Discover Lakewood through a range of highlights: historic buildings, art and wide-open spaces. To plan your visit, you can first decide whether you prefer a guided cultural visit, a self-paced tour or time in the landscape. Options range from a 60-minute guided tour to a four-mile art trail; the parks offer different experiences, with trails, views and varied landscapes.
Culture and History in Lakewood
Heritage Lakewood offers two ways to explore local history. A 60-minute guided tour takes you through historic buildings and structures. There is also a self-guided outdoor tour focusing on local history and the buildings of Heritage Lakewood. You can choose between a guided tour with a set time frame and a tour you take at your own pace.
The permanent gallery at Heritage Lakewood highlights significant events throughout the 20th century. The Lakewood Cultural Center offers another cultural experience: it has a 320-seat theater and three rotating visual art galleries. Together with the historic tours, these options offer a choice of local history, theater and changing art exhibitions.
Parks, Trails and Views
William Frederick Hayden Park on Green Mountain encompasses more than 2,400 acres of open space and is Lakewood’s second-largest park. Its shared-use trail network is challenging. From the 6,800-foot summit of Green Mountain Trail, views extend east across the Denver metropolitan area and west to high mountain peaks. The park’s size, trail network and summit views offer different ways to enjoy the outdoors.
Bear Creek Greenbelt Park offers a different landscape: this 379-acre preserve runs along Bear Creek and includes wetlands, fishing ponds and riparian forests. Here, the focus is on the creekside and floodplain landscape, while Green Mountain is defined by its elevation and views in two directions. If you choose natural areas by landscape type, these are two clearly distinct options.
Art Trails and Events
The 40 West ArtLine combines art and movement: it is a four-mile art trail for walking and biking in Lakewood’s 40 West Arts Creative District, near historic West Colfax Avenue and the RTD W Line. 40 West Arts is a state-certified Colorado Creative District along historic West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood.
40 West Arts hosts a First Friday program on the first Friday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m. Dates and program details may vary; if you want to plan your visit around it, check the information for your preferred date.
Camping
If you are considering camping, the campground at Bear Creek Lake Park has 47 electric hookups. Check availability before making this accommodation a fixed part of your plans.
Discover more destinations: Golden, Evergreen, Arvada, Edgewater, Wheat Ridge, Coal Creek.
Return to the main travel overview: Jefferson.
