United States · Colorado · Denver
Auraria, Denver — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Auraria is a former territorial capital and one of Denver's founding settlements, anchored by the Auraria Campus and the Platte Valley attractions.
Hotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Where to stay in Auraria
The practical side of choosing where to sleep.
Auraria itself keeps few hotel rooms, so most visitors base themselves along its edges and walk in. Rooms cluster near the Auraria Campus and around the Platte Valley, where Elitch Gardens Theme Park and the Downtown Aquarium, Denver draw families across the year, and quieter stays sit closer to central Denver within easy reach of its museums. Pick the edge that fits your visit.
Find hotels in Auraria
Direct booking searches for these neighbourhoods.
Platte Valley
Steps from Elitch Gardens Theme Park and the Downtown Aquarium, Denver, so ride queues and shark tanks are a short walk from the front door.Find hotels in Platte Valleyconference guests and parents visiting a student on campusAuraria Campus edge
Beside the shared Auraria Campus and its Auraria Library, a flat walk to lectures, the light-rail platform and the confluence paths.Find hotels in Auraria Campus edgeart travellers who want museums before an evening in AurariaCentral Denver approach
A short hop toward the Denver Art Museum and Clyfford Still Museum, trading nightlife for gallery mornings across the creek.Find hotels in Central Denver approachHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
Things to do in and around Denver
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Molly Brown House Heritage
- Colorado Governor's Mansion Heritage
- Denver Firefighters Museum Heritage
Churches & Religious Sites
7- Central Presbyterian Church Heritage
- St. Paul's English Evangelical Lutheran Church Heritage
- St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church of Denver Heritage
- St. Elizabeth's Church Heritage
- First Baptist Church of Denver Heritage
Show 2 more →
- St. Dominic's Church Heritage
- St. Patrick Mission Church Heritage
Parks & Gardens
1- Elitch Gardens Theme Park
Landmarks & Notable Places
3- Byers-Evans House Heritage
- Adolph Zang Mansion Heritage
- Creswell Mansion Heritage
worth knowingacross 4 categories in and around Denver
About Auraria
What are the main landmarks in Auraria?
The district's draws are unmistakable. Elitch Gardens Theme Park fills its skyline with coasters, and the wooden Twister II and the steel Sidewinder still pull the longest lines, while the Downtown Aquarium, Denver and the Children's Museum of Denver anchor the family end of the Platte Valley beside them. The Auraria Campus, with its Auraria Library, threads a working university through the neighbourhood's older streets.
What is the history of Auraria?
Auraria came first. It began as a mining-camp townsite and briefly served as a former territorial capital before its rival across the water absorbed it into Denver. The old settlement never vanished entirely; its churches and a cluster of nineteenth-century houses survived clearance, and the Auraria Campus later rose over the emptied blocks while keeping St. Elizabeth's Church and a handful of restored buildings in place.
That layering is why the district reads as both new and very old.
Where is Auraria?
Auraria sits on the low ground of Denver's Platte Valley, a compact wedge of former townsite that the Auraria Campus and the Elitch Gardens Theme Park now share. It is flat and walkable.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Auraria?
Platte Valley: families splitting a day between roller coasters and the aquarium. Auraria Campus edge: conference guests and parents visiting a student on campus. Central Denver approach: art travellers who want museums before an evening in Auraria.
Good for
More areas in Denver
Updated September 2026