Indoor Activities for Kids in Denver & Colorado: 20 Spots for Rainy Days (2026)
Oct 21, 2026
•
1 min read
Colorado weather changes fast. A sunny July morning in Denver can end in hail by 3 p.m., and October snow sometimes lands on trees that still have their leaves. This guide lists 20 indoor activities for kids in Denver and across Colorado, from bouldering walls near Civic Center to a Ferris wheel inside a Johnstown store, so you have somewhere to go whatever the sky does.
Each spot comes with a GetOut Colorado membership, which costs $49.95 a year and gets you into 81+ venues around the state.
Quick Picks: 20 Indoor Spots at a Glance
Venue
City
Ages
What GetOut Covers
Visit Limit
The Spot Denver
Denver
5+
One day pass
Once a year
Museo de las Américas
Denver
All ages
One general admission
Once a year
Clyfford Still Museum
Denver
All ages
One general admission
Once a year
Molly Brown House Museum
Denver
7+
One self-guided admission
Once a year
HD Escape Rooms
Denver
Tweens and teens
One escape room admission
Once a year
Crane Games
Aurora and Thornton
All ages
5 free tokens
Once a quarter
Ka-Ko-Jo's
Aurora
4+
King Kong VR plus a round of glow golf
Once a year
Main Event Thornton
Thornton
5+
$10 arcade card plus one game of bowling
Once a quarter
Little Monkey Bizness
Westminster
8 and under
One open play admission
Once a year
Chipper's Lanes
Broomfield
6+
One game of laser tag or $5 in arcade play
Once a year
The Spot Louisville
Louisville
5+
One day pass
Once a year
Museum of Boulder
Boulder
1 to 12
One admission
Once a year
Colorado Railroad Museum
Golden
All ages
One museum admission
Once a year
SCHEELS
Johnstown
All ages
One Ferris wheel ride
Daily
Old Town Putt
Fort Collins
5+
One game of indoor mini golf
Once a year
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Colorado Springs
6+
One general admission
Once a year
Sky Zone
Colorado Springs
3+
One hour of jump time
Once a year
The Playful Palette
Colorado Springs
1 to 12
One Open Studio admission
Once a year
The Little Gym
Colorado Springs
4 months to 12 years
One class
Twice a year
Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo
Colorado Springs
4+
One month of classes
Once a year
Why Denver Families Need an Indoor Backup Plan
Between May and August, storms build over the foothills most afternoons and roll east with lightning and hail. Snow can show up in October and keep coming into late April, much like the long winters GetOut members in Utah sit through along the Wasatch Front. Summer brings its own trouble, since the sun at 5,280 feet burns you faster than it does at sea level.
So parents search for rainy day activities for kids in Denver all year. What you want is a place within a short drive where the kids can run around or learn something while the weather does its thing.
We grouped the 20 spots by area: Denver, Aurora, the north metro with Boulder County, Golden, Northern Colorado, and Colorado Springs.
[Image: hero photo, kids at an indoor Denver venue]
Indoor Activities for Kids in Denver
1. The Spot Denver (Golden Triangle)
The Spot opened in Boulder in 2002 as Colorado's first bouldering gym, and its Denver gym at 1235 Delaware Street sits a few blocks from Civic Center Park. Inside you get about 19,000 square feet of walls around 18 feet tall. Kids climb short routes marked by color and drop onto thick pads when they finish or fall.
A climb takes under a minute. That means a 6-year-old gets dozens of tries in an hour, and parents can climb alongside or sit in the lounge with all that natural light.
GetOut covers: one day pass a year. Shoe rental costs extra.
Tip: Go on a weekday morning. After-work climbers fill the place in the evening.
2. Museo de las Américas (Art District on Santa Fe)
Look for the hot pink building at 861 Santa Fe Drive. Museo has shown Latin American art in Denver since 1991, with exhibitions that rotate through the year and range from ancient pieces to contemporary painting and textiles.
You can see the whole museum in under an hour, which suits kids with short attention spans. Admission is free for anyone 13 and under, and GetOut covers the adult ticket.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: Museo opens at noon Tuesday through Sunday and closes Mondays. Street parking along Santa Fe Drive is free for two hours.
3. Clyfford Still Museum (Civic Center)
Clyfford Still painted huge abstract canvases in bold color, and the museum at 1250 Bannock Street holds nearly everything he made. The galleries are bright and quiet. Small kids stop in front of the bigger paintings and stare.
Ask at the front desk for the free bilingual Family Activity Book, which comes with colored pencils. On select Saturdays, Maker Mornings pair storytime with a Denver Public Library librarian and hands-on art in The Making Space for kids between 15 months and 8 years old. Anyone 17 and under gets in free, so the GetOut pass goes to the parent.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: The Denver Art Museum sits next door if you want to make an afternoon of it.
4. Molly Brown House Museum (Capitol Hill)
Margaret "Molly" Brown survived the Titanic in 1912. Her 1889 Victorian home at 1340 Pennsylvania Street still holds the furniture and clothing from her years there, and kids who've studied the ship at school get a kick out of walking through her rooms.
GetOut includes the Explore on Your Own ticket, so you move through the house at your own speed. Most visits run about 45 minutes. The audio guide lives in the free Bloomberg Connects app, so download it at home and pack headphones.
GetOut covers: one self-guided admission a year. Guided tours cost extra.
Tip: The house has three floors of stairs. Leave the stroller in the car.
5. HD Escape Rooms (Cheesman Park area)
Tweens who feel too old for play centers will still sign up for an escape room. HD Escape Rooms at 1509 N. Marion Street has eight movie-inspired rooms at different difficulty levels, with pirate and temple themes among them. Your group gets 60 minutes to find the clues and crack the locks.
Everyone in the family ends up with a job. One kid searches drawers while another works a combination lock, and a game host sends hints when you stall.
GetOut covers: one escape room admission a year. Book online with your GetOut promo code. Booking fees and add-ons are extra.
Tip: Start with an easier room if anyone in your group is under 12.
[Image: Denver section photo]
Indoor Fun for Kids in Aurora and the East Metro
6. Crane Games (Aurora and Thornton)
Crane Games calls itself Colorado's first claw machine arcade. The Aurora shop at 2740 S. Havana Street opened in July 2024 with more than 40 machines, around 26 of them packed with big plush animals and the rest with keychains and small prizes. A second shop runs at 9645 Washington Street in Thornton.
Kids walk the rows and pick the machine holding the prize they want. A visit lasts as long as the tokens do, which makes it an easy stop before lunch or before Ka-Ko-Jo's.
GetOut covers: 5 free tokens per pass holder once a quarter. The pass holder has to be there to redeem them.
Tip: Watch a machine for a few rounds before you play. Kids figure out fast which claws hold on.
7. Ka-Ko-Jo's (Town Center at Aurora)
Ka-Ko-Jo's is a family-owned arcade at 14200 E. Alameda Avenue inside Town Center at Aurora. The owners named it after their sons, Kaden and Koen. Inside you'll find glow-in-the-dark mini golf and a redemption arcade, and virtual reality games fill out the rest of the space.
The GetOut offer pairs King Kong VR, a virtual reality ride themed around the giant ape, with a round of glow golf. Younger kids who'd rather skip the headset can stick with golf and the arcade.
GetOut covers: one round of King Kong VR plus one round of glow golf a year.
Tip: Ka-Ko-Jo's sits inside the mall, so you park once and stay dry the whole way in.
[Image: Aurora section photo]
Indoor Activities for Kids in the North Metro and Boulder County
8. Main Event Thornton
This 50,000-square-foot place at 580 E. 144th Avenue opened as The Summit in 2019 and now operates as Main Event. You'll find 24 bowling lanes, a big arcade, a bar and grill, and a two-level laser tag arena. A 7-year-old and a 15-year-old can spend the same afternoon here and both leave happy.
GetOut covers: a $10 arcade card plus one game of bowling, once a quarter. Shoe rental is extra. Main Event Windsor has the same offer, and Main Event Highlands Ranch gives members a 60-minute unlimited arcade session.
Tip: The offer resets every three months, so plan one trip per season.
9. Little Monkey Bizness (Westminster)
Little Monkey Bizness at 14693 Orchard Parkway serves kids 8 and under. The open play floor has inflatable bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, and climbing structures. Toddlers and crawlers get their own area away from the bigger kids. There's an art room too, and parents can order a coffee while they watch.
The owners kept video games out of the building on purpose, so the whole visit revolves around climbing and bouncing.
GetOut covers: one open play admission a year.
Tip: Everyone wears socks on the inflatables, adults included. Birthday parties shift the open play schedule around, so mornings are your safest bet. Kids who outgrow the bounce houses can try Warrior Playground in Longmont or Jumpin' in Loveland, both in our list of quick drives near Denver to burn off restless energy.
10. Chipper's Lanes (Broomfield)
Chipper's Lanes is a family-owned bowling chain out of Fort Collins. Matt Hoeven named it after his late older brother, Chip. The Broomfield location at 100 Nickel Street has 40 lanes plus laser tag and an arcade, and it books live music under the name 100 Nickel.
GetOut covers: one game of laser tag or $5 in arcade play, once a year.
Tip: Pick laser tag for kids 6 and up. Younger kids get more out of the arcade credit.
11. The Spot Louisville
The Spot's Louisville gym at 1754 Dogwood Street has taller walls than the Denver location. Climbers clip into auto belays or top ropes here, and a regulation speed climbing wall lets anyone race the clock. Kids who've already tried bouldering get to go a lot higher.
GetOut covers: one day pass a year, with gear rental extra. GetOut also includes day passes at The Spot's Boulder and Thornton gyms.
Tip: Ask a staff member to walk first-timers through the auto belay before they start.
12. Museum of Boulder (Downtown Boulder)
In 2018 the Museum of Boulder moved into the old Masonic Lodge at 2205 Broadway, a couple of blocks from Pearl Street. The main galleries trace Boulder from its early settlers to the outdoor and tech companies that started there. The building also houses Playzeum, Boulder's children's museum, where kids explore hands-on exhibits at their own pace.
GetOut covers: one admission a year.
Tip: If the rain stops, walk over to the Pearl Street Mall afterward. For a full Boulder day, our guide to winter day trips from Denver pairs the city with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
[Image: North metro / Boulder section photo]
Rainy Day Activities for Kids West and North of Denver
13. Colorado Railroad Museum (Golden)
The Colorado Railroad Museum covers 15 acres at 17155 W. 44th Avenue in Golden and holds more than 100 locomotives and railcars. Much of that collection sits outside in the railyard. On a wet day, head for the Depot Museum, a 1959 building made to look like an 1880s small-town station, where two galleries rotate exhibits about Colorado's railroads.
Most kids end up in the basement. The Denver HO Model Railroad Club has spent more than 55 years building a model layout down there, with trains running through miniature Colorado mountain towns. The roundhouse where volunteers restore old engines is also under a roof.
GetOut covers: one museum admission a year. The Saturday train ride costs extra.
Tip: Doors open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The model railroad room is narrow, so get there early on weekends.
14. SCHEELS (Johnstown)
SCHEELS sells sporting goods, and the Johnstown store at 4755 Ronald Reagan Boulevard also has a 65-foot Ferris wheel inside. The building covers 250,000 square feet near I-25 and Highway 34. While you're there, kids can check out a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, a 22-foot wildlife mountain with more than 220 animal mounts, a row of arcade games, and a candy shop.
GetOut covers: one Ferris wheel ride, and you can use it every day.
Tip: Walking past the aquarium and wildlife mountain costs nothing, so the whole trip can stay free apart from a piece of fudge at Ginna's Café.
15. Old Town Putt (Fort Collins)
Old Town Putt runs a nine-hole indoor mini golf course in The Exchange at 244 N. College Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins. Between rounds, kids can play Skee-Ball, ping pong, shuffleboard, and arcade games. A full bar runs alongside, and daytime belongs to families.
GetOut covers: one game of mini golf a year.
Tip: Evenings switch to adults only, so bring kids during the day.
[Image: Golden / Northern Colorado section photo]
Indoor Activities for Kids in Colorado Springs
16. U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
This 60,000-square-foot museum at 200 S. Sierra Madre Street opened in 2020 and ranks among the most accessible museums in the world. Every visitor picks up a badge at the entrance that personalizes the exhibits along the way.
Kids spend most of their time in the Athlete Training gallery. They can sprint 30 meters against a life-size athlete on a screen, ski a virtual slalom course, aim a bow at a digital target, and steer a skeleton sled with their body. Goalball and sled hockey are in there too. Other galleries cover the Hall of Fame and the museum's set of Olympic torches.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: Give yourself two hours. Kids run the sprint again and again. To turn the drive south into a full day, our Southern Colorado day trips with kids adds D-BAT and Main Event Colorado Springs.
17. Sky Zone (Colorado Springs)
Sky Zone at 1750 E. Woodmen Road has open jump courts, dodgeball, basketball hoops, foam pits, and slides. A kid stuck inside on a snow day can burn through a week's worth of energy here in one hour.
GetOut covers: one hour of jump time a year.
Tip: Sky Zone requires its own grip socks and a signed waiver. Fill out the waiver online before you leave home.
18. The Playful Palette (Colorado Springs)
Shino Velasquez opened The Playful Palette at 4847 Barnes Road in January 2024 as an art studio for kids, and she built it around letting them follow their own ideas. Open Studio lets families drop in and use whatever supplies they want. The studio also hosts slime lab days and face painting, plus a circle time class for babies.
GetOut covers: one Open Studio admission a year.
Tip: Dress kids in clothes that can take some paint. Families up north can paint pottery at Color Me Mine in Boulder, which we covered in our easy Colorado weekend activities guide.
19. The Little Gym (Colorado Springs)
The Little Gym at 9625 Prominent Point teaches gymnastics and movement to young kids. Classes run from parent-and-child sessions for babies and toddlers up to gymnastics for school-age kids, and each one mixes structured skills with free play.
GetOut covers: one class, twice a year. The class depends on your child's age and the schedule.
Tip: Use it as a trial run before you sign up for a full session.
20. Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo (Colorado Springs)
This martial arts school at 1710 Briargate Boulevard teaches taekwondo and self-defense to students 4 and up, with fitness and leadership built into the classes. A month of rainy afternoons is a good time for a kid to pick up a new skill.
GetOut covers: a one-month trial of classes once a year. Call ahead to schedule. Members also get $50 off a birthday party package.
Tip: Four weeks gives kids enough classes to decide whether they want to keep going.
[Image: Colorado Springs section photo]
Rainy Day Activities for Kids in Denver by Age
Use this table to match a venue to your kid's age.
Age Group
Best Picks
Why They Work
Babies and toddlers (0 to 3)
Little Monkey Bizness, The Little Gym, The Playful Palette, Clyfford Still Maker Mornings
Toddler zones and parent-and-child classes, plus messy art you get to leave at the studio
Preschool and early elementary (4 to 7)
Museum of Boulder, Colorado Railroad Museum, SCHEELS, Sky Zone, Ka-Ko-Jo's glow golf
Hands-on exhibits, model trains, a Ferris wheel, and trampolines
Big kids (8 to 12)
The Spot Denver, The Spot Louisville, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Chipper's Lanes, Main Event Thornton
Climbing walls, sport simulators, laser tag, and bowling
Teens (13+)
HD Escape Rooms, Ka-Ko-Jo's VR, Old Town Putt, Museo de las Américas, Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo
Puzzles, VR, a laid-back round of golf, and a new skill to learn
How to Plan Indoor Fun With GetOut
GetOut is an annual membership. Buy a pass for each person in the family, open the GetOut app, pick a venue, and show your phone at the front desk. Memberships are sold by region, so grandparents in Kansas City can get their own pass and use the same app there.
These tips get you more visits out of the year:
Watch the visit limits. Most venues allow one visit a year. Crane Games and Main Event reset every quarter, The Little Gym allows two visits a year, and SCHEELS lets you ride the Ferris wheel daily.
Put the pass toward the adult at free-for-kids museums. Museo de las Américas is free for kids 13 and under, and Clyfford Still is free for anyone 17 and under.
Group stops by area. Crane Games and Ka-Ko-Jo's both sit in Aurora. Clyfford Still and Molly Brown are a short walk apart, and The Spot Louisville pairs with the Museum of Boulder for a half day in Boulder County.
Save the long drives for long weekends. SCHEELS and Old Town Putt sit about an hour north of downtown Denver, and the Colorado Springs venues sit about an hour south. Keep driving down I-25 past the state line and you can pick up GetOut's New Mexico / West Texas membership, which has its own list of venues.
More Indoor Ideas for Colorado Kids
We've covered more indoor spots in earlier posts. Our guide to 5 cool indoor adventures for kids in Colorado features the Downtown Aquarium, Slick City Action Park, Übergrippen, Boondocks, and Monkey Bizness. When the cold sets in, our list of indoor sports spots to try in Denver covers skating at Family Sports Center along with Holey Moley, Brews N Birdies, and the Localhost esports arena.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best indoor activities for kids in Denver?
Little Monkey Bizness in Westminster and the Playzeum at the Museum of Boulder work well for younger kids. Kids 5 and up can boulder at The Spot Denver, and older kids and teens can try HD Escape Rooms or Main Event Thornton. A GetOut Colorado membership includes all of them.
What can I do with kids in Denver when it's raining?
Pick somewhere with several activities under one roof. Main Event Thornton has bowling and laser tag next to its arcade, and Ka-Ko-Jo's in Aurora sits inside a mall with glow golf and VR. For a calmer afternoon, the Clyfford Still Museum and the Molly Brown House Museum are both in central Denver.
Where can toddlers play indoors around Denver?
Little Monkey Bizness in Westminster keeps a separate area for toddlers and crawlers. The Clyfford Still Museum runs Maker Mornings for kids from 15 months to 8 years old. In Colorado Springs, The Little Gym and The Playful Palette both hold classes for babies and toddlers.
Are there cheap indoor activities for kids in Colorado?
Yes. Museo de las Américas is free for kids 13 and under, and the Clyfford Still Museum is free for anyone 17 and under, with GetOut covering the adult admission at both. At SCHEELS in Johnstown, the aquarium and wildlife mountain cost nothing to see, and GetOut covers a Ferris wheel ride every day.
How much does GetOut Colorado cost?
The membership costs $49.95 per person for 12 months and covers 81+ venues. A 60-day refund guarantee comes with it, and you can add Elitch Gardens admission for $74.95 total.
How often can I visit each venue?
Each venue sets its own limit, and the GetOut app shows it before you redeem. Most allow one visit a year. Crane Games and Main Event reset every quarter, The Little Gym allows two visits a year, and the SCHEELS Ferris wheel is available daily.
Can I use my GetOut Colorado pass in other states?
Each membership covers venues in its own region. If you spend winter break with family in Phoenix, an Arizona membership gets you into venues there through the same app.
Plan Your Next Rainy Day
A GetOut Colorado membership costs $49.95 a year and covers 81+ venues around the state, including all 20 spots in this guide. Download the GetOut app and pick a place near you before the next storm rolls in.
Colorado weather changes fast. A sunny July morning in Denver can end in hail by 3 p.m., and October snow sometimes lands on trees that still have their leaves. This guide lists 20 indoor activities for kids in Denver and across Colorado, from bouldering walls near Civic Center to a Ferris wheel inside a Johnstown store, so you have somewhere to go whatever the sky does.
Each spot comes with a GetOut Colorado membership, which costs $49.95 a year and gets you into 81+ venues around the state.
Quick Picks: 20 Indoor Spots at a Glance
Venue
City
Ages
What GetOut Covers
Visit Limit
The Spot Denver
Denver
5+
One day pass
Once a year
Museo de las Américas
Denver
All ages
One general admission
Once a year
Clyfford Still Museum
Denver
All ages
One general admission
Once a year
Molly Brown House Museum
Denver
7+
One self-guided admission
Once a year
HD Escape Rooms
Denver
Tweens and teens
One escape room admission
Once a year
Crane Games
Aurora and Thornton
All ages
5 free tokens
Once a quarter
Ka-Ko-Jo's
Aurora
4+
King Kong VR plus a round of glow golf
Once a year
Main Event Thornton
Thornton
5+
$10 arcade card plus one game of bowling
Once a quarter
Little Monkey Bizness
Westminster
8 and under
One open play admission
Once a year
Chipper's Lanes
Broomfield
6+
One game of laser tag or $5 in arcade play
Once a year
The Spot Louisville
Louisville
5+
One day pass
Once a year
Museum of Boulder
Boulder
1 to 12
One admission
Once a year
Colorado Railroad Museum
Golden
All ages
One museum admission
Once a year
SCHEELS
Johnstown
All ages
One Ferris wheel ride
Daily
Old Town Putt
Fort Collins
5+
One game of indoor mini golf
Once a year
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Colorado Springs
6+
One general admission
Once a year
Sky Zone
Colorado Springs
3+
One hour of jump time
Once a year
The Playful Palette
Colorado Springs
1 to 12
One Open Studio admission
Once a year
The Little Gym
Colorado Springs
4 months to 12 years
One class
Twice a year
Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo
Colorado Springs
4+
One month of classes
Once a year
Why Denver Families Need an Indoor Backup Plan
Between May and August, storms build over the foothills most afternoons and roll east with lightning and hail. Snow can show up in October and keep coming into late April, much like the long winters GetOut members in Utah sit through along the Wasatch Front. Summer brings its own trouble, since the sun at 5,280 feet burns you faster than it does at sea level.
So parents search for rainy day activities for kids in Denver all year. What you want is a place within a short drive where the kids can run around or learn something while the weather does its thing.
We grouped the 20 spots by area: Denver, Aurora, the north metro with Boulder County, Golden, Northern Colorado, and Colorado Springs.
[Image: hero photo, kids at an indoor Denver venue]
Indoor Activities for Kids in Denver
1. The Spot Denver (Golden Triangle)
The Spot opened in Boulder in 2002 as Colorado's first bouldering gym, and its Denver gym at 1235 Delaware Street sits a few blocks from Civic Center Park. Inside you get about 19,000 square feet of walls around 18 feet tall. Kids climb short routes marked by color and drop onto thick pads when they finish or fall.
A climb takes under a minute. That means a 6-year-old gets dozens of tries in an hour, and parents can climb alongside or sit in the lounge with all that natural light.
GetOut covers: one day pass a year. Shoe rental costs extra.
Tip: Go on a weekday morning. After-work climbers fill the place in the evening.
2. Museo de las Américas (Art District on Santa Fe)
Look for the hot pink building at 861 Santa Fe Drive. Museo has shown Latin American art in Denver since 1991, with exhibitions that rotate through the year and range from ancient pieces to contemporary painting and textiles.
You can see the whole museum in under an hour, which suits kids with short attention spans. Admission is free for anyone 13 and under, and GetOut covers the adult ticket.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: Museo opens at noon Tuesday through Sunday and closes Mondays. Street parking along Santa Fe Drive is free for two hours.
3. Clyfford Still Museum (Civic Center)
Clyfford Still painted huge abstract canvases in bold color, and the museum at 1250 Bannock Street holds nearly everything he made. The galleries are bright and quiet. Small kids stop in front of the bigger paintings and stare.
Ask at the front desk for the free bilingual Family Activity Book, which comes with colored pencils. On select Saturdays, Maker Mornings pair storytime with a Denver Public Library librarian and hands-on art in The Making Space for kids between 15 months and 8 years old. Anyone 17 and under gets in free, so the GetOut pass goes to the parent.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: The Denver Art Museum sits next door if you want to make an afternoon of it.
4. Molly Brown House Museum (Capitol Hill)
Margaret "Molly" Brown survived the Titanic in 1912. Her 1889 Victorian home at 1340 Pennsylvania Street still holds the furniture and clothing from her years there, and kids who've studied the ship at school get a kick out of walking through her rooms.
GetOut includes the Explore on Your Own ticket, so you move through the house at your own speed. Most visits run about 45 minutes. The audio guide lives in the free Bloomberg Connects app, so download it at home and pack headphones.
GetOut covers: one self-guided admission a year. Guided tours cost extra.
Tip: The house has three floors of stairs. Leave the stroller in the car.
5. HD Escape Rooms (Cheesman Park area)
Tweens who feel too old for play centers will still sign up for an escape room. HD Escape Rooms at 1509 N. Marion Street has eight movie-inspired rooms at different difficulty levels, with pirate and temple themes among them. Your group gets 60 minutes to find the clues and crack the locks.
Everyone in the family ends up with a job. One kid searches drawers while another works a combination lock, and a game host sends hints when you stall.
GetOut covers: one escape room admission a year. Book online with your GetOut promo code. Booking fees and add-ons are extra.
Tip: Start with an easier room if anyone in your group is under 12.
[Image: Denver section photo]
Indoor Fun for Kids in Aurora and the East Metro
6. Crane Games (Aurora and Thornton)
Crane Games calls itself Colorado's first claw machine arcade. The Aurora shop at 2740 S. Havana Street opened in July 2024 with more than 40 machines, around 26 of them packed with big plush animals and the rest with keychains and small prizes. A second shop runs at 9645 Washington Street in Thornton.
Kids walk the rows and pick the machine holding the prize they want. A visit lasts as long as the tokens do, which makes it an easy stop before lunch or before Ka-Ko-Jo's.
GetOut covers: 5 free tokens per pass holder once a quarter. The pass holder has to be there to redeem them.
Tip: Watch a machine for a few rounds before you play. Kids figure out fast which claws hold on.
7. Ka-Ko-Jo's (Town Center at Aurora)
Ka-Ko-Jo's is a family-owned arcade at 14200 E. Alameda Avenue inside Town Center at Aurora. The owners named it after their sons, Kaden and Koen. Inside you'll find glow-in-the-dark mini golf and a redemption arcade, and virtual reality games fill out the rest of the space.
The GetOut offer pairs King Kong VR, a virtual reality ride themed around the giant ape, with a round of glow golf. Younger kids who'd rather skip the headset can stick with golf and the arcade.
GetOut covers: one round of King Kong VR plus one round of glow golf a year.
Tip: Ka-Ko-Jo's sits inside the mall, so you park once and stay dry the whole way in.
[Image: Aurora section photo]
Indoor Activities for Kids in the North Metro and Boulder County
8. Main Event Thornton
This 50,000-square-foot place at 580 E. 144th Avenue opened as The Summit in 2019 and now operates as Main Event. You'll find 24 bowling lanes, a big arcade, a bar and grill, and a two-level laser tag arena. A 7-year-old and a 15-year-old can spend the same afternoon here and both leave happy.
GetOut covers: a $10 arcade card plus one game of bowling, once a quarter. Shoe rental is extra. Main Event Windsor has the same offer, and Main Event Highlands Ranch gives members a 60-minute unlimited arcade session.
Tip: The offer resets every three months, so plan one trip per season.
9. Little Monkey Bizness (Westminster)
Little Monkey Bizness at 14693 Orchard Parkway serves kids 8 and under. The open play floor has inflatable bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, and climbing structures. Toddlers and crawlers get their own area away from the bigger kids. There's an art room too, and parents can order a coffee while they watch.
The owners kept video games out of the building on purpose, so the whole visit revolves around climbing and bouncing.
GetOut covers: one open play admission a year.
Tip: Everyone wears socks on the inflatables, adults included. Birthday parties shift the open play schedule around, so mornings are your safest bet. Kids who outgrow the bounce houses can try Warrior Playground in Longmont or Jumpin' in Loveland, both in our list of quick drives near Denver to burn off restless energy.
10. Chipper's Lanes (Broomfield)
Chipper's Lanes is a family-owned bowling chain out of Fort Collins. Matt Hoeven named it after his late older brother, Chip. The Broomfield location at 100 Nickel Street has 40 lanes plus laser tag and an arcade, and it books live music under the name 100 Nickel.
GetOut covers: one game of laser tag or $5 in arcade play, once a year.
Tip: Pick laser tag for kids 6 and up. Younger kids get more out of the arcade credit.
11. The Spot Louisville
The Spot's Louisville gym at 1754 Dogwood Street has taller walls than the Denver location. Climbers clip into auto belays or top ropes here, and a regulation speed climbing wall lets anyone race the clock. Kids who've already tried bouldering get to go a lot higher.
GetOut covers: one day pass a year, with gear rental extra. GetOut also includes day passes at The Spot's Boulder and Thornton gyms.
Tip: Ask a staff member to walk first-timers through the auto belay before they start.
12. Museum of Boulder (Downtown Boulder)
In 2018 the Museum of Boulder moved into the old Masonic Lodge at 2205 Broadway, a couple of blocks from Pearl Street. The main galleries trace Boulder from its early settlers to the outdoor and tech companies that started there. The building also houses Playzeum, Boulder's children's museum, where kids explore hands-on exhibits at their own pace.
GetOut covers: one admission a year.
Tip: If the rain stops, walk over to the Pearl Street Mall afterward. For a full Boulder day, our guide to winter day trips from Denver pairs the city with the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
[Image: North metro / Boulder section photo]
Rainy Day Activities for Kids West and North of Denver
13. Colorado Railroad Museum (Golden)
The Colorado Railroad Museum covers 15 acres at 17155 W. 44th Avenue in Golden and holds more than 100 locomotives and railcars. Much of that collection sits outside in the railyard. On a wet day, head for the Depot Museum, a 1959 building made to look like an 1880s small-town station, where two galleries rotate exhibits about Colorado's railroads.
Most kids end up in the basement. The Denver HO Model Railroad Club has spent more than 55 years building a model layout down there, with trains running through miniature Colorado mountain towns. The roundhouse where volunteers restore old engines is also under a roof.
GetOut covers: one museum admission a year. The Saturday train ride costs extra.
Tip: Doors open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The model railroad room is narrow, so get there early on weekends.
14. SCHEELS (Johnstown)
SCHEELS sells sporting goods, and the Johnstown store at 4755 Ronald Reagan Boulevard also has a 65-foot Ferris wheel inside. The building covers 250,000 square feet near I-25 and Highway 34. While you're there, kids can check out a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, a 22-foot wildlife mountain with more than 220 animal mounts, a row of arcade games, and a candy shop.
GetOut covers: one Ferris wheel ride, and you can use it every day.
Tip: Walking past the aquarium and wildlife mountain costs nothing, so the whole trip can stay free apart from a piece of fudge at Ginna's Café.
15. Old Town Putt (Fort Collins)
Old Town Putt runs a nine-hole indoor mini golf course in The Exchange at 244 N. College Avenue in Old Town Fort Collins. Between rounds, kids can play Skee-Ball, ping pong, shuffleboard, and arcade games. A full bar runs alongside, and daytime belongs to families.
GetOut covers: one game of mini golf a year.
Tip: Evenings switch to adults only, so bring kids during the day.
[Image: Golden / Northern Colorado section photo]
Indoor Activities for Kids in Colorado Springs
16. U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
This 60,000-square-foot museum at 200 S. Sierra Madre Street opened in 2020 and ranks among the most accessible museums in the world. Every visitor picks up a badge at the entrance that personalizes the exhibits along the way.
Kids spend most of their time in the Athlete Training gallery. They can sprint 30 meters against a life-size athlete on a screen, ski a virtual slalom course, aim a bow at a digital target, and steer a skeleton sled with their body. Goalball and sled hockey are in there too. Other galleries cover the Hall of Fame and the museum's set of Olympic torches.
GetOut covers: one general admission a year.
Tip: Give yourself two hours. Kids run the sprint again and again. To turn the drive south into a full day, our Southern Colorado day trips with kids adds D-BAT and Main Event Colorado Springs.
17. Sky Zone (Colorado Springs)
Sky Zone at 1750 E. Woodmen Road has open jump courts, dodgeball, basketball hoops, foam pits, and slides. A kid stuck inside on a snow day can burn through a week's worth of energy here in one hour.
GetOut covers: one hour of jump time a year.
Tip: Sky Zone requires its own grip socks and a signed waiver. Fill out the waiver online before you leave home.
18. The Playful Palette (Colorado Springs)
Shino Velasquez opened The Playful Palette at 4847 Barnes Road in January 2024 as an art studio for kids, and she built it around letting them follow their own ideas. Open Studio lets families drop in and use whatever supplies they want. The studio also hosts slime lab days and face painting, plus a circle time class for babies.
GetOut covers: one Open Studio admission a year.
Tip: Dress kids in clothes that can take some paint. Families up north can paint pottery at Color Me Mine in Boulder, which we covered in our easy Colorado weekend activities guide.
19. The Little Gym (Colorado Springs)
The Little Gym at 9625 Prominent Point teaches gymnastics and movement to young kids. Classes run from parent-and-child sessions for babies and toddlers up to gymnastics for school-age kids, and each one mixes structured skills with free play.
GetOut covers: one class, twice a year. The class depends on your child's age and the schedule.
Tip: Use it as a trial run before you sign up for a full session.
20. Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo (Colorado Springs)
This martial arts school at 1710 Briargate Boulevard teaches taekwondo and self-defense to students 4 and up, with fitness and leadership built into the classes. A month of rainy afternoons is a good time for a kid to pick up a new skill.
GetOut covers: a one-month trial of classes once a year. Call ahead to schedule. Members also get $50 off a birthday party package.
Tip: Four weeks gives kids enough classes to decide whether they want to keep going.
[Image: Colorado Springs section photo]
Rainy Day Activities for Kids in Denver by Age
Use this table to match a venue to your kid's age.
Age Group
Best Picks
Why They Work
Babies and toddlers (0 to 3)
Little Monkey Bizness, The Little Gym, The Playful Palette, Clyfford Still Maker Mornings
Toddler zones and parent-and-child classes, plus messy art you get to leave at the studio
Preschool and early elementary (4 to 7)
Museum of Boulder, Colorado Railroad Museum, SCHEELS, Sky Zone, Ka-Ko-Jo's glow golf
Hands-on exhibits, model trains, a Ferris wheel, and trampolines
Big kids (8 to 12)
The Spot Denver, The Spot Louisville, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, Chipper's Lanes, Main Event Thornton
Climbing walls, sport simulators, laser tag, and bowling
Teens (13+)
HD Escape Rooms, Ka-Ko-Jo's VR, Old Town Putt, Museo de las Américas, Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo
Puzzles, VR, a laid-back round of golf, and a new skill to learn
How to Plan Indoor Fun With GetOut
GetOut is an annual membership. Buy a pass for each person in the family, open the GetOut app, pick a venue, and show your phone at the front desk. Memberships are sold by region, so grandparents in Kansas City can get their own pass and use the same app there.
These tips get you more visits out of the year:
Watch the visit limits. Most venues allow one visit a year. Crane Games and Main Event reset every quarter, The Little Gym allows two visits a year, and SCHEELS lets you ride the Ferris wheel daily.
Put the pass toward the adult at free-for-kids museums. Museo de las Américas is free for kids 13 and under, and Clyfford Still is free for anyone 17 and under.
Group stops by area. Crane Games and Ka-Ko-Jo's both sit in Aurora. Clyfford Still and Molly Brown are a short walk apart, and The Spot Louisville pairs with the Museum of Boulder for a half day in Boulder County.
Save the long drives for long weekends. SCHEELS and Old Town Putt sit about an hour north of downtown Denver, and the Colorado Springs venues sit about an hour south. Keep driving down I-25 past the state line and you can pick up GetOut's New Mexico / West Texas membership, which has its own list of venues.
More Indoor Ideas for Colorado Kids
We've covered more indoor spots in earlier posts. Our guide to 5 cool indoor adventures for kids in Colorado features the Downtown Aquarium, Slick City Action Park, Übergrippen, Boondocks, and Monkey Bizness. When the cold sets in, our list of indoor sports spots to try in Denver covers skating at Family Sports Center along with Holey Moley, Brews N Birdies, and the Localhost esports arena.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best indoor activities for kids in Denver?
Little Monkey Bizness in Westminster and the Playzeum at the Museum of Boulder work well for younger kids. Kids 5 and up can boulder at The Spot Denver, and older kids and teens can try HD Escape Rooms or Main Event Thornton. A GetOut Colorado membership includes all of them.
What can I do with kids in Denver when it's raining?
Pick somewhere with several activities under one roof. Main Event Thornton has bowling and laser tag next to its arcade, and Ka-Ko-Jo's in Aurora sits inside a mall with glow golf and VR. For a calmer afternoon, the Clyfford Still Museum and the Molly Brown House Museum are both in central Denver.
Where can toddlers play indoors around Denver?
Little Monkey Bizness in Westminster keeps a separate area for toddlers and crawlers. The Clyfford Still Museum runs Maker Mornings for kids from 15 months to 8 years old. In Colorado Springs, The Little Gym and The Playful Palette both hold classes for babies and toddlers.
Are there cheap indoor activities for kids in Colorado?
Yes. Museo de las Américas is free for kids 13 and under, and the Clyfford Still Museum is free for anyone 17 and under, with GetOut covering the adult admission at both. At SCHEELS in Johnstown, the aquarium and wildlife mountain cost nothing to see, and GetOut covers a Ferris wheel ride every day.
How much does GetOut Colorado cost?
The membership costs $49.95 per person for 12 months and covers 81+ venues. A 60-day refund guarantee comes with it, and you can add Elitch Gardens admission for $74.95 total.
How often can I visit each venue?
Each venue sets its own limit, and the GetOut app shows it before you redeem. Most allow one visit a year. Crane Games and Main Event reset every quarter, The Little Gym allows two visits a year, and the SCHEELS Ferris wheel is available daily.
Can I use my GetOut Colorado pass in other states?
Each membership covers venues in its own region. If you spend winter break with family in Phoenix, an Arizona membership gets you into venues there through the same app.
Plan Your Next Rainy Day
A GetOut Colorado membership costs $49.95 a year and covers 81+ venues around the state, including all 20 spots in this guide. Download the GetOut app and pick a place near you before the next storm rolls in.
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