Top Unusual Things To Do In Denver

Sometimes you and your family or friends might just be looking something a little different to do. Denver has several options to choose from. Here are a few we thought you might want to take a moment to consider.

Casa Bonita

6715 W. Colfax
Lakewood, CO 80214
(303) 232-5115
casabonitadenver.com

There's just nothing else like Casa Bonita. The long-standing restaurant on Colfax in Lakewood is likely one of the first things you'll find if you do a search online for "weird" and "Denver." While eating Mexican food you can watch divers jumping off a man-made 30-foot waterfall into a pool below. You'll probably be serenaded by mariachis and you might see a man in a gorilla suit running around. There are also "flame jugglers, cowboy shootouts and lost caves," as well as authentic Mexican dancers and an arcade. Dining at Casa Bonita is really more about the fun and the unexpected than the food (which was just OK on our last visit).

Tree Climbing Colorado

(303) 877-1870
treeclimbingcolorado.com

A lot of grown-ups can't recall what it was like to climb a tree. Harv Teitelbaum helps adults re-connect with that childhood pleasure with a few ropes and harnesses. Teitelbaum's Tree Climbing Colorado organization will teach you how to enjoy this recreational sport safely. You'll get a workout during the experience too as you soar up among the branches of large trees in the area.

Colorado Adventure Segway Tours

795 Water Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 817-4524
coloradoadventuresegwaytours.com

There's a way to get a tour of Denver that may be as close to a magic carpet ride as possible. Colorado Adventure offers a tour of the city on Segways. Those on the tour follow all of the rules pedestrians do and yield to all people on bikes. The Segway tour offers a different perspective on Denver's roots; it's a speedy way to get from one historical markers to the next and see parts of the city you might not normally see. But much of the fun in the method of transport.

Denver Museum of Miniatures: Dolls and Toys

1880 Gaylord St.
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-1053
dmmdt.org

Denver's 'Miniatures' museum has been offering a refreshing look at history and culture for the community since the early 1980s. Located at 18th and Gaylord in what was once a beautiful old Denver home, the many small replicas in the museum allow visitors to learn about art, fashion, architecture, interior design, history and folklore from an earlier time. The collections reflect a tradition of dolls, toys and miniatures from the 16th century through modern times. The museum has a variety of permanent displays, including a dollhouse replica of a Denver mansion. Temporary displays at the museum are changed about every three months. In 1994 the museum added an art program that gives children the opportunity to learn how to make historically accurate toys, dolls and miniatures from a variety of cultures. Also offered at the museum are family free days and a senior citizens' program.

SkyVenture Colorado

9230 Park Meadows Drive
Lone Tree, CO 80124
(303) 768-9000
skyventurecolorado.com

Talk about flying high. At SkyVenture Colorado near Park Meadows Mall you can hone the aerial skills you didn't know you had. When CBS4 was there for Valentine's Day in 2010 there were dozens of loving couples who chose the activity over the traditional dinner and a movie. One gentleman surprised his wife with a 5 1/2 hour drive from Nebraska so they could give it a try. Another couple said they were all for forgetting the roses and the chocolate. "We decided it would be a little more fun to be active and do that. I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie. I've always wanted to skydive for real, so this is a pretty good start," Liz Powell said.

APEX Movement

2622 S. Zuni Street
Englewood, CO 80110
(720) 295-7279
apexmovement.com

Interested in trying out the part-sport, part-discipline of parkour? Matt Marshall and Ryan Ford started APEX Movement in Denver for people who want to learn the ropes. (Not that there are ropes -- parkour is all about "moving through your environment quickly and efficiently.") Marshall and Ford started the first formal classes in it in the US, first at The Spot Bouldering Gym in Boulder and now in their large facility in Englewood. Learn how you can take an urban structure like flower-planter boxes or park benches and transform them into problems you must overcome with physical movement. There's a lot of potential for bumps and bruises with parkour, so be careful.