We just moved to the area and were looking for something to do. I found out Denver has many free…read moreevents. So, this is the first one we attended. I brought my 16, 5, 2 and NB. They greeted us immediately and gave us a map of the property. We had fun walking around and checking out the animals and historic buildings on site. It is wild this place is right in the middle of a neighborhood. The only issue we had was parking because we the lot is full you're out of options.

Wow, my yesterday's visit to this historic park was so mesmerizing. It's because of their annual…read more(?) "Bright Nights" (originally a lantern festival.) It is said that they unveil a brand new theme each year and this year's theme appears to be focused on some Eastern cultures such as cherry blossom and bamboo forest with pandas. Not that I have been to many lights shows and yet I must say that I have never seen anything quite like this as far as my recollection is accurate. In its 12-acre land, the installations of lantern lights are everywhere. After 8:30pm or so when it's dark, the illuminations from the lanterns are glowing brighter than Las Vegas' illuminations (LOL - why am I comparing this to Las Vegas!!) According to the park's website, some of the sculptures are 23-foot tall (such as the cherry blossom gate.) It's currently open from Wednesday through Sunday until October 5th. And last night's was one of the adult-only nights where you must be 21+ to enter (I believe the next and last such night is Sept 17th. And this writing is as of late August of 2025.) I am already curious as to what the next year's theme is going to be. There is a centralized bar, some food vendors, a stage where a performer performs, and a DJ booth. Great for family time, girls' night or date night. Helpful staff were working tirelessly to assist all visitors. Although about 1,300 tickets were sold last night, it was never super jammed packed. There is still time to visit this enchanting light show. Not only for the locals but definitely one of the must-visit attractions for out-of-staters as well.

i'm going out of my way to write this review because this was such a cool experience. I did the…read more"Mother Lode" combo, which includes the main main tour, plus an additional mine tour, which to reach it that requires a quarter mile hike up a trail, and gold panning (after several tries I only found one tiny gold flake, but I got something!). Definitely bring sunscreen for the second tour, as you will be sitting outside in the sun for a little bit. It's cool and refreshing inside the mines, and they're full of history, right down to the wooden shafts that still have numbers painted on them from the miners of 1800s. You will learn about mining history and how harrowing and challenging it was, and see the actual tools they used, and how techniques developed over time. You will see shafts and tunnels you cannot explore but remain from days of old that inspire the imagination. You will also hear some silly ghost stories, and even see how UV light illuminates the rocks and minerals in the mines. Interested in history, gold, geology, or mining? Even if you aren't, take this tour anyway! It's well worth it, and the guides do a great job.

We have been to Colorado many times and this remains one of our very favorite things to do! You…read more just can't beat panning for gold in a river stream knowing that you are actually going to find flecks of gold and we have every time! It is so much fun! This year we did the tour of the cave and it was super super interesting me as well and my kids really loved it :-) I did too! Lastly, the chipmunks. You could literally just go for the chipmunks lol! They are so super friendly and so much fun! We cannot recommend this place highly enough!

This is Colorado history and my family history. It's free! The French-Spanish mountain man, Pierre…read more"Louis" Vasquez, opened this trading post in 1885.

Blink and you'll miss it. The site of Fort Vasquez, an 1835 fur-trading fort, founded by Louis…read moreVasquez and Andrew Sublette, is literally sitting right smack in the middle of the highway. It's an odd location for a history museum but that's only because modern society has grown up around the original site (and the South Platte River that used to run right next to it). A friend and I were led to Fort Vasquez while we were exploring the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Our focus on that particular day had been on ghost towns and pioneer cemeteries but then we decided to pay closer attention to those historical marker signs you sometimes see off the side of the road (you know the ones - they're white with a pine tree and an arrow pointing down the road a 1/2 mile or so). We followed a few of these signs and soon realized we were witnessing a story develop; the same names were popping up over and over again). Anyway, it turns out there are several different historical fort sites scattered about the Eastern Plains of Colorado dating back to the 1800s that are incredibly important to our history: Fort Vasquez, Fort St Vrain, Bent's Fort, and Fort Garland (just to name a few). Each site has its own unique story but what they have in common is that they contributed to the commercial development of the area, facilitated westward expansion, and fostered relationships between, cavalrymen, frontiersmen, homesteaders, miners, hired mountain men like Jim Beckworth and Baptiste Charbonneau, and the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota people. I think you'll be surprised at what Fort Vasquez has to offer when you take a peek at their website. For more information: http://www.historycolorado.org/museums/fort-vasquez Admissions is free with a donation. They offer a military discount. The gift shop, exhibits, and events are FABULOUS.

Nothing has changed here in the years since my last review. Absolutely no one was here when I…read moreattempted to see what new items they may have collected. Just one guy behind the desk to tell me everything else was closed and I couldn't get in to see anything. I guess we know why no one ever goes here. It's honestly a shame because it has such potential to be an actual historical society and a good museum, but it's sadly managed very poorly.

We have attended some car shows there. The building were open and we were able to view an antique…read morefire truck, a historic gas station and an old two story period correct house. The school house also had a person showing people how they used chalk and a tablet vs an electronic tablet. It took us about 2 hours to see most of the major items.

I had a very disappointing experience at the library today…read more I was printing a large set of documents when the printer jammed. I'm a teacher, so I'm very familiar with these exact printers and know how to clear a paper jam. However, I also understand that many businesses prefer employees to handle jams themselves to avoid damage, so I went to the front desk and politely said, "Hey, I just jammed the printer. Could someone help me?" The employee's response was simply, "So?" I honestly just stared at her because I couldn't believe it. I said, "I can unjam it, I guess," and she replied, "No, no." I then asked what would happen to my print job since it stopped in the middle of printing. I had already loaded $20 onto my printing card because I was printing a large number of documents. I wasn't worried about a few cents--I just wanted to know if the print job would resume or if I would have to send everything through again and be charged twice. Instead of answering my question, she laughed and said, "We'll refund your pennies." The issue was never about the money. It was about getting a simple question answered and being treated with basic respect. Her comment was rude, dismissive, and completely unprofessional. To make matters even more frustrating, it took nearly 40 minutes before I was able to finish printing my documents. As someone who has worked with these same printers for years in a school setting, I know a typical paper jam can usually be cleared and the printer back up and running in just a few minutes. Waiting that long wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much if someone had communicated what was going on or treated me with courtesy. I understand that machines malfunction. What I don't understand is treating patrons with sarcasm and dismissiveness when they're simply asking for help. Customer service costs nothing, and unfortunately this experience was one of the rudest I've had at a library.

Wow - this library is beautiful. The staff is so very friendly. We were very impressed with the…read moresize and the layout of this library. There are meeting rooms, places to quietly read or do research. I look forward to using it frequently.