Autumn… The warm color changes in leaves make for a cozy backdrop to one of the best seasons to “fall” in love. It’s warm enough to be outside together, but cool enough to snuggle up at night and fall has some of the cutest activities for couples. With so many outdoor as well as indoor options, and romantic retreats, Denver is a terrific place for a cozy fall date.
9 Cozy Fall Date Ideas in the Denver Area
Haunted Houses
This time of year, as we approach Halloween, there are many haunted houses and other scary experiences in and around Denver. Want to do something way different than your standard drinks or dinner? Turn your average date into a heart-pounding experience. Step outside of your comfort zone and prepare to get an adrenaline rush that you both won’t forget anytime soon. It also provides the perfect excuse to get very, very close.
PRO Tip: This kind of date is ideal for a group date too. You can break off into pairs once you’re in the haunted house, or walk through as a group.
Pumpkin Pickin’ & Carvin’
You can’t have fall without pumpkin patches and our team put together a list of the best local pumpkin patches, where not only can you pick pumpkins right off the vine, but most places have cool things like hayrides, corn mazes, petting farms, and even private campfire sites.
Once you have picked out your favorite pumpkins, make a second date of carving them together.
PRO Ideas for Pumpkin Carving:
- Choose pumpkin carving templates online and turn it into a competition
- Carve each other into pumpkin faces
- Find a famous couple and turn them into pumpkins
Woodhouse Day Spa
The Woodhouse Day Spa in Denver focuses on generating unwinding, reviving, restoring, and unforgettable experiences. It is housed in a Victorian beauty constructed in 1886. A complimentary mimosa, wine, cocktail, or white tea is served to start things off.
This is the spot for you if your idea of romance involves reviving one another.
PRO Tip: There is a Couples Retreat experience at the spa which includes a Body Balance massage for two people that attempts to promote harmony and connection. Perfect for a romantic fall date! The duration of the Couples Retreat is 50, 80, or 110 minutes.
Denver Botanic Gardens
A 24-acre haven, the Denver Botanic Gardens on York Street are only a short distance from the city center. Denver Botanic Gardens includes three gardens collectively referred to as the Romantic Gardens, making them especially enticing to couples.
There are plenty of benches to sit and take in the abundance of color and scents and any portion of the gardens would be a wonderful place for a romantic hand-in-hand stroll. Lavender, lilies, narcissus, oregano, roses, and clematis are just a few of the flowers and plants that contribute to the uniqueness of these gardens.
PRO Tips:
- The gift shop is also a gem and could be just the place to find an unexpected treasure for someone you love.
- There are regular exhibitions featured which could make for an interesting part of your date once there.
The Beer Spa
Visit one of Colorado’s most unique spas, The Beer Spa, for an unusual date night in Denver. Grab a beer from the open bar to help you relax your minds as well as your bodies while you bathe in one of the private saunas or hot tubs. What could be better than a spa visit… adding a local artisan beer to the mix! You not only get to drink a craft beer, but you do so while soaking in a warm, bubbly beer bath. Now that’s different!
The following health advantages of the Beer Therapy Circuit will also appeal to people who don’t drink beer:
- Induce relaxation as a natural sedative
- Smooth out fine lines and wrinkles
- Coat hair with a healthy, natural shine
- Wash away skin toxins and bacteria
- Reduce skin redness & inflammation
- Alleviate muscle tension and joint pressure
- Increase circulation and blood flow
- Stimulate metabolic rate and digestion
PRO Tips:
- They have a romantic Date Night Package you should check out.
Unique Bars
We couldn’t make a Date Night List without including the bread-and-butter of date nights – The Bar. Denver has so many unique bars to choose from. So much so, that we should create a list of the best ones for you [added to To-Do list]. In the meantime, here are a few of our current favorites to get you started:
54Thirty Rooftop
On the 20th-floor roof of Le Méridien hotel in Downtown Denver, this open-air lounge offers amazing panorama views & fire pits to keep cozy. Considered one of Denver’s most romantic locations, it is 20 stories above the city.
At Nighttime the rooftop is lit up beautifully. These lights give the area a really special appearance that is ideal for spending romantic time with your date.
PRO Tips:
- Come half an hour before sunset so you can eat and sip on cocktails while taking in the sunset. You can then cuddle up with your date by the outside fire once the sun sets.
- No need for reservations, just turn up and its a first come first serve basis.
- Valet parking is available at 1475 California Street and is $21 for up to 4 hours. There is also 24/7 self-parking available at 1401 Welton Street. Prices may vary as this is a non-affiliated lot.
Boys and Girls Club (B&GC)
This speakeasy is exquisite. Located in an alleyway behind The Halcyon Hotel in Cherry Creek, you arrive at a door, which if you wouldn’t know, would seem like a back entry door to the building, with only a unique gold door bell to make it stand out.
Once greeted at the door, you are taken below ground into the basement, behind the generators, through another door and all of a sudden into an elegant bar that takes you back to the time of the Prohibition.
PRO Tips:
- Let the bar staff recommend and make you one of their special concoctions, just tell them the kind of drink you like and they will take it from there. They typically come with a story and background of the drink in question too.
- To get yourself a seat, text the secret reservation line at: 720-925-8598
Five Nines
The Clayton Members Club & Hotel in Cherry Creek is home to Five Nines, a craft cocktail bar that offers a menu of beverages chosen to be both intricate and elegant.
Five Nines is a contemporary entry into the world of cocktails with rich colors and smart design. Inspiring a sexy, secretive and sophisticated atmosphere, the lounge also offers an intimate stage for live performances.
PRO Tips:
- An excellent place for a lengthy date, open until midnight on weekdays and until 1am on the weekends.
- Please note Five Nines is open from Wednesdays until Sundays.
- Rated in Yelp as the best bar in Denver.
Picnic in the Park
While the nights can get cold around this time of year, the days are often still warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you bundle up. Denver offers so many amazing parks and this time of year with the leaves changing color, the scenery is spectacular.
PRO Tips:
- Get a picnic basket for two if you don’t already have one and go together to the local supermarket for meat, cheese and wine to create your favorite Charcuterie board together.
- For bonus points go to a specialist Charcuterie shop. Couple of our favorites include The Truffle Cheese Shop in North Cherry Creek and Culture Meat & Cheese inside Denver Central Market.
Once you have your basket full and ready, head over to one of your favorite Denver parks and watch the sunset and your picnic together. Here are a couple of our favorite parks in Denver for you to consider:
Washington Park
Known as “Wash Park”, a 155-acre expanse of gorgeous two gardens, one of which known for the largest flower garden in Denver with over 15,000 flowers; lakes and green lawns, is seen as the most beautiful spot in the city to watch a sunset. Smith Lake, at the park’s northern end, draws a multitude of couples each evening as the sun sinks behind the mountains.
There are two loops that go around Washington Park for people to access. The outer loop is a gravel travel made more for walking and running. It’s 2.6 miles. The inner loop is paved and perfect for biking and walking.
City Park
The most well-known park in the city, City Park, is a 320-acre oasis with plenty of greenery, pathways, and a lake.
City Park is great for picnics. There are several spots with amazing views of Denver and long picturesque walkways with breathtaking fall scenery.
PRO Tip: You can also indulge in one of City Park’s other activities, such as kayaking or being captain of a paddle boat on Ferril Lake, available in October subject to weather conditions
Bike Ride in Cherry Creek Trail
A bike ride with your date is a nice idea this time of year depending on the weather. The Cherry Creek Trail is one of the many lovely trails in Denver that showcase the city’s attractions and introduce you to the various suburbs. It is a 24.6-mile out-and-back trail starting in the heart of Denver and going all the way to Parker.
You can ride this trail as part of the 42-mile Northeast Denver Loop Trail or the Southeast Denver Loop Trail, or you can enjoy it on its own.
It is a cement trail for smooth riding and provides numerous exits to allow access to the city and the many surrounding parks.
PRO Tips:
- If you don’t own a bike, don’t worry; there are several rental shops close to the trail.
- AllTrails is a great site and app which gives you further information about the trail and many other trails in and around Denver, as well as reviews and other cool features.
- The Cherry Creek trail is also great for walking and has many points that you can go off the beaten track, down closer to the creek itself. Some of these spots are hidden secluded gems.
Mayan Theatre
On a wet fall day, seeing a movie together is a fantastic and cozy date idea. The Mayan Theatre makes for a special atmosphere that adds to the experience. It’s been around since the 1930s, The Mayan Theatre, which screens some of the best independent and foreign films in Denver, is situated in the Baker District in the city’s center, next to a plethora of art galleries, restaurants, and vintage apparel shops. It is one of only three Art Deco Mayan Revival cinemas left in the nation and has been extensively restored and transformed into a three-screen palace, boasting one big auditorium on the main level and two intimate theaters upstairs with stadium seating. There is also an upstairs cafe and seating area.
PRO Tips:
- To book a movie: https://www.landmarktheatres.com/now-playing
- Free parking is available in the lot at 120 Lincoln Street. Parking is also available immediately behind the theater after 5 PM daily and all day Saturday and Sunday.
- On Tuesdays tickets are discounted, except for Holidays and Special Events. Other exclusions may apply.