. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to Denver and your study setting

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Visit Denver places it about 23 miles from downtown, typically a 30–40 minute trip, with a rail line connecting it to downtown. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.