Westminster is about 15 minutes north of downtown Denver, and people who live here rarely need to drive into the city to find something to do. This is a local guide to what is actually here, sorted by what you are in the mood for.
Where is Westminster, CO?
Westminster sits in the north Denver metro, between Denver and Boulder, bordering Broomfield, Arvada, Thornton and Northglenn. Most of what follows is within about 15 minutes of the city centre, and parking is free almost everywhere, which is not something you can say downtown.
Outdoors
- Standley Lake Regional Park, the big one. Water, trails and open sky on the west side of the city.
- Westminster Hills Open Space, wide open walking with mountain views on a clear day.
- The trail network threading the city, useful whether you are running, riding or just getting out for an hour.
Indoors
- Butterfly Pavilion, warm, indoor and genuinely unusual. Reliable with younger kids and fine on the worst weather day of the year.
- Grid City VR, free-roam VR arenas, sim racing and a self-serve tap wall in one 6,000 square foot venue. More below.
- Downtown Westminster, the walkable centre with restaurants, patios and events through the year.
Eating and drinking
Downtown Westminster carries most of the food. The mix runs from coffee roasters and quick lunches through to sit-down dinners and taprooms, and the area runs its own events, including a two-week dining celebration each summer. It is compact enough to park once and walk.
Something you cannot do anywhere else in the metro
Grid City VR is the only authorized Zero Latency venue in the Denver metro. Free-roam VR means no wires and no standing in one spot: your squad walks a real arena with full-body tracking while the game plays out around you.
- Premium VR, authorized Zero Latency arenas, squads of two to six. From $52 per player.
- VR Adventures, story-driven co-op missions built for groups. From $49 per player.
- Sim racing and Grid Rush, 6-DOF motion racing rigs and 30-minute quick-play VR. From $42 per player.
Kids are welcome across the venue. The Zero Latency arenas are rated 13 and up, everything else is family friendly, and there are 12 self-serve taps plus food from local partners for the adults. Find us at 5700 W 89th Ave with free parking at the door.
A day in Westminster, put together
With kids: Butterfly Pavilion in the morning, lunch in Downtown Westminster, then a VR adventure or Grid Rush in the afternoon.
With a group of adults: a walk at Standley Lake, dinner downtown, then a free-roam mission or a sim racing bracket to settle who is quickest.
On a bad weather day: skip the outdoors entirely. Butterfly Pavilion and Grid City VR are both fully indoors and about 10 minutes apart.
Quick answers
What is there to do in Westminster, CO?
Standley Lake and the open space network outdoors, Butterfly Pavilion and free-roam VR indoors, and Downtown Westminster for food, drinks and events.
Is there anything to do in Westminster on a rainy day?
Yes. Butterfly Pavilion and Grid City VR are both fully indoor, and Downtown Westminster is walkable under cover in stretches.
How far is Westminster from Denver?
About 15 minutes from downtown Denver, and roughly 25 from the Tech Center.
What is there to do in Westminster at night?
Downtown Westminster covers dinner and drinks, and Grid City VR runs late on Friday and Saturday.
See you on the Grid.
