Denver is the second largest mountain city (after Phoenix) and this metropolis has something for everyone from great museums and food, nightlife, outdoor recreational opportunities and culture so when you are planning your trip, expect the unexpected from this great city. Here are the top 5 attractions and activities for you to look at when you're in Denver.

The Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is world famous for its collection of Native American art including displays representing over 100 tribes and 16,000 exhibits housed in an impressive contemporary downtown building which adds to the Denver city skyline. Here you will also find superb examples of Pre-Columbian and Central American art, crafts and textiles but there are also exhibits from much further afield including Asia, modern American and European paintings and sculpture.

Red Rocks Park

Red Rocks is one of the natural geological wonders of the United States but great use has been put to this natural amphitheater carved into the local rocks with fantastic concerts and world famous bands and musicians rocking out at this true "rock" concert venue. You'll find bands such as Fleetwood Mac and Mariah Carey have played here but to get the very best of the red sandstone view you should make sure you go during the day when the light plays on the landscape which is over 250 million years old.

Denver Museum of Natural History

This is the most popular museum in the region and attracts the largest number of visitors to any cultural exhibition for both Denver and the Mountain region. Here you can gain an insight into the fantastic and exciting world of life on this planet - its origins, how it has developed and our own unique place in the universe. You'll find the world of insects, precious and semi-precious stones, Colorado wildlife and flora and fauna from around the world on display as well as an excellent series of exhibits on Native American Indian culture that is second to none.

Denver Botanical Gardens

It frequently surprises visitors that the city plays host to a magnificent 23 acres of glorious gardens with fantastic specimens originating from all over the world. There are more than 15,000 species and one of the world's largest fungi collections here and there is more to be found at the two partner botanical gardens at Chatfield Preserve and Mount Goliath just out of the city.

Colorado History Museum

This is a museum where the past to brought to life with original and very clever use of photography and artifacts rescued and preserved for your enjoyment today. Located in downtown Denver, you'll be able to see how prehistoric Native American Indians lived in the region and contrast this with the experiences of the 10th Mountain Division in peace and war. There is also the unique Colorado Timescape which will take you on a multi-media journey through time and space by using a 3-Dimensional topographical representation of the state of Colorado with a history narrative and a laser display that shows how the landscape has been forged over the last 10,000 years.