It’s hard to miss the giant roller coasters, Ferris wheel and other major rides at this amusement park smack dab in the middle of downtown Denver. Fearless school-age kids and their teenage siblings will love the thrill rides, like the Mind Eraser coaster and the Tower of Doom. Find tamer rides for younger children at Star Toons Studio, or ride the 75-year-old carousel. Island Kingdom Water Park is included with your admission and similarly offers attractions for various ages: free fall in a high-speed “cliff dive,” frolic in a giant treehouse or relax in a tube on the lazy river. Elitch Gardens is open on the weekends from between the end-April and the end-May, then daily through mid-August, and again on weekends through the end of October. The water park is open mid-May through Labor Day.