DENVER — All of Denver’s water parks, reservoirs and ice cream shops will be jam packed this weekend as people try to beat the heat.
So, Steve On Your Side wanted to find affordable places for you and your family to get cool and have some fun as 100 degree temps hover over the Front Range. We asked Laura Daily, a consumer reporter who runs Mile High On The Cheap for advice.
“Everyone's on a tight budget - everyone is looking for free and cheap things to do,” Daily said.
Visit your library or rec center
Almost all local libraries and rec centers are already open and serving as cooling centers for a place to get out of the heat.
“They're a great place to go and spend the day,” Daily said. “There's so many fun things to do at your local library. They're practically like a community center.”
“Many of the recreation centers have swimming facilities, some of them are indoors. So you can take advantage of those.”
Hang out at your local mall
Many malls have an indoor playground for kids – and you don’t have to spend a dime to use it. Daily recommended the playground inside Colorado Mills or the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
“The kids can run around and have a lot of energy,” Daily said. “Mom and dad can sit on the sidelines kind of kick back.”
See a movie
This one may surprise you if you’ve been to the movies lately and looked at your receipt. But Daily suggested looking for movie theaters during the day when the hot temps are the worst.
“Remember that movie theaters are air conditioned, great place to go,” she said. “And if you go during the day, matinees are discounted, sometimes pretty heavily.”
Get an education in the comfort of air conditioning
“There are a couple places that you may not have thought about - Lookout Mountain Nature Center in Golden is open on weekends. They have an indoor facility so you can go out there.”
The Nature Center is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Daily also recommends the CU Museum of Natural History, which is free seven days a week. The museum does suggest a donation of $3 per adult and $1 for children 6 through 18.
Our personal favorite of her suggestions is the CU School of Mines Museum of Earth Science.
“You can hang out look at all sorts of cool rocks and minerals and gems,” Daily said. “They've got a huge collection there. It's totally free.”
To read more suggestions of things to do this weekend, visit Daily’s website Mile High On The Cheap.
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