Free things to do in Denver this weekend

23 listings in Denver, CO: free events and always-free spots for the coming weekend. Each one checked against its official source, every catch spelled out.

Free account: save favorites and get the best picks every Thursday.Get my FreeBee list

This weekend 23 listings

FoodFree (worth about $40)For people who qualify

Free mobile food market at the National Western Center

Fri, Nov 6, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

National Western CenterDenver

We Don't Waste's free mobile food market sets up at the National Western Center on Friday, November 6, 2026, 11am–1pm, with produce, dairy, protein, bakery and shelf-stable items to pick from. Open to everyone, with no ID or proof of income. Reserve a slot on the Plentiful app (opens 24 hours before); a few walk-up slots are available with a wait.

Verified Oct 27 · wedontwaste.org

Catch: Reservation on the Plentiful app (limited walk-up slots)

ServicesFree (worth about $50)

Free car seat check at Westminster Fire Station #2: November 7

Sat, Nov 7, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Westminster Fire Station #2

Certified car seat technicians at the Westminster Fire Department check your child's seat for the right size, correct installation, recalls and damage, and show you how to install it, free of charge, on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Fire Station #2. By appointment only: slots run 8:30–11:30am; call 303-658-4500 to book. The department can't provide free car seats.

Verified Oct 27 · westminsterco.gov

Catch: Appointment required: call 303-658-4500

ServicesFree (worth about $10)Eligibility applies

Free fall leaf drop-off for Lakewood residents

Sat, Nov 7 – Sun, Nov 22

City of Lakewood Greenhouse

Lakewood residents can drop off leaves for free recycling into compost and mulch from November 7 to 22, 2026, 9am to 3pm daily, at the city Greenhouse, 9556 W. Yale Ave. Leaves only (no branches, brush or stumps), and empty every bag onto the pile: no bags are accepted, even compostable ones. Staff are on site to help only on Nov 14, 15, 21 and 22. Bring proof of residency.

Verified Oct 27 · lakewoodco.gov

Catch: Only for: Lakewood residents (proof of residency) · Leaves only; empty them out, no bags accepted

AttractionsFree (usually $22)

Free day and night at the Denver Art Museum for Night at the Museums

Sat, Nov 7, 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is free for everyone on Saturday, November 7, 2026, and stays open late until 10pm for Denver Arts Week's Night at the Museums. Free general admission covers the whole campus: the Hamilton Building, Martin Building and The Kirkland. Register online for a free ticket by picking November 7 on the museum's calendar. The ticketed DIVA exhibition isn't included.

Verified Oct 27 · denverartmuseum.org

Catch: Free ticket required: register online · Ticketed DIVA exhibition not included

AttractionsFree (worth about $20)

Free night at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum

Sat, Nov 7, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space MuseumDenver

Wings Over the Rockies opens after dark and free on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 5 to 10pm for Denver Arts Week: aircraft including the restored Thunderbird F-16D, STEAM activities and a free shuttle between participating museums. Get a free ticket online. The flight simulator ride costs extra.

Verified Oct 27 · wingsmuseum.org

Catch: Free ticket required: reserve online

AttractionsFree (worth about $25)

Free night at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Sat, Nov 7, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is free all evening on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 5 to 10pm, for Denver Arts Week's Night at the Museums. No ticket or reservation is needed for general admission; just walk up. The planetarium, Infinity Theater and temporary exhibitions need a separate ticket.

Verified Oct 27 · dmns.org

Catch: Planetarium, theater and temporary exhibitions not included

Show 17 more this weekend
Kids & familyFree (worth about $6)

Carson Nature Center and South Platte Park: live animals and a flood table

Tue–Fri noon–4:30pm, Sat–Sun 9:30am–4:30pm

Carson Nature CenterDenver

South Suburban's Carson Nature Center in Littleton lets kids see live animals and re-create the 1965 flood on an interactive river table, with naturalists on duty. Outside, South Platte Park has 880 acres of open space along the river, lakes and miles of natural-surface trails. Nature center open Tuesday–Friday noon–4:30pm and weekends 9:30am–4:30pm (closed Mondays and holidays); park sunrise to sunset.

Verified Oct 27 · ssprd.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Free art galleries at the Arvada Center

Mon–Fri 11am–7pm, Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm

Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities

The Arvada Center's 10,000 square feet of galleries showing Colorado and western artists are free and open to the public. Reserve a free spot online or check in at the box office. Open Monday–Friday 11am–7pm, Saturday 10am–4pm and Sunday noon–4pm (until 7:30pm on some theatre nights).

Verified Oct 27 · arvadacenter.org

Catch: Free ticket: reserve online or check in at the box office

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Free garden admission at Hudson Gardens on the South Platte

Daily, sunrise to sunset

Hudson GardensDenver

Hudson Gardens in Littleton is free to walk every day from sunrise to sunset: themed display gardens along the South Platte River. The welcome center and gift shop are open 9am–4pm. Some special events have their own times; check the garden's calendar.

Verified Oct 27 · hudsongardens.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre and its visitor center, open to the public on non-show days

Park daily, 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset; visitor center 8am–4pm (Nov–Feb)

Red Rocks Park & AmphitheatreDenver

Red Rocks Park is open to the public from an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset every day, with trails and the famous amphitheatre steps to climb when no show is scheduled. The visitor center at the top plaza has a Red Rocks museum on the venue's history, open 8am–4pm November–February. On concert days the amphitheatre usually closes to the public around 2pm.

Verified Oct 27 · redrocksonline.com

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $10)

Walk past real dinosaur tracks on the Dinosaur Ridge trail

Daily, sunrise to sunset

Dinosaur RidgeDenver

At Dinosaur Ridge near Morrison you can walk the paved 1.1-mile Dinosaur Ridge trail on your own, from sun up to sun down, with interpretive signs at real dinosaur track and fossil sites. Parking is free. Guided bus tours ($21 adults) and the exhibit halls cost extra.

Verified Oct 27 · dinoridge.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (worth about $8)

Broomfield Veterans Museum: free museum and tours honoring local veterans

Tuesday and Thursday 10am–2pm, Saturday 9am–3pm

Broomfield Veterans Museum

The Broomfield Veterans Museum is free and open to the public, with nine exhibit rooms, a 3,000-book military history library and hundreds of recorded veteran interviews. Free docent-led or self-guided tours whenever it's open: Tuesday and Thursday 10am–2pm and Saturday 9am–3pm. Groups of six or more should schedule ahead.

Verified Oct 27 · broomfieldveterans.org

No catch

Classes & fitnessFree (worth about $15)

Free English conversation groups at Denver Public Library

Mon–Thu and Sat at branches (most 5:30–7:30pm); online Tuesdays 6–7pm

Denver Public Library (Plaza program)

Practice English for free at Denver Public Library's Plaza program: drop-in conversation groups for beginner and intermediate speakers, no registration needed. In-person sessions run Monday–Thursday and Saturday at branches including Hadley, Lena Archuleta, Athmar Park, Montbello, Virginia Village, Westwood, Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales and Green Valley Ranch (most 5:30–7:30pm; check the Plaza schedule for each branch's day). There's also an online group on Tuesdays from 6 to 7pm.

Verified Oct 27 · denverlibrary.org

No catch

AttractionsFree (usually $8)

Free First Fridays at Museo de las Americas

First Friday of each month, noon–9pm

Museo de las AmericasDenver

Museo de las Americas, the Latin American art museum on Santa Fe Drive, is free every First Friday from noon to 9pm, no tickets needed. Kids 13 and under and veterans are free every day. Regular admission is $8. Check the museum's calendar before you go, since it sometimes closes for private events.

Verified Oct 27 · museo.org

No catch

Kids & familyFree (worth about $10)Eligibility applies

Kids 17 and under get into the Clyfford Still Museum free

Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm

Clyfford Still MuseumDenver

The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver's Golden Triangle is free every open day for visitors 17 and under. Adults pay $15 (Colorado residents) or $18. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm.

Verified Oct 27 · clyffordstillmuseum.org

Catch: Only for: ages 17 and under (adults pay)

Kids & familyFree (worth about $15)Eligibility applies

Kids 18 and under get into the Colorado History Museum free

Daily 10am–5pm

Colorado History Museum (History Colorado Center)Denver

General admission is always free for kids 18 and under at the Colorado History Museum (formerly History Colorado Center) and every History Colorado museum. Adult tickets are $20. Open daily 10am–5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. School and child care groups book separately.

Verified Oct 27 · historycolorado.org

Catch: Only for: ages 18 and under (adults $20)

AttractionsFree (worth about $8)

Hike the prairie and visit the tipis at Plains Conservation Center

Grounds open daily (Mon–Thu 6:30am–4:30pm, Fri 6:30am–6pm, Sat–Sun 8am–6pm); visitor center Wed–Fri noon–4:30pm, Sat–Sun 9am–4:30pm

Plains Conservation CenterAurora

Plains Conservation Center in Aurora is free to come in, hike the prairie trails, explore the visitor center and see the tipis and homestead village. It's run by Denver Botanic Gardens with the City of Aurora and is an eBird birding hotspot. Guided programs cost extra. Visitor center open Wednesday–Friday noon–4:30pm and weekends 9am–4:30pm.

Verified Oct 27 · botanicgardens.org

No catch

Kids & familyFree (worth about $15)Eligibility applies

Kids 18 and under get into the Denver Art Museum free, every day

Open daily except Wednesday, 10am–5pm (Tuesday until 8pm)

Denver Art Museum

General admission to the Denver Art Museum is free for every visitor 18 and under on every day the museum is open, through the Free for Kids program. Adults pay regular admission. The museum is open 10am–5pm (Tuesdays until 8pm) and closed Wednesdays.

Verified Oct 27 · denverartmuseum.org

Catch: Only for: ages 18 and under (adults pay)

Kids & familyFree (worth about $50)Eligibility applies

MY Denver Card: free rec centers, pools and library card for Denver kids 5–18

Any day

City of Denver recreation centers

Denver kids and teens ages 5 to 18 can get a free MY Denver Card, which gives free access to city recreation centers and swimming pools plus some cultural facilities, and doubles as a Denver Public Library card. Sign up online through the city's service center or at a Denver recreation center, then stop by a rec center to take a photo and pick up the card (cards aren't mailed).

Verified Oct 27 · denvergov.org

Catch: Only for: Denver residents ages 5–18 · Sign-up and in-person photo pickup at a rec center

AttractionsFree (worth about $40)

Free museum passes with a Denver Public Library card

Any day

Denver Public Library (Museum and Cultural Passes)

Denver Public Library cardholders can reserve free museum and cultural passes to places like Butterfly Pavilion, the Clyfford Still Museum, Colorado History Museum, Forney Museum of Transportation, Four Mile Historic Park, Molly Brown House and Denver Botanic Gardens. Many passes admit a party of up to four (check each pass). Each pass can be reserved once a month (Botanic Gardens twice a year). Reserve online, then print or show the pass; the cardholder may be asked for ID.

Verified Oct 27 · denverlibrary.libcal.com

Catch: Permanent Denver Public Library card required · Reserve ahead; each pass once a month

AttractionsFree (worth about $30)

Free attraction passes with an Arapahoe Libraries card (Exploration Pass)

Any day

Arapahoe LibrariesDenver

Arapahoe Libraries cardholders can reserve free Exploration Passes to metro Denver attractions such as Butterfly Pavilion and Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. Book up to 30 days ahead, two passes at a time; each pass covers two or more visitors. Help booking: 303-542-7279.

Verified Oct 27 · arapahoelibraries.org

Catch: Arapahoe Libraries card required · Reserve ahead; two passes at a time

AttractionsFree (worth about $30)

Free Culture Passes with a Jefferson County Public Library card

Any day

Jefferson County Public Library (Culture Pass)Denver

Jefferson County Public Library cardholders can book two free Culture Passes a month to places like Butterfly Pavilion, Bear Creek Lake Park, Buffalo Bill Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, Colorado Railroad Museum and Clear Creek Makerspace. One pass per place per month; passes become available at noon and are valid only on the date booked.

Verified Oct 27 · jeffcolibrary.libcal.com

Catch: Jefferson County Public Library card required · Two passes a month; book ahead

Classes & fitnessFree (worth about $20)

Free tech classes and one-on-one tech help at Denver Public Library

Any day

Denver Public Library branches

Denver Public Library runs free technology classes (from using a mouse to building a website, no registration), drop-in tech help sessions, in-person tech help appointments, and Digital Navigators who help with phones, online safety and finding low-cost internet and devices. Call 720-865-3446 or email dignav@denverlibrary.org to reach a Digital Navigator.

Verified Oct 27 · denverlibrary.org

No catch