Discover 10 affordable day trips within an hour of Thornton, from outdoor adventures and sports to museums, family fun, and more.
The word “staycation” dates back to July 1944, when an advertisement urged Americans to take a “Stay-cation instead of a vacation” to conserve fuel and tires during WWII. It re-emerged in 2008 during the Great Recession and officially entered the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2009. Now, nearly 20 years later, it’s a regular part of our vocabulary.
A staycation can mean anything from literally not leaving your house to traveling a short distance from home, usually within an hour or so. Whether you’re staying home or close by, the goal remains the same: relax and have fun. Lucky for Thornton residents, its prime location and proximity to cities like Denver and Boulder mean there are all kinds of fun “staycations” to be had nearby.
Here are 10 of the best and most affordable day trips within an hour of Thornton.
For the adventurers
Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
Location: 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road., Golden, CO 80401
Cost: Free – $5 per person
If you’re looking for an adventure that’s slightly different from your average Colorado hike, head up Lookout Mountain in Golden to visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. The drive itself feels like an adventure as you wind up Lookout Mountain and look over Golden and the Front Range beyond.
Once you reach the top, you’ll find yourself at the spot where Buffalo Bill was laid to rest. Born William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody in 1846, he was a legendary frontiersman, Army scout, buffalo hunter, and showman who became one of the most famous figures of the American West. His traveling Wild West show helped shape the way Americans and people around the world imagined the Old West. He spent his final years in Colorado and was buried on Lookout Mountain in 1917.
Visiting the grave and exploring the top of Lookout Mountain is free, and that alone is worth the trip. But if you want to add a little more history to your adventure, head inside the Buffalo Bill Museum, which explores Cody’s life from 1846 to 1917, his Wild West show, and his continuing influence on American culture.
Add to your adventure: On your way up Lookout Mountain, stop by Windy Saddle Trailhead for a short hike. On your way back down the mountain, stop at Et Voilà! French Bakery for a pastry or coffee.
Chautauqua
Location: 900 Baseline Rd &, 9th St, Boulder, CO 80302
Cost: Free + ($2.50/hour parking fee on weekends/ holidays).
Chautauqua is a Boulder classic and one of Colorado’s most iconic natural landmarks. It’s also the perfect spot for anyone looking for a day-trip adventure. Once you arrive at Chautauqua, you’ll find plenty of ways to spend the day, from hiking to relaxing and taking in the views.
The area offers over 40 miles of trails ranging from easy to difficult, including some of Boulder’s most popular hiking routes. If you’re in search of something other than a hike, you can go on a history or geology tour, visit the visitor center and general store, or just enjoy the large grassy area, which is perfect for a picnic, tossing a Frisbee, or an outdoor photo shoot. There’s also a playground for kids, plus tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts.
Add on to your adventure: Before or after your Chautauqua adventure, head to the historic Chautauqua Dining Hall for a meal or a handcrafted cocktail, local beer, or a glass of wine. You can also stop by the General Store for coffee, a milkshake, a pastry, or other goodies.
For the artsy ones
Red Rocks
Location: 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80465
Cost: Free
When you hear “Red Rocks,” you might automatically think “expensive concert.” And as one of the world’s most iconic concert venues, it’s easy to think of Red Rocks as only a place to see live music. While seeing a concert at Red Rocks is an incredible, unforgettable experience, the venue offers much more for far less than a concert ticket.
Despite high ticket costs, you can visit Red Rocks for free. The hours you can visit depend on whether there’s an event happening that day. On event days, the park is generally open from one hour before sunrise until around 2 p.m., while on non-event days, it’s open from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset.
So, what can you do at Red Rocks if you’re not going for a show? Quite a bit! In addition to their organized events like Yoga on the Rocks and Film on the Rocks, you can also explore the Red Rocks Hall of Fame, grab a bite at Ship Rock Grille, shop for souvenirs at the historic Trading Post, hike one of the five trails, exercise on the legendary Red Rocks steps, or simply explore the amphitheater and take in the views.
Add on to your adventure: Before or after your outing to Red Rocks, explore downtown Morrison. Head to The Cow Eatery for their famous soft-serve ice cream, or peruse local shops like The Moxi Poppy or The Little Wren.
Meow Wolf
Location: 1338 1st St, Denver, CO 80204
Cost: $40/ticket
A trip to Meow Wolf is hard to describe and can’t really be put into a singular category. Because what is it? A trip to a museum? A trip to a gallery? How about an interdimensional trip? Meow Wolf defines itself as an immersive art adventure, and that might be the best way to begin to describe it.
Meow Wolf currently has six locations across the U.S., with more on the way, but each one is unique. Each location has its own theme and story and is a collaboration between Meow Wolf artists and local artists. In other words, every location is a completely different experience, but they’re all equally trippy.
The Denver installment is called Convergence Station. You’ll start your art adventure at a “QDOT transit station,” where you’ll leave the physical world behind and enter a convergence of physical and metaphysical realms (and yes, it really feels like this). Once off the QDOT (the elevator), you can explore different alien worlds at your own pace, wandering through more than 70 rooms filled with art, interactive experiences, and plenty of things that will disorient you and make you wonder, “What am I looking at?” Expect to spend anywhere from two to four hours here.
Add on to your adventure: After your interdimensional adventure, stop at Sips (With a Z) for a handcrafted cocktail or its rotating food menu (only available on weekends).
For the tour takers
Hammonds Candy
Location: 5735 Washington St, Denver, CO 80216
Cost: Free
The history of Hammond’s Candy Factory dates back to 1913, when Carl T. Hammond Sr. began an apprenticeship at a Denver candy factory. After serving in World War I, Carl returned to Denver and continued his candy-making apprenticeship before opening Hammond’s Candy Company in 1920. His commitment to quality helped the company survive the Great Depression, and over the years, Hammond’s remained a family business, passing from Carl to his son Tom and eventually to the next generation.
Today, you can visit the candy factory for a tour and get a behind-the-scenes look at how Hammond’s makes its famous 5,000 pounds of candy every day. You’ll learn about the company’s history and see how they combine century-old candy-making techniques with modern technology to make everything from hand-pulled lollipops and chocolates to candy canes, Mitchell Sweets, and other classics.
The tour is completely free, but you’ll probably want to leave some room in the budget for the factory store, which has chocolates, lollipops, marshmallows, and other Hammond’s favorites. There’s even an “Oops” section with discounted treats that are just as tasty as the rest.
Add on to your adventure: Grab lunch at Denver staple, Tamale Kitchen, or the famous Red Rooster Cafe, known for its Mexican and Greek dishes.
Celestial Seasonings
Location: 4600 Sleepytime Dr, Boulder, CO 80301
Cost: Free – $6/person
Tea lovers, honey lovers, art lovers—unite and rejoice. Celestial Seasonings is your haven. The Boulder and Colorado staple dates back to 1969, when a group of young hippies started a tea company, or, as they called it, a “tea movement,” using wild herbs from the Rocky Mountains. More than 50 years later, Celestial Seasonings is still making tea in Boulder and remains committed to using tea as a pathway to improve people’s lives.
You can visit the Celestial Seasonings factory, where all of its teas are made. In fact, the Boulder factory is the only place in the world where Celestial Seasonings teas are produced.
If you want a behind-the-scenes look at how tea goes from raw ingredients to the finished, wholesome blend, you can book a guided factory tour for $6/person. The tour takes you through the tea-making process, gives you a peek behind the scenes, and shares the company’s history. However, children must be at least 5 years old to go on the tour.
If you have little ones under 5 or the tours are all booked for the day, you can still visit the Tour Building for free, where you can sample a variety of hot and iced teas and check out the signature artwork throughout the building. Afterward, stop by the Celestial Seasonings Tea Shop, where you’ll find a larger selection of their teas than you’ll typically find at the grocery store, along with other tea-and-wellness-related goodies.
Add on to your adventure: Go for a walk around Twin Lakes or grab a beer at Avery Brewing Company.
For the sports fan
Coors Field
Location: 2001 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205
Cost: $15 + / per person
Out of all the professional sports in Denver, attending a Rockies game at Coors Field is one of the most affordable, and arguably one of the most fun. I mean, who doesn’t love a hot dog, a cold beer, and a baseball game with the Rocky Mountains in the background? With tickets sometimes starting at only $12.95, it’s possible to catch a game without spending a fortune.
In addition to finding low-priced tickets, one of the best ways to save money is to bring your own food. Coors Field allows you to bring in outside food and nonalcoholic beverages, as long as you follow the ballpark’s guidelines (food should be in individual portions, and bags must be soft-sided, single-pocket bags no larger than 16” x 16” x 8”. Backpacks, hard-sided coolers, glass bottles, and alcohol are not permitted, and all permitted bags are subject to search).
If you do want to splurge on a drink, grab a beer at The Rooftop before first pitch, where $3 Coors and Coors Light drafts are available during the pregame Batting Practice specials.
Add on to your adventure: You can make a full day of it by exploring LoDo before or after the game. Grab lunch, wander through Larimer Square or walk along the 16th Street corridor before heading to the ballpark.
School of Mines football game
Location: 1250 12th St, Golden, CO 80401
Cost: ~$5 +
If baseball isn’t your thing and you’re looking for an affordable football game this season, look no further than Colorado School of Mines football. Located in the heart of Golden, a Mines football game has everything you want from a college football experience: a crowd with lots of spirit, a team with plenty of pride, a historic stadium, and beautiful mountain and creek views.
The Orediggers play at Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium, which has been home to Mines football since 1893, making Mines one of the oldest football programs west of the Mississippi River and one of the oldest college football programs in the country.
The 2026 season features several home games, including games against Fort Lewis, Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines, and New Mexico Highlands. The final home game of the regular season is November 14 against New Mexico Highlands. Ticket prices are significantly cheaper than what you’ll find at a Broncos or CU game, which makes it a great way to enjoy a game without very much.
Add on to your adventure: Go for a walk along the lively Clear Creek Pathway before or after the game, or stop by Golden Mill for a drink and some chicken strips.
For the families
Dinosaur Ridge
Location: 16831 W Alameda Pkwy., Morrison, CO 80465
Cost: Free +
Travel back to prehistoric times without driving more than an hour from Thornton. Head to Dinosaur Ridge outside of Morrison for a fossil- and fun-filled day with the family. As part of the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas National Natural Landmark, Dinosaur Ridge is home to more than 300 fossil tracks and is ranked by paleontologists as the No. 1 dinosaur tracksite in America. It’s also where the world’s first Stegosaurus fossils were discovered.
The history of Dinosaur Ridge goes all the way back to 1876, when paleontologist Arthur Lakes discovered dinosaur bones along the ridge. Then, in 1937, road construction exposed hundreds of dinosaur footprints preserved in the rock for millions of years. Today, you can see these fossils and tracks for yourself while learning about the prehistoric creatures that once roamed around Colorado.
There are a few ways to experience Dinosaur Ridge, depending on how much you want to spend. If you’re looking for an entirely free day, take the self-guided walk along the paved Dinosaur Ridge Trail. The trail is about 2.2 miles round trip and features more than 15 interpretive stops highlighting fossils, dinosaur tracks, and geology. You can also download an audio tour for $8 if you want to learn more as you walk. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset, and parking at the Main Visitor Center is free.
If you don’t feel like walking the entire ridge, you can take the popular 45-minute guided bus tour for $20 per adult and $14 per child. The tour makes stops with guides explaining the fossils and geology along the way.
Add on to your adventure: Grab a bite to eat or stroll around and shop at Belmar, just 15 minutes from Dinosaur Ridge.
Anythink Nature Library
Location: 6811 E 136th Ave, Thornton, CO 80602
Cost: Free!
Opened August 8, 2026, the Anythink Nature Library is a brand-new addition to Thornton, and it’s the first public nature library in the entire United States. Located on a 15-acre campus next to the 140-acre Aylor Open Lands, Anythink blends the traditional library experience with an immersive nature experience, combining lifelong learning, curiosity, and the natural world. The idea was born from the concept that libraries have always evolved alongside the times, and a nature library is the next evolution of that idea.
So, what exactly is a nature library? Well, you can still check out books, use the computers and study rooms, and attend library programs, but you can also check out things you wouldn’t typically find at a library. The Nature Library’s “TryIts” collection includes everything from butterfly-catching kits to camping gear and paddleboards.
Even without a library card, you can still enjoy the Nature Library itself. The 33,000-square-foot building has a nature lab, sunroom, dark room with a starry sky, indoor rock-climbing area, kids’ play space, and nature-focused collection. Outside, you can explore gardens, a community garden, a storytelling circle, a mud exploration pit, and a one-mile trail loop. The trail also connects to the larger Aylor Open Lands trail system.
Best of all, visiting the Nature Library is completely free!
Add on to your adventure: Grab a cup of coffee at Summer Moon Coffee or a delicious lunch at GQue BBQ.
