Cancel

Open app

Search

LoDo District

4.3 (8 reviews)
Closed • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

LoDo District Photos

Recommended Reviews - LoDo District

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Gerald S.

The oldest section of Denver, Colorado, is Lo Do (Lower Downtown). It was established in 1858 by General Larimer, who's idea is was to establish a commercial center in the foothills of the Rockies in the newly organized Colorado Territory. The discovery of gold in the South Platte River Basin brought population a few years later. The city expanded, especially after the municipal government decided to finance a railroad spur from Cheyenne, where the Union Pacific Railroad had decided to route the transcontinental train track 107 miles to the north. Union Station was constructed at the edge of the developing city and became the busiest structure in the West until San Francisco eclipsed it decades later. It insured that Denver (then only the Lo Do District) would survive and prosper. Larimer Square full with Victorian architecture was the regional center for business, decadence and culture with dozens of saloons, boarding houses and bordellos. Yet, by the 1950s, all that money had moved farther away to newer parts of the city, and Lo Do had become a decrepit, poor unsafe neighborhood. Urban renewal at that time was mostly designed as demolition and modern structure replacement. Most of the local buildings were destroyed. Only the area around Larimer Square was preserved by enlightened citizens who saw the value in saving Denver's history. Better late than never. We booked a room in the classic Oxford Hotel, a few blocks from Larimer. A bit dated (in a good way), the location was perfect and the included breakfast. There were restaurants, bars and music venues all around, with cool shopping mixed in. Coors Field was a ten minute walk. Our friends came to us to visit, appreciating the opportunity to enjoy the core city culture for a few days. We totally got off on all the entertainment opportunities. Denver may not reach the energy levels of our coastal cities, but there was more than enough to stimulate our urban sensibilities, and Lo Do is the beating heart of this surprising city.

Spirited R.

What a great little area. We stopped to locate a bookstore and Starbucks. I seen this place and had to stop and check out. It was listed as things to do. Taking a photo in front of angel wings and the sun was out was perfect timing.

See all

Photo of Jeremy J.
1819
6429
74964

10 months ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 0
Love this 10
Oh no 0
Photo of Daniel S.
1438
1684
13747

4 years ago

Helpful 16
Thanks 1
Love this 12
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Gerald S.
1918
3890
17447

6 years ago

Helpful 52
Thanks 0
Love this 46
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Porsche C.
1708
1401
30031

7 years ago

Helpful 33
Thanks 0
Love this 34
Oh no 2

10 years ago

We visited Comedy Works for a fun Eve then drove on and enjoyed the holiday Lights which were so romantic.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - LoDo District

Verify this business for free

People searched for Landmarks & Historical Buildings 702 times last month within 5 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Millennium Bridge - Cool photo spot

Millennium Bridge

(39 reviews)

Lodo, Northwest

A beautiful transition zone between the DTDEN neighborhoods of Lower Downtown LoDo and River North…read more Great for a stroll, run or just getting from downtown proper to the REI store. Lolzsies. Wonderfully conceived.

Millennium Bridge is what happens when Denver decides a staircase over train tracks needs a…read morebranding strategy. On paper, it's a pedestrian bridge connecting the Union Station side of downtown to Commons Park. In practice, it is one of Denver's most self-aware pieces of infrastructure. It does not just help you cross from one area to another. It makes sure you know you are having an experience. The bridge goes up and over the railroad tracks just south of Union Station, which gives the crossing more drama than your average urban walkway. You are not just getting from downtown to the other side. You are ascending above rail lines, light rail, and the low-grade chaos of that whole area like a person briefly rising above Denver's ongoing negotiation with itself. The design is civic theater. Big white mast. Cables. Clean lines. Early 2000s optimism. It has "public project that wanted to be iconic" energy. Denver could have built a plain functional bridge. Instead it said, no, let's make this pedestrian overpass look like it's aspirational. And then there are the stairs. The stairs are where the bridge really reveals itself. Because yes, this is a sleek architectural statement. But it is also, very literally, a bunch of stairs asking whether you meant it when you said you wanted to walk. There are elevators, thankfully, for anyone with luggage, mobility needs, or no interest in turning a casual crossing into a leg day. Denver may give you the aesthetic, but it would also like you to put in a little effort. What the bridge connects is actually useful. Union Station, downtown, and the 16th Street area on one side. Commons Park and the Platte Valley side on the other. So yes, it serves a real purpose. But it also feels like one of those places where Denver gets to pretend it's a denser, more polished city for about six minutes. The vibe is extremely local. A little aspirational. A little performative. A little windy. You cross it and see trains below, glass towers nearby, and just enough skyline to think, okay, maybe this town does clean up well. Then somebody on a scooter whips by, a runner treats the stairs like Red Rocks training, and your trance breaks. That is probably why the bridge works. It is dramatic without being truly grand. Useful without being humble. A piece of infrastructure with main-character syndrome. Would cross again.

9th Street Historic Park - Park sign and map

9th Street Historic Park

(7 reviews)

Auraria, Northwest

The current Auraria Campus just west of downtown Denver which includes Community College of Denver,…read moreMetropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Colorado Denver, decimated a vibrant, historic Hispanic neighborhood which formerly existed on the site. Auraria was actually Denver's oldest neighborhood and predated the City of Denver. All of this was leveled in 1973 in the name of progress and urban renewal. After escalating protests and demonstrations by the displaced community, the authorities agreed to preserve some of the most historic structures including three churches, the Tivoli Brewery complex, and a few homes. This one historic, residential block is now a tranquil oasis amidst the bustling educational campus. There are 13 Victorian homes built between 1872 and 1906 plus an historic retail space. The Golda Meir House, where the Israeli prime minister lived during her time in Denver, was moved to the campus in 1988. This is the oldest residential area in Denver and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a Denver Landmark. All of the structures have been restored and are occupied by campus offices these days. The public is free to wander up and down the block or to sit on a bench to enjoy the beautiful space which seems to sit in its own little bubble of the past.

Here is a cool park in Auraria. It doesn't get too many visitors because it's hidden. 9th Street…read moreHistoric Park is one of the city's oldest places. Fun to walk around. There's historical markers. Between the campus buildings is this hidden park not many people know about. It actually has been there since about the city's beginning. This is a block of completely restored Victorian houses. Now these are used for college offices and official business. They're still nice to look at and there's plenty of green space. It doesn't take long to look at. It's a small park with old houses. This is especially interesting for those interested in Victorian architecture and things.

Independence Plaza

Independence Plaza

(2 reviews)

CBD, Northwest

Although Independence Plaza is surrounded by a spattering of chain restaurant and phone stores,…read morethis is not the essence of Independence Plaza. Instead, for Independence Plaza flava, check out the amazing hot dog stand immediately preceding it on the west end. Independence Plaza is where you will find your classic Denver wizards and magicians. And even better, you will generally find them engaged in a riveting chess game surrounded by 3,000 other intriguing bums + other interesting Denver folk. Perhaps the best feature of this plaza are the built in stone chessboards just made for, well, playing chess, especially on a delightful summer day/night. In fact, the chessboards are even watched over by stone/mosaic chess watchers on one side. Though the plaza is barricaded by Starbucks on every side, it nonetheless radiates Denver charm from the core. There is always a buzz in the air...office folk rushing about their day, folks eating outdoors in cafes, a general spirit of uplifitedness : )

You know for a sort of mall-ish spot, this dig is pretty damn nice…read more Going in you see the usual plethora of stores, but in the center you find a fountain with sky-lights above. During evening hours the sun hits the fountain just so, and illuminates all the polished steel chairs and chess boards in a sort of solar radiance which just makes one feel nice and warm inside. As I've said before, I'm all about public chess games, where you duke it out with some homeless guy who wants to bet you a dollar a game, lose intentionally, and then try to 'hussle' you by raising the stakes to two whole dollars a game. Careful young Fisher, there are sharks about

LoDo District - landmarks - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...