21 Best Things to Do in Littleton in 2023 (By a Local)

If you’re looking for things to do in Littleton, I’ve got you covered. I’m a Littleton local and I love this little town. You get a distinct small-town feel when you’re on Littleton’s Main Street, but you also get great restaurants, parks, hiking trails, and even a local performing arts theater that puts on some stellar performances!

Littleton is about a half-hour drive from Denver, so you get the best of both worlds – a little more room and open space, but proximity to the many things to see in Denver so you can get that big-city fix when you need it! Littleton is also close to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

This list of things to do in Littleton encompasses a bit of everything that makes this city great, from nature and outdoor activities to food and arts.

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21 Best Things to Do in Littleton, Colorado

Historic Downtown Littleton

Browse quaint shops in a historic neighborhood

📍 Google Maps | Website | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

Main Street Littleton exudes small town charm with its restaurants and shops. It’s bookended by The Melting Pot on one end (warning – people say the bathroom is haunted) and a small park on the other. McKinners Pizza is a great place to grab a slice, and Pho Real next door has – yep, tasty pho. In Tea is a great spot to curl up with a window seat and a pot of tea to read or people-watch.

Main Street is also home to many of the best places to stay in Littleton, if you’re visiting and need a hotel.

Littleton Museum

Learn about Littleton’s past

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-3950 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tues – Sat, 11 am – 5 pm Sun, Closed Mondays | Entrance: Free

The Littleton Museum features an indoor museum with exhibitions and children’s interactive exhibits. Head outside and you’ll find an 1860s homestead farm and an 1890s farm. Depending on the day you visit The Littleton Museum, you’ll also find volunteers dressed in 1800s costumes and working in the blacksmith’s shop or teaching in the one-room schoolhouse.

👉 Pro Tip: Looking for more museums to explore in the area? Check out this list of the 17 most interesting museums in Denver.

Hudson Gardens

Stroll through quiet, themed gardens

There are a variety of different gardens here including a rose, a vegetable, and a water garden. There is also a beekeeping area, and a running outdoor model train kids will love. In summer, the Gardens often host concerts at night and other events during the day.

Carson Nature Center

Fish and learn about the local ecosystem

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 730-1022 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 4:30 pm Tues – Fri, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm Sat & Sun, closed Mon and holidays | Entrance: Free

The Carson Nature Center features stuffed and live animals that are native to the area, and a water table where kids can see how sand and obstacles affect how water moves through an area. The adjacent South Platte Park has spots for fishing and observing wildlife.

Robert Clement Park

Enjoy lots of activities at this lakeside park

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 409-2600 | Hours: Sunrise – Sunset daily

Robert Clement Park (known to locals simply as Clement Park) has plenty to do! There are several playgrounds, including a newly remodeled one, a splash park, a skate park, and a trail around the lake. There are also soccer, volleyball, and softball fields, along with batting cages. In summer, the amphitheater hosts live music on warm evenings. The Columbine Library is on one end of the park, so it’s an easy spot to relax with a good book.

Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms

Tour flower gardens and farms

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 865-3500 | Website | Hours: 9 am – 4 pm daily | Entrance: $10, adults, $7 ages 3-15, under 3 Free

Chatfield Farms is a part of the Denver Botanic Gardens. However, while the Denver Botanic Gardens downtown have well-ordered gardens, farm flowers are less orderly and kind of wander where they want. The area also has historic buildings including an 1918 dairy barn and silo and an 1874 schoolhouse. This is also a great spot for birdwatching.

👉 Speaking of the Botanic Garden: The main Denver location of the Botanic Gardens makes our list of the best things to do around Denver!

Town Hall Arts Center

Enjoy local theater and art

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-2787 | Website

The Town Hall Arts Center is housed in a building built in 1920. The THAC puts on musicals, plays, and other theatrical events and is a wonderful local theater. A small fine arts gallery makes a great place to browse during intermission.

Deer Creek Canyon Park

Get great views of the foothills

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: One hour before sunrise – one hour after sunset

Deer Creek Canyon Park is a great hiking spot in Littleton, with dog-friendly trails. The area is also good for mountain biking. Trails lead to nice views of the hogbacks (the name for the foothills in this area) and views of downtown Denver as well.

👉 Pro Tip: For more hikes, check out my roundup of the best hikes nearby Denver!

High Line Canal

Walk a portion of this 71-mile urban trail

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (720) 767-2452 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 11 pm daily

The High Line Canal trail stretches from Aurora to Roxborough State Park. It’s a relatively flat trail, and the Littleton portion wanders past yards with farm animals and other interesting things to look at. Writers Vista Park is a good parking place to travel a portion of the trail.

Colorado Journey Mini Golf

Mini golf with a Wild West feel

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 734-1083 | Website | Hours: 12 pm – 5 pm daily | 18-holes: $7, adults, $6.25 under 13

Colorado Journey miniature golf has two 18-hole courses for guests, and each features parts of Colorado history. Various holes are designed to look like Mesa Verde, the Conestoga Pass, saloons, and other Wild West buildings. Courses also have streams and water features for fun activities!

👉 Pro Tip: Looking for more stuff to do with kids? Check out this list of 23 Fun Things to Do in Denver With Kids!

Waterton Canyon

Hike among the bighorn sheep

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 893-2444 | Website | Hours: Half hour before sunrise – half hour after sunset, daily

Waterton Canyon is known for the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep who are often on the trail or very nearby! The trail heads up to the Strontia Springs Dam, and connects with the Colorado Trail. Along with the famous sheep, I’ve also seen wild turkeys and deer here.

Colorado Antique Gallery

Check out hundreds of antique shops

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 794-8100 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 6 pm Mon – Sat, 12 pm – 6 pm Sun | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

The Colorado Antique Gallery boasts they’re the largest antique mall in Denver. You’ll find furniture, collectibles, jewelry, and just about any kind of antique you can image. The antique mall has 285 dealers in the 50,000-square foot showroom.

Hildebrand Ranch

See how Littleton settlers lived

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 271-5925 | Website | Hours: One hour before sunrise – one hour after sunset, daily

Hildebrand Ranch is part of Chatfield Farms, and includes a house, garden, stable, milking barn, and wagon shed. There is also a granary and ice house, and the blacksmith shop was recently renovated so it’s functional.

Depot Art Gallery

See the talent of Littleton creatives

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 795-0781 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 4 pm daily, Closed Mondays

The Littleton Depot Art Gallery shares the work of local artists in the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, including photography, watercolors, paintings, and other art forms. A 1890s caboose makes a fun spot for some art galleries and displays as well.

Roxborough State Park

Watch for wildlife and take a scenic hike!

View of the author's daughter enjoying the scenery in Carpenter Peak

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 973-3959 | Website | Hours: 7 am – 6 pm daily | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

Roxborough State Park has a visitor center kids will enjoy exploring, along with tree-lined hiking trails and lots of spots for birdwatching and wildlife viewing. The Carpenter Peak trail is a bit of a climb, but you’re rewarded with views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains including snow-capped peaks at Mount Evans.

Roxborough State Park also makes our list of the best day trips near Denver!

Breckenridge Brewery

Sip a local beer and relax at this family friendly brewery

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (844) 682-7325 | Website | Hours: 11 am – 10 pm Mon – Sat, 11 am – 8 pm Sun | 👉 Browse Tours on Viator

The Breckenridge Brewery is actually an entire complex off of Santa Fe where you can relax, eat, play lawn games, or vibe by the fire pit. Oh yeah, you can also sample the craft beer this brewery is widely known for! This makes a great spot for date nights, or for families hanging out on a warm afternoon.

Chatfield State Park

Sail, bike, or horseback ride at this state park

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 791-7275 | Website | Hours: 5 am – 10 pm Sat-Thu, 5 am – 11 pm Sun | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

This is one of Colorado’s many popular state parks, and covers plenty of ground so there are lots of outdoor activities to try! Go horseback riding at the park stables, paddle board on the reservoir or the nearby pond, fish, or ride your bike through the park. It’s also a quiet spot for winter hikes, ice fishing, and, after a good snowstorm, for snowshoeing.

Tattered Cover Bookstore

Browse the latest bestsellers and uniquely Colorado books

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 470-7050 | Website | Hours: 10 am – 7 pm Mon – Sat, 11 am – 6 pm Sun

The Tattered Cover is a locally-owned Colorado chain of bookstores. They carry popular bestselling novels, but also a variety of more unique books written by local authors or featuring Colorado settings. I always look for the shelf of staff recommendations, with personal notes, when I first arrive at the store.

Ketring Park

Ride or walk around this spacious green haven

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 953-7625 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 11 pm daily

Ketring Park is next to the Littleton Museum, so it makes a great place for a picnic after a visit! The paths are flat and great for kids to practice biking, Nearby Ketring Lake allows fishing, and is a pretty spot to relax.

Mary Carter Greenway Trail

Ride along the river

📍 Google Maps | Website

This bike path follows the South Platte River, beginning at Chatfield State Park and ending in Englewood. The path goes by Hudson Gardens, which makes a good stop for water, bathrooms, and even coffee at Nixon’s Coffee House next to the trail.

👉 Read Next: Best Things to Do in Castle Rock, CO

Bear Creek Lake Park

Practice archery, paddle the lake, or go for a hike

📍 Google Maps | Phone: (303) 697-6159 | Website | Hours: 6 am – 10 pm Summer, 7 am – 8 pm Spring & Fall, 8 am – 6 pm Winter | Entrance: $10 vehicle fee

Bear Creek Lake Park offers plenty of summer activities, from fishing to paddling the lake, to waterskiing. A separate area of the park includes a year-round archery range, and it’s a lovely spot for winter hikes or runs. The Bear Creek Lake Visitor Center has taxidermied animals for kids to learn about, along with other exhibits. Behind the Visitor Center, rangers often host talks or hikes that end up back at the firepit in the evening.

👉 Read Next: 41 Best Travel Destinations in Colorado

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For a small town, you’ll find that there are lots of things to do in Littleton! I’m amazed by the number of talented small business owners and creatives in the area who have crafts, art, food, tea, books, and so many more things to offer visitors. One stroll down Main Street when the twinkle lights are lit and you can see the Rocky Mountains glow as the sun sets and I’m guessing that, like me, you’ll never want to leave!

If you’ll be staying in Littleton for a while, be sure to check out the many Things to Do in Denver, just a short drive from here! Highlands Ranch is another nearby town, so investigate the Best Things to Do in Highlands Ranch as well.

I hope I’ve helped you find some fun things to do in Littleton!