Denver with a 9 year old
 

We will be in Denver for 2 days in late August before heading to Estes Park. Any suggestions on hotels and activities/sites for a 9 year-old?

Elich Gardens, near downtown Denver, basically just a Six Flags.<BR><BR>Ocean Journey. (Aquarium) Recently almost went bankrupt, so who knows if it will be open in August.<BR><BR>Near Morrison (Hwy C470), there are dinosaur footprints on the side of the hills. (Do kids still like dinosaurs?) It's pretty cool.<BR>http://www.dinoridge.org/<BR><BR>If he enjoys "Wild West" History, the Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum is in Golden. <BR>http://www.buffalobill.org/

Don't forget the Natural History Museum. One of the world's best collections of dinosaur bones.

Absolutely devote a 1/2 day to the Museum of Natural History. We've been taking our kids there since they were toddlers and we all enjoy it. Your 9 year old will get a charge out of the mummies (or mommies, as my then 5 year old son called them). The Mint has a fun, short tour but don't know if it's reopened to the public since 9/11. The Westin downtown has a nice rooftop indoor/outdoor pool that our kids like plus you're close to the action at that location.

It's really a good idea to acclimate in Denver for a couple of days before going to Estes Park where you'll be at 7500+ ft altitude. We did the same thing several years ago with our boys who were 9 and 12 at the time. They loved the Natural History museum. Plus, if it's hot, the fountain outside is alot of fun for kids. They also enjoyed the pedestrian mall downtown (don't recall the name). The best part in Denver was going to a baseball game at Coors Field. A beautiful stadium and the Rock Pile is fun during homeruns. Enjoy Estes Park - we loved it!

If you have an REI membership, here's a possibility: my kids particularly enjoyed the climbing wall at the REI Flagship store in Denver a couple of years ago. With our membership, they could climb for free. This included equipment and belaying.

I second the Rockies game. Tickets in the Rockpile (seating in the outfield) are $4 for adults and $1 for kids. Also, the zoo in Denver is pretty decent.