22 Cool Things to Do in Littleton (By a Local) (2024)

If you’re looking for things to do in Littleton, I’ve got you covered. I’m a Littleton local and I love this little town.

Littleton is about a half-hour drive from Denver, so you get the best of both worlds — a slower pace and open space near the foothills, but proximity to the many big-city things to do in Denver! This list encompasses a bit of everything that makes Littleton great, from nature and outdoor activities to food and arts.

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22 Best Things to Do in Littleton, Colorado

Historic Downtown Littleton

Browse quaint shops in a historic neighborhood.

📍 Google Maps | Website | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

Main Street Littleton exudes small-town charm with its restaurants and shops. It’s bookended by The Melting Pot on one end (warning – people say the bathroom is haunted) and a small park on the other.

Smokin Fins is a happy hour hot spot offering sushi and co*cktails, and Pho Real next door has – yep, tasty pho. iN-TEA is a great spot to curl up with a window seat and a pot of tea to read or people-watch.

Main Street is also home to many of the best places to stay in Littleton, if you’re visiting and need a hotel.

Littleton Museum

Learn about Littleton’s past.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-3950 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Closed Mondays | Entrance: Free

The Littleton Museum features an indoor museum with exhibitions and children’s interactive exhibits. Head outside and you’ll find an 1860s homestead farm and an 1890s farm. Depending on the day you visit The Littleton Museum, you’ll also find volunteers dressed in 1800s costumes and working in the blacksmith’s shop or teaching in the one-room schoolhouse.

👉 Pro Tip: Looking for more museums to explore in the area? Check out this list of the 17 most interesting museums in Denver.

Hudson Gardens

Stroll through quiet, themed gardens.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 797-8565 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 7 pm daily | Entrance: Free | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

There are a variety of different gardens here including a rose, a vegetable, and a water garden. There is also a beekeeping area and a running outdoor model train kids will love. In summer, the Gardens often host concerts at night and other events during the day.

Carson Nature Center

Fish and learn about the local ecosystem.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 730-1022 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 4:30 pm Tues – Fri, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm Sat & Sun, closed Mon and holidays | Entrance: Free

The Carson Nature Center features stuffed and live animals that are native to the area, and a water table where kids can see how sand and obstacles affect how water moves through an area. The adjacent South Platte Park has spots for fishing and observing wildlife.

Gallup Gardens

Stroll this small garden path after a trip to the library.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 798-5131 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily

Gallup Gardens is across the street from the Littleton Museum, and next to the Bemis Public Library. A trail through the gardens features a story walk, with framed book pages kids can follow to read a story along the path. A sculpture and a small pond make this a nice place to sit with a book after a library visit!

Robert Clement Park

Enjoy lots of activities at this lakeside park.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 409-2600 | Hours: 5 am – 10 pm daily

Robert Clement Park (known to locals simply as Clement Park) has plenty to do! There are several playgrounds, including a newly remodeled one, a splash park, a skate park, and a trail around the lake. There are also soccer, volleyball, and softball fields, along with batting cages. In summer, the amphitheater hosts live music on warm evenings. The Columbine Library is on one end of the park, so it’s an easy spot to relax with a good book.

Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms

Tour flower gardens and farms.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 865-3500 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 4 pm daily | Entrance: $12 adults, $7 ages 3-15, under 3 free

Chatfield Farms is a part of the Denver Botanic Gardens. However, while the Denver Botanic Gardens downtown have well-ordered gardens, farm flowers are less orderly and kind of wander where they want. The area also has historic buildings including an 1918 dairy barn and silo and an 1874 schoolhouse. This is also a great spot for birdwatching.

👉 Speaking of the Botanic Garden: The main Denver location of the Botanic Gardens makes our list of the best things to do around Denver!

Town Hall Arts Center

Enjoy local theater and art.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-2787 | Website

The Town Hall Arts Center is housed in a building built in 1920. The THAC puts on musicals, plays, and other theatrical events and is a wonderful local theater. A small fine arts gallery makes a great place to browse during intermission.

Deer Creek Canyon Park

Get great views of the foothills.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 9 pm daily

Deer Creek Canyon Park is a great hiking spot in Littleton, with dog-friendly trails. The area is also good for mountain biking. Trails lead to nice views of the hogbacks (the name for the foothills in this area) and views of downtown Denver as well.

👉 Pro Tip: For more hikes, check out my roundup of the best hikes nearby Denver!

High Line Canal

Walk a portion of this 71-mile urban trail.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 767-2452 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 11 pm daily

The High Line Canal trail stretches from Aurora to Roxborough State Park. It’s a relatively flat trail, and the Littleton portion wanders past yards with farm animals and other interesting things to look at. Writers Vista Park is a good parking place to travel a portion of the trail.

Colorado Journey Mini Golf

Mini golf with a Wild West feel.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 734-1083 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm daily (temporarily closed for renovations) | 18-holes: $5.50+ adults, $4.75+ under 13

⚠️ Closure Note: Colorado Journey Mini Golf will be closed through April 2024 for renovations

Colorado Journey miniature golf has two 18-hole courses for guests, and each features parts of Colorado history. Various holes are designed to look like Mesa Verde, the Conestoga Pass, saloons, and other Wild West buildings. Courses also have streams and water features for fun activities!

👉 Pro Tip: Looking for more stuff to do with kids? Check out this list of 23 Fun Things to Do in Denver With Kids!

Waterton Canyon

Hike among the bighorn sheep.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 893-2444 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 7 pm daily

Waterton Canyon is known for the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep who are often on the trail or very nearby! The trail heads up to the Strontia Springs Dam and connects with the Colorado Trail. Along with the famous sheep, I’ve also seen wild turkeys and deer here.

Colorado Antique Gallery

Check out hundreds of antique shops.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-8100 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Mon – Sat, 12 pm – 6 pm Sun | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

The Colorado Antique Gallery boasts they’re the largest antique mall in Denver. You’ll find furniture, collectibles, jewelry, and just about any kind of antique you can image. The antique mall has 285 dealers in the 50,000-square foot showroom.

Hildebrand Ranch

See how Littleton settlers lived.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 8 pm daily

Hildebrand Ranch is part of Chatfield Farms and includes a house, garden, stable, milking barn, and wagon shed. There is also a granary and ice house, and the blacksmith shop was recently renovated so it’s functional.

Depot Art Gallery

See the talent of Littleton creatives.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-0781 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 4 pm Tues – Sun, closed Mon

The Littleton Depot Art Gallery shares the work of local artists in the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, including photography, watercolors, paintings, and other art forms. A 1890s caboose makes a fun spot for some art galleries and displays as well.

Roxborough State Park

Watch for wildlife and take a scenic hike!

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 973-3959 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 8 pm daily | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

Roxborough State Park has a visitor center kids will enjoy exploring, along with tree-lined hiking trails and lots of spots for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. The Carpenter Peak trail is a bit of a climb, but you’re rewarded with views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains including snow-capped peaks at Mount Blue Sky.

Roxborough State Park also makes our list of the best day trips near Denver!

Breckenridge Brewery

Sip a local beer and relax at this family-friendly brewery.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (844) 682-7325 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 10 pm Mon – Sat, 11 am – 8 pm Sun | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

The Breckenridge Brewery is actually an entire complex off of Santa Fe where you can relax, eat, play lawn games, or vibe by the fire pit. Oh yeah, you can also sample the craft beer this brewery is widely known for! This makes a great spot for date nights or for families hanging out on a warm afternoon.

Chatfield State Park

Sail, bike, or horseback ride at this state park.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 791-7275 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 10 pm daily | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

This is one of Colorado’s many popular state parks, and covers plenty of ground so there are lots of outdoor activities to try! Go horseback riding at the park stables, paddle board on the reservoir or the nearby pond, fish, or ride your bike through the park. It’s also a quiet spot for winter hikes, ice fishing, and, after a good snowstorm, snowshoeing.

Tattered Cover Bookstore

Browse the latest bestsellers and uniquely Colorado books.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 470-7050 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 7 pm Mon – Wed, 10 am – 8 pm Thurs – Sat, 11 am – 6 pm Sun

The Tattered Cover is a locally-owned Colorado chain of bookstores. They carry popular bestselling novels, but also a variety of more unique books written by local authors or featuring Colorado settings. I always look for the shelf of staff recommendations, with personal notes, when I first arrive at the store.

👉 Read Next: Best Things to Do and See in Highlands Ranch

Ketring Park & Lake

Ride or walk around this green space and pretty suburban lake.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 953-7625 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily

Ketring Lake, next to the Littleton Museum, allows fishing and is a pretty spot! Ketring Park has a wide, grassy lawn, and is a nice place for a picnic. The paths around the park are flat and great for kids to practice biking.

Mary Carter Greenway Trail

Ride along the river.

📍 Google Maps | Website

This bike path follows the South Platte River, beginning at Chatfield State Park and ending in Englewood. The path goes by Hudson Gardens, which makes a good stop for water, bathrooms, and even coffee at Nixon’s Coffee House next to the trail.

Bear Creek Lake Park

Practice archery, paddle the lake, or go for a hike.

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 697-6159 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 10 pm (May – Sept), 7 am – 8 pm (March, April & Oct), 8 am – 6 pm (Nov – Feb) | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

Bear Creek Lake Park offers plenty of summer activities, from fishing to paddling the lake, to waterskiing. A separate area of the park includes a year-round archery range, and it’s a lovely spot for winter hikes or runs. The Bear Creek Lake Visitor Center has taxidermied animals for kids to learn about, along with other exhibits. Behind the Visitor Center, rangers often host talks or hikes that end up back at the firepit in the evening.

👉 Read Next: 41 Best Travel Destinations in Colorado

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I’m amazed by the number of talented small business owners and creatives in the area who have crafts, art, food, tea, books, and so many more things to offer visitors. One stroll down Main Street when the twinkle lights are lit and you can see the Rocky Mountains glow as the sun sets and I’m guessing that, like me, you’ll never want to leave!

If you’ll be staying in Littleton for a while, be sure to check out the many Things to Do in Denver, just a short drive from here! Highlands Ranch is another nearby town, so investigate the Best Things to Do in Highlands Ranch as well.