The free, 45-minute tours are led by knowledgeable guides and provide a fascinating look into the history of coinage. Both kids and adults will love getting up close and personal with the shiny pocket change that streams off the production lines. To see where your currency is conceived (sorry, no free handouts), follow the money trail to the Denver U.S.

Tattered Cover's newest location is at Denver Union Station. Grab a latte from the in-house java joint, plop down in one of the overstuffed chairs or sofas to wrap your hands around the latest bestseller, or attend a free book signing or author lecture from big names like John Gray, Al Gore, Annie Leibovitz and Garrison Keillor.

This astounding literary marvel boasts several metro Denver locations, but the store in the renovated Lowenstein Theater on a burgeoning stretch of East Colfax is the talk of the town. No visit to Denver would be complete without a journey through the Tattered Cover Book Store, one of the top independent booksellers in the country. The Corinthian-styled building, famed for its gold-plated dome rising 272 feet above the ground, offers temporary exhibits, visitor galleries and complimentary tours, Monday through Friday. To see if you've got what it takes to adjust to the altitude, climb the 99-step spiral staircase to an open-air deck affording jaw-dropping views of the city skyline and Rocky Mountains. The Colorado State Capitol, modeled after the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., is a stunning spectacle embellished with stained glass depicting events and people inherent to Colorado, coupled with gorgeous Colorado white granite, rose onyx and yule marble. Shuttle tours begin at the Osage Street Light Rail Station. The Golden Triangle art galleries are bordered by Speer Boulevard, Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street. First Friday Art Walk, a shuttled gallery tour that takes place the first Friday of each month, is a terrific way to tour art marts like Walker Fine Art.

Denver's Golden Triangle Creative District neighborhood brims with more than 30 art galleries and artists' studios showcasing the innovative wares of nationally renowned talent and regional up-and-comers.

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