Should You Visit the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado
I have been visiting downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall since I was 7 years old. I’ve seen it change, new buildings go in, have issues and revive itself via an energetic rebirth. If you’ve landed on this post you’re either someone who lives in the Denver metro and are trying to decide if you should make your way downtown for something other than a football game or a night out at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Or, you’re someone planning a visit to Denver and keep hearing conflicting information about downtown Denver. I’m working on this post while sitting a lovely downtown Denver coffee shop a block away from the 16th Street Mall. I visit downtown Denver often, but I have some tips and thoughts to share before you decide should you visit the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado. My answer is “yes” but, there are some things to consider.
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Cowtown Denver
Head over to one of my favorite coffee shops and enjoy a cold weather seasonal latte made with real puree here in Denver as you plan out your trip the logistics of how you plan on hanging out in downtown Denver.
Should You Visit the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado
The short answer is “yes” BUT, there are some very important things that you need to know that will impact your experience. I’m also writing this post because I’ve noticed that most of the posts about the 16th Street Mall are really old, share images that are inaccurate and just would be very confusing to people once they’ve arrived in town.
- What is the 16th Street Mall? It’s an almost 2 mile long road that is focused on the pedestrian experience downtown. Typically there is a free mall shuttle, shopping, buskers, outdoors events and more.
- 7 Blocks of the 16th Street Mall Are Under Construction–The walking mall is undergoing a HUGE and MAJOR remodeling project that will take until 2025. As it looks now, the blocks impacted are from Market Street-Tremont on the 16th Street Mall. What to expect on those blocks
- Fencing
- Slightly obstructed walk ways
- Some noise
- Retail has been impacted in this area- Due to COVID, the construction project and changes in the downtown Denver workforce.
- Is it Safe? I would say that from 2020-2022 downtown Denver, like many downtowns at the time, was a complete mess. It was not as safe as I would need it to be in order to visit and nothing was happening. It is significantly safer, but you do have to exercise situational awareness and pay attention to your surroundings. Just like in any major metropolitan city in the United States.
What is There To Do in Downtown Denver
Well, wild as it sounds, downtown Denver covers 100’s of blocks…not just the blocks under construction on the 16th Street Mall. If you’re checking things out because your flight was delayed for 9 hours or you visiting from other parts of the Denver metro-here are some tips and recommendations.
Recommendation #1-Book a Tour
If you’re from the Denver Metro area or you’re visiting, booking a few tours is a great way to experience the town with someone else leading the way. They’re in charge of the itinerary and you’re able to hang out with other people, walk around in a group and enjoy a guided experience. There are a number of new businesses that have opened and a number that have closed.
A tour is a great way to get a feel for what is in town now.
Recommendation #3 Go WEST
Explore the blocks from Market Street going west (walking in the direction towards the mountains) to LOHI. There is so much going on in that area, great food, activities and new developments to experience.
- Basecamp at Market Street Station-on 16th and Market Street-Pick up any gear that you need and make sure to grab a yummy milk tea from Milk Tea People. During the summer there are bands and other events hosted in that space. There’s even a cute outdoor fire fixture that you can enjoy during the colder months.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Denver-This museum always delivers. From thoughtfully curated art, music on the rooftop and other events, this museum is one of my favorite spaces in Denver.
- Larimer Square-It’s also…under construction. But, we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are speakeasies, restaurants and fun events hosted in this historic square.
- Union Station–One of my favorite spaces in town, I love people watching, the weekend market and the fun events hosted in this space. There are bands, Santa Claus during the holiday season and the fountain in front that people splash in during the warmer months.
- Dairy Block and Free Market-One of my favorite new(ish) developments in town. There is great food, shopping, a speakeasy, a Michelin star restaurant and seasonal markets in the built-out alleyway.
- McGregor Square–Located across the street from Dairy Block, McGregor Square has a massive big screen in a cute plaza in the center of the development. During the colder months there’s even an ice skating rink. Milepost Zero is the food hall and baseball enthusiasts can.
- Skyline Park-It sits at the base of the giant May D&F Clocktower. There’s usually games, put put golf, ice skating, pickle ball, and more depending the time of year.
- Night Lights Denver-Art is projected onto the tower several nights a week. I absolutely love this experience and it changes each month. I try to watch it once a month.
Tip # 4-Go North-Five Points/RINO
There is so much to do in this historic part of Denver. One of my favorite and least expensive experiences is roaming around to look at all of the incredible murals. Denver has a wonderful commitment to sharing art in public spaces which you will see reflected around town-especially in this area.
What to Do
- Visit RINO Art Park
- Head to one of the many breweries in the area
- Grab some food at Zeppelin Station Food Hall or The Source Hotel and Market
- Reserve a time to visit the Black American West & Heritage Museum
- Take a guided e-bike tour of the area-The weather in Denver is pretty nice all year around.
- Eat some food at the Denver Central Market and explore more murals, etc. in the area.
Tip # 5-Visit Other Places of Interest
I thought it would be helpful to share places you could visit and encourage you to make your way to them. These places of interest are being shared in no particular order.
- Denver Center for Performing Arts-There’s nothing better than enjoying a fabulous day at the theater. If you like theater, ballet, opera or even comedy, the DCPA is the place to go.
- Museum of Illusions-This is a new experience downtown
- Meow Wolf-Located about 7 minutes away via train or Lyft. I highly recommend.
- Civic Center Park-I love this park and it has so many cool events. They range from the Dia De Los Muertos Festival, Denver Christkindlmarket, Civic Center Eats and McNichols Civic Center Building which hosts a lot of free events.
- Denver Art Museum–I visit this museum at least once a month.
- History Colorado Center-The programming is fantastic.
Places to Eat and Drink
I’m sharing a few suggestions vs. an exhaustive list of places to eat.
- Dragonfly Noodle-So freaking delicious!!!
- Vibe Coffee and Wine-I’m actually working on this post while hanging out at Vibe.
- Chopstickers-If you like dumplings, this is where to go.
- Mimosas-Enjoy brunch here.
- Welton Street Cafe-Currently being remodeled
- Mo Betta Greens Market-(Summer)
Downtown Denver Retail Stores to Visit
In my view, there’s not a lot of “shopping” in downtown Denver. There’s a few notable retail experiences that I do recommend checking out.
- I Heart Denver Store-If you’re looking for souvenirs this is the place to go. Every item is designed and created by a local Coloradan.
- Yarn Shoppe Denver-For the folks looking for beautiful yarn for their next project. This is the place.
- Fafa’s Genuine Vintage Handbags-I popped in and almost left with 100’s of dollars worth of gorgeous pieces. It’s small space with A LOT of goodies.
Should You Visit the 16th Street Mall in Denver, Colorado
I hope this post has helped to reframe what there is to do downtown and what is currently happening on the 16th Street Mall. Happily, the remodel is about half way there, but it won’t be completed until 2025. That means if you’re visiting from the time this post is published (November 2023) that you’re absolutely going to experience the construction.
It’s a 7+ block project.
There are 100’s of blocks to experience in the City of Denver. Don’t get distracted. Please support the businesses in the downtown Denver corridor. It has been a really challenging time for them and they’re still hanging on.