| CITY OVERVIEW
Stay in Denver |
Denver is well endowed with
sporting teams and events but one of its best attractions is its closeness
to the Rocky Mountain ski resorts to its west. The ‘Mile High’ City is
nestled comfortably below the famous Rocky Mountains ski resort of Vail
– America’s most visited. Denver’s main downtown
attraction is Larimer Square, in the south-western section of downtown,
where many locals and tourists eat, drink and play. It has a modern
mixture of shops, restaurants, nightclubs and cafes. One of the cultural
attractions of Denver is within the large City Park area of Denver, some 5
km east of downtown. The Park houses the huge and impressive Denver Museum
of Nature and Science, an IMAX Theatre, the Gates Planetarium and the
Denver Zoo. Denver Art Museum is also
located on the southern outskirts of the downtown area. It is as
impressive to look at from the outside as it is from the inside and has an
especially large collection of artists representing America’s western
heritage.
Whilst in Denver, it is definitely worth taking the trip to nearby Boulder, which is a bit further up the mountains and a little closer to the ski fields. Like many University enclaves in the US, Boulder is a very quaint, low-key and artistic town, with an easily traversed network of bicycle and pedestrian routes connecting surrounding residential areas. RTD buses provide services between Denver and Boulder. |
| GETTING THERE
Fly to Denver Within USA
|
Denver
International Airport is located a fair distance from Denver – some 40km
to the northeast of downtown. RTD buses (the SkyRide) and more expensive
shuttles connect the airport and downtown Denver. Amtrak
trains converge on Union Station at the north-western edge of downtown.
Amtrak's California Zephyr runs daily between Chicago and San Francisco
(Emeryville) via Denver. Union Station is located at the corner of 17th
and Wyncoop Streets. From Union Station, the Ski Train to Winter Park
operates every weekend throughout the snow season. Greyhound
buses are found at the downtown
Denver Bus Terminal, immediately north of the Capitol at 1055 19th
Street, Denver. Greyhound also stops at Union Station and the airport. Denver’s
public transport system is know as the Regional Transit District (RTD).
Although primarily comprising buses, the RTD also runs a Light Rail
Service from Littleton right through to the downtown area. |
| NFL
DENVER BRONCOS |
The NFL’s Denver Broncos played their first match in 1960 but it took them close to 17 years to reach their first playoff game. Since then, however, they have become one of the most successful teams in the NFL. The Broncos have played in 6 Super bowls, winning in 1997 and 1998 and have produced one of the great quarterbacks of all-time in John Elway, who led them to their Superbowl victories. |
| NBA
DENVER NUGGETS |
Although a previous Denver Nuggets team began life in 1949, the current NBA Denver Nuggets began life in the American Basketball Association in 1967-1968 before it merged with the NBA in 1976. The Nuggets have always had the reputation as a freewheeling, high-scoring unit, but maybe they should concentrate a little more on defence as their play has not converted into any championships. In the 1980’s, the Nuggets made several play-offs and broke records by playing in the highest-scoring game in NBA history and establishing the all-time single-season record for scoring average. |
| MLB
COLORADO ROCKIES Ticket information through MLB
|
The
Colorado
Rockies MLB life only started
in 1993. Since that time, the Rockies have the best record of any new team
in baseball history. The Rockies have the most wins in an inaugural season
by an expansion team and are the quickest expansion team to make the
playoffs (1995). They are also famous for the amount of home runs that are
hit in the rarefied air of Coors Field, claiming the most home runs in a
season in 1996 (658). And in 1999, they only become the third team in
history to hit a run in every inning of a game. |
| NHL
COLORADO AVALANCHE |
The Colorado Avalanche began life in the NHL as recently as 1995. They are clearly the most successful of all the new teams, having never missed a playoff and winning the Stanley Cup in their very first season – 1995-96, which they repeated again in 2000-01. |
| MLS
COLORADO RAPIDS |
The
MLS Colorado
Rapids have been up and down since their entry in 1996, having missed the
playoffs a few times but surprisingly making the final in 1999, only to
lose to Washington. |
| COORS FIELD |
Coors Field hosts the Rockies and is located in lower downtown Denver at 2001 Blake Street. It is only 2 blocks from Union Station. It is within walking distance of many lower downtown hotels. Opened in 1995, Coors Field has a capacity of 50,000. This is another newer stadium that attempts to recreate the past as much as possible. Coors Field has developed a trend as a hitter’s paradise and pitchers arrive at Coors Field knowing their statistics are jeopardised. Get ready to see plenty of long hitting if you decide to take in a game at Coors Field. By public transit, take the light rail to 18th and California Station. The Stadium is within short walking distance of here. |
| PEPSI CENTER |
The Pepsi Center hosts the Nuggets and Avalanche and is located at 1000 Chopper Place, Denver. It is within the lower Downtown area and adjacent to the Elitch Gardens Amusement Center, at the intersection of Aurora Parkway and Speers Boulevard. Opened in 1999, the Center has a capacity of 19,000 for both basketball and ice hockey. It replaced the McNichols Center next to Mile High Stadium, which was widely regarded as one of the worst stadiums in the Country. The modern Pepsi Center, which houses offices, restaurants, and bars is directly linked to the nearby Elitch Gardens Entertainment complex. |
| INVESCO FIELD |
Invesco Field is the Broncos' and Rapids new home and is located in the vicinity of old Mile High Stadium, just west of Interstate-25, across the Platte River from downtown Denver. Invesco Field was opened in 2001 and has a capacity of 76,000. It is designed in the style of horseshoe to represent the Broncos theme and therefore looks much like the old Mile High Stadium. It has kept other design characteristics of the Mile High Stadium, including the use of steel in the upper decks to enable people to continue the loud stamping noise characteristic of Broncos home matches. Another feature of the Stadium is the Bronco Bridge across the Platte River, which connects the parking lots at the Pepsi Center and Elitch Gardens to Invesco Field. The only form of public transit access to the Field is the RTD’s Route 31 bus from downtown but if you don’t mind a long but pleasant walk from downtown then this might be a good option. |
| GOLF
Late July – early August, PGA The International, Castle Pines Golf Club, 1000 Hummingbird Drive, Castle Rock. Ticket information to come |
Castle Pines Golf Club is located some 35 km south of downtown Denver- just off Route 85. Getting to the course from downtown Denver is very convoluted and not even worth trying – it would involve two bus companies and a taxi. The best way to get there may be to hire a car. |
| MOTOR
RACING
End August – CART, Grand Prix of Denver, Downtown Denver Road Circuit, at Pepsi Centre. |
Catch any RTP transit service Downtown and walk to Pepsi Centre. The Road Circuit is located near here. |
|
NCAA SPORTS - DIVISION 1 UNIVERSITY OF DENVER |
The University of Denver Pioneers are located at 2199 S University Boulevard, Denver, which is about 6km south of downtown. The Pioneers have teams in several sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. The basketball teams play out of Magness Arena, which is located within the Ritchie Centre on campus and seats about 8,000. From downtown you can catch the D Line Light Rail to Evans Station and then catch the RTD Route 21 Bus that goes along Evans and get off at S University Boulevard. The Ritchie Centre is north of Evans Road towards Route 25. |
| NCAA
SPORTS - DIVISION 1
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER Ticket information through UCB Buffaloes
|
The UCB Buffaloes are located on Broadway, between Arapahoe Avenue and Baseline Road, Boulder. The Buffs have teams in most sports, including football and men’s and women’s basketball. The football team plays out of the large Folsom Field, which is located on campus. The basketball teams play out of Balch Fieldhouse, which has a capacity of about 4,000 and is one of the oldest college stadiums in the country, being opened in 1937. From downtown Denver, there are several route options for getting to Boulder. The best option is the Route B that leaves from Union Station or Market Street Station and goes past the University when in Boulder – get off at Broadway and 16th. |
