Wild Denver - Zoos, Aquariums & more

From native Colorado species to exotic creatures from the other side of the globe, from delicate butterflies to lumbering elephants, The Mile High City is filled with amazing animals in state-of-the-art habitats. Learn about nature by having personal animal experiences and encounters all over the Denver metro area.

Denver Zoo

Lions, tigers, bears — and so much more! Set aside several hours for exploration at the Denver Zoo, an eye-opening experience for all ages. One of the most popular zoos in the nation, the Denver Zoo has about 4,000 animals, representing more than 750 species.

Stingray Cove allows zoo visitors to safely touch and feed an array of stingrays and sharks in a 15,000-gallon saltwater pool. The pool is low enough for young children to reach while providing zones for the animals to rest and hide when they need a break.

Opening in late May 2024, Down Under will house Australian animals like cassowaries and kangaroos. Its Wallaby Way habitat will include “free-ranging” wallabies, says Jake Kubié, the zoo’s director of integrated communications. “Guests will actually be able to enter the habitat where the wallabies are just living their life.”

The zoo also offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3 p.m. Kubié says guests “learn what it's like to be a veterinarian at a zoo with 2,500 animals.”

The zoo's grizzly bear habitat, Harmony Hill, brings guests closer than ever to these magnificent animals. Harmony Hill was designed to bring our rescue grizzly's stories to the forefront and help educate visitors how to live in harmony (hence the name) with bears in the wild and in backyards. The Toyota Elephant Passage, meanwhile, will give you an up-close-and-personal experience with massive Asian elephants. Predator Ridge has a pride of lions and you'll also love Primate Panorama, where fun-loving orangutans make their home.

FAMILY TIP: Book an Up-Close Animal Encounter to get an unforgettable experience, combining exclusive animal access, intimate keeper interactions and guided tours, then catch a film at the 4D Theatre!

Downtown Aquarium

Colorado may be landlocked, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty of marine life for you and your family to gawk at. The Downtown Aquarium features fascinating sea creatures, sharks and more. All in all there are more than 15,000 fish, mammals and plants, including an exhibit of Sumatran tigers who love to swim.

And if you're left with the urge to get a little wet yourself, you're in luck: snorkelers can Swim with the Fish in the Under the Sea tank and mingle with rays, eels, and other denizens of the deep. Certified divers can explore the tank with A-1 Scuba of Littleton.

“The rays probably come up the closest,” says Alanna Erickson, the aquarium’s assistant dive safety officer. “All the animals are pretty used to people being in the water with them, so they come up pretty close.”

The Shark Cage Experience drops you into the Shipwreck tank for a look at five shark species, green sea turtles, and green sawfish with the help of a diving guide and compressed air. Certified divers can also jump in this tank with A-1 Scuba, and possibly walk away with a shark’s tooth.

The sharks “are very curious when you’re in the shark cage,” says Erickson. “You can see their eyes moving. You can see the identical patterns on their skin when they come up close. You can see how hydrodynamic they are with the little pivots of their fins. It’s really cool to see them up close.”

Included with aquarium admission, the aquarium’s meet-and-greets give visitors a chance to interact with a sloth, octopus, shark, and crested porcupine, depending on the day. Check the calendar; advance reservations are recommended.

FAMILY TIP: This family-friendly attraction has a restaurant where you can dine next to sharks and schools of colorful tropical fish. Also stroll the grounds around the aquarium for kid-focused activities, like petting zoos and educational programs.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Just south of the expansive City Park, you and your family will find the spectacular 24 acres that make up Denver Botanic Gardens. Trust us; you won't just be stopping to smell the roses. As you follow the winding paths through the grounds, you'll discover no less than 32,000 diverse and delightful plants from such faraway places as Australia, Africa and the Himalayas. There are dozens of gardens to enjoy, including the internationally recognized Japanese Garden.

FAMILY TIP: Explore the whimsical Mordecai Children's Garden, where kids can interact with plants and the natural world.

Butterfly Pavilion

The world’s first accredited zoo for invertebrates, the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster is home to 5,000 butterflies, bugs, and other critters.

“We work to foster an appreciation of invertebrates,” says Jennifer Quermann, senior director of marketing and communications. “They represent 97 percent of all animal species.”

The twice-daily butterfly releases offer another unique experience. Butterflies from all over the world emerge from their chrysalises in a special chamber, then are transferred into the Wings of the Tropics exhibit.

The Colorado Backyard exhibit gives kids an opportunity to get their hands dirty. “In the Dugout, they’re able to, with the assistance of our staff and volunteers, actually dig into the dirt and handle live mealworms,” says Quermann.

FAMILY TIP: Visitors can actually hold Rosie the Tarantula, a Chilean rose hair tarantula. “Millions of people have held Rosie,” says Quermann. “We call Rosie the golden lab of tarantulas.”

Wild Animal Sanctuary

Now with four properties — including the new 23,000-acre Wild Horse Refuge near Craig, Colorado—the Wild Animal Sanctuary houses about 450 of its 900 rescue animals in Keenesburg, about 40 miles northeast of Denver.

Among countless other rescue stories, the sanctuary saved 39 tigers that once belonged to Joe Exotic, the “Tiger King,” from the Netflix series.

The mission is “to rescue, rehabilitate, and restore,” says Austin Hill, public relations director. “The Wild Animal Sanctuary is the oldest and largest carnivore sanctuary on the planet. We specialize in rescuing captive-bred large carnivores from illegal and/or abusive situations.”

Visitors with day passes can view the resident lions, tigers, bears, and other animals from a 1.5-mile elevated walkway. Hill advises to come about three hours before sunset or first thing in the morning.

For those who want to get down to ground level, the sanctuary’s annual Into the Wild Running Festival takes place in the summer, with a non-competitive 5-km walk-run as well as 5-km and 10-km races on a course alongside the animal habitats. If you’d prefer something more formal, Summer Safari Dinners are fundraisers held sporadically from May to September.

FAMILY TIP: “Avoid midday,” Hill says. “Animals have fur coats, so they’re in the shade or underground.”

Domesticated Animal Encounters

Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary

Founded in 2015, Luvin Arms in Erie is now home to more than 150 cows, goats, pigs and other farm animals that were often living in situations of neglect.

“I think if we had to sum it up in one word, it really comes down to that Sanskrit word, ahimsa, which means nonviolence toward all living beings,” says Kelly Nix, Luvin Arms’ managing director. “Our goal here at the sanctuary is not only just to rescue farm animals coming from the animal agriculture industry, but it’s also to really focus on the educational component.”

Visitors can take a variety of tours, including the Connecting Community through Compassion Tour and the Kid Connection Tour. Nix says Luvin Arms’ Cow Cuddle (it’s exactly what it sounds like) gets reliably positive feedback. “We refer to cows as grass puppies,” says Nix. “Most people will say, ‘I had no idea cows were friendly.’”

Smooth Alpaca Experience

Joe Sarto, owner of Smooth Alpaca Experience in Morrison, wants to share his love for alpacas. Sarto’s five-acre ranch is now home to seven alpacas and three goats. He says guests can expect “a burst of serotonin” during their two-hour visit.

“A lot of people will get a giggle out of it because you’ll see their distinct personalities and their characters.”

One is quiet, another is a bit of a bully. “Then we’ve got the head dog, which is Pablo Picasso,” says Sarto. “I just call him the benign dictator.”

The wheelchair-accessible experience helps people get out of their heads during their visit, he adds. “We’re always thinking about the past and the future. They get to spend that two hours in the present.”