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Golden's Destination Snapshot

The Closest Western Mountain Town to Denver International Airport is the Perfect Place for Small Group Meetings

The historic town of Golden, Colorado is close to all the Mile High City’s modern urban amenities, yet light years away in atmosphere. Golden offers a definite mountain town vibe.  

The “Old West” looking main street is surrounded on one side by the tree-covered mountains of Colorado’s Front Range, and on the other side by high Western rocky buttes. There are spectacular views in all directions.  

Clear Creek flows right through the center of town and is lined with parks and walking and biking trails that stretch up into a rocky canyon. While Golden offers the feel of a mountain town, it is also sophisticated with two dozen restaurants and outdoor beer gardens, all in a walkable area.  

There is a full square block arts district with live theatre and an art museum, while across the street is a concert venue attracting national groups. 

For board meetings, gatherings of up to 150 people, retreats, and top executive conferences, Golden offers the best of both worlds – a small mountain town atmosphere filled with natural beauty and close proximity to Denver and the mountain towns.

Easy to Reach

Downtown Golden is 33.5 miles from Denver International Airport via I-70 and State Hwy. 58. Golden can also be reached from downtown Denver via I-70 and Hwy. 6 within 30 minutes, and there is light rail service to Golden from Denver’s Union Station.  There is abundant parking throughout downtown Golden that is free the first two hours and only a small fee for beyond that timeframe.

Hotels & Meeting Facilities in a Walkable Pedestrian-Friendly Town

Downtown Golden is historic, charming and walkable with three hotels located within a short stroll of restaurants and outdoor cafes, beer gardens, an arts district, several live music venues, five museums, and dozens of shops.  

There are a total of 195 rooms in downtown Golden with 28 meeting rooms offering up to 7,500 sq. ft. of space for groups from 10 to 250. A short drive or uber ride away opens up another five hotels with just over 500 rooms and 18 meeting rooms with the largest venue offering 5,125 sq. ft. of meeting space.

mines

Home to Colorado School of Mines

This public research university, situated in the heart of Golden, is devoted to engineering and applied science and the perfect place for meetings and events. The Green Center, located on the Colorado School of Mines Campus, is the largest event facility in Golden with 85,000 square feet of event areas including seven separate meeting spaces. From classrooms to department rooms to meeting spaces in the Arthur Lakes Library, there are a range of options to choose from on the CSM campus.

Mines Meeting Spaces

Lots to See, Do, Eat & Drink in Golden

With Golden as your base, there is much to see or do within a short walk or drive, including:

The Peaks to Plains Trail.  Running through the center of Golden along the banks of Clear Creek, this scenic trail heads up into Clear Creek Canyon for nearly 2 miles with world class rock climbing, kayaking, biking, fly fishing, tubing and more. The beautiful trail  crisscrosses over the river on a series of bridges. It’s the perfect place for a pre-meeting stroll, group e-bike tour, picnic catered lunch, or after-meeting chill down.  

Lookout Mountain.  The four-mile road from downtown Golden to the top of Lookout Mountain is one of the most iconic scenic roads and bike trails in Colorado with 51 turns along the way.  At the summit you can visit Buffalo Bill’s Grave and a fun museum that has exhibits from his exciting life as a frontier scout and showman. You can also meet at the top of Lookout Mountain in the beautiful Boettcher Mansion.

Western History.  Golden was the first capital of the Colorado Territory with a saloon serving as the first capitol building.  It’s still a saloon – the Old Capitol Grille, and you still have a drink there.  The Golden History Park in downtown is an old homestead of log cabins, a barn, and a working blacksmith shop in a scenic location.  The Colorado Railroad Museum has the state’s largest collection of locomotives and rail cars as well as indoor and outdoor model railroads. There are train rides all summer and on special occasions.  The American Mountaineering Museum is the only one of its kind in the U.S., celebrating the mountaineering achievements of the world’s greatest climbers including a gigantic model of Mount Everest and information about all of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks.  Meeting attendees can take an Old Golden history tour with tales of gunfights, ghosts, and gold-panners. 

Brewing Center 

Golden brews more beer than any other town in North America, largely because Coors Brewery is located here and is the largest single-site brewery in the Western Hemisphere.  You can tour Coors, of course, but Golden also has eight craft breweries, all with outdoor beer gardens, mountain views, and often featuring live music. 

Foodie Center

For such a small town, Golden offers a huge choice of restaurants and cuisines.  All cuisines are available in Golden, from Thai and Chinese to Middle Eastern and Cajun.  There are more than two dozen restaurants in the downtown center. Many Golden restaurants offer a variety of private rooms and unique options for groups of all sizes.

Entertainment Center  

World Famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre is only a five to 15 minute ride away and has more than 160 concerts, films and events a year.  The Buffalo Rose has been the center of national music for decades.  The brand new Miners Alley Performing Arts Center offers live performances & musicals, while the equally new Foothills Arts Center has expanded into the historic downtown Astor House Hotel and showcases local Colorado artists as well as art shows.