Longmont

Bond with the entire family at this activity-filled local park. Named after a distinguished, local war veteran, the Stephen Day Park has something for every member of the family. Active sports-lovers can make use of the skate/bike area, basketball court, sand volleyball court, or multi-use playfield. Young children will love the voyager-themed playground with water spray features during the summer. Lastly, for those who would prefer to sit back, eat, and enjoy a good conversation, the park offers two large shelters with picnic tables and grills. Even the family dog can enjoy the park’s off-leash dog exercise area. Whatever the activity, visitors will enjoy the beautiful scenery and gain an appreciation for the loving community that worked to design and care for the park.

1340 Deerwood Drive, Longmont, Colorado 80501, Phone: 303-776-6050

Longmont Museum and Cultural Center is the official historical and cultural museum of the city of Longmont, originally opened to the public as an extension of the St. Vrain Historical Society in 1940. Since 1970, the museum has been incorporated as a division of the City of Longmont, showcasing a wide variety of exhibits and collections related to the history of the St. Vrain Valley. Permanent exhibits include the Longs Peak Room Interactive Gallery, which explores the cultural and social history of the city of Longmont, and Front Range Rising, which showcases artifacts related to Colorado's Front Range region. Up to eight temporary rotating exhibits are highlighted each year, drawing from the museum's collections of more than 17,000 artifacts and 10,000 photographs. Annual special events include a popular Día de los Muertos festival, which highlights traditions from the Mexican holiday.

400 Quail Road, Longmont, CA 80501, Phone: 303-651-8374

Ron Stewart Preserve at Rabbit Mountain protects 2,871 acres at Colorado's Rabbit Mountain, which was formed approximately 65 million years ago along with much of the Rocky Mountain range following the retreat of sea levels in the Colorado region. The preserve has been protected by Boulder County since 1984, encompassing grassland, shrubland, and forest areas within the county's eastern foothills. Diverse ecosystems are home to a wide variety of plant and animal life, including black bears, bobcats, coyotes, elk, and prairie rattlesnakes. Visitors can explore a number of hiking trails throughout the preserve, including the easy 2.2-mile Indian Mesa Trail, the scenic 1.5-mile Little Thompson Trail, and the moderate-difficulty 2.5-mile Eagle Wind Trail.

15140 N 55th St, Longmont, CO 80503, Phone: 303-678-6200

Sunflower Farm is a spacious rural farm and preserve facility in Longmont, officially designated in 2018 as an Educational Demonstration Farm. The farm is the home of the Sprouthouse Preschool program, which has been operating for more than a decade and offers farm-based early childhood education incorporating traditional art and STEM education with nature-focused exploration and free play. A school-age farm program is also offered throughout the year, teaching farming, gardening, and animal care skills to homeschooled students of all ages. Summer camps are offered each year for children ages five through 12, along with an annual Farmfest event which opens the farm to the public on select days between May and December. Visitors can feed farm animals, chip in and help with daily farm operations, or play among the farm's ziplines and giant treehouses. On hot days, water play activities are offered, and on cold evenings, visitors can roast marshmallows over the farm's bonfires.

11150 Prospect Rd, Longmont, CO 80504, Phone: 303-774-8001

Wibby Brewing is a craft microbrewery in Longmont, originally opened to the public in 2015 by Ryan Wibby, a former employee at nationally-recognized craft breweries Ithaca Beer Company and Deschutes Brewery, and his business partner and college friend Ted Risk. The brewery, which is housed within Longmont's historic former Butterball Turkey plant, serves up delicious German-style lagers brewed with American hop variants and Rocky Mountain-sourced water, including its year-round Wibby India Pale Lager, Moondoor Dunkel, Lightshine Radler, and Lightshine Helles Lager. The brewery's family-friendly and dog-friendly taproom is open to the public daily, with food trucks parked on site most days and a wide variety of special events hosted throughout the week, including game nights and live music performances.

209 Emery St, Longmont, CO 80501, Phone: 303-776-4594

The Dougherty Museum is one of Longmont's hidden cultural gems, originally founded in 1977 by Boulder County farmer and antique car enthusiast Ray G. Dougherty. Today, the museum is open to the public on weekends seasonally between June and August, showcasing an impressive collection of more than 40 classic turn-of-the-century steam, electric, and early combustion engine restored antique vehicles. Most cars are in operating condition, including Colorado's first car, the 1909 Mobile Steamer. Other cars on display include a 1909 Packard and a 1915 Stanley Steamer, which are displayed alongside collections of farm and household tools such as horse-drawn buggies and an 1880s-era granary. Repeat visitors to the museum can sign the museum's guest book and return free of charge for the remainder of each operating season.

8306 N 107th St, Longmont, CO 80504, Phone: 303-776-2520

St. Vrain State Park, also known as Barbour Ponds, is a popular family-friendly state park located near Longmont, accessible via Highway 119 and Interstate 25. The park stretches across 604 acres of land area, with an additional 152 acres of water surface scattered throughout several ponds and lakes. It is one of the state's most popular birdwatching destinations, home to the largest blue heron rookery in Colorado and occasional bald eagle sightings. Anglers can fish for bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rainbow trout, and largemouth bass, while watersport enthusiasts can enjoy boating, waterskiing, and jet skiing on the park's various bodies of water. On land, more than 6.5 miles of bicycle trails are offered, along with opportunities for overnight camping at modernized tent and RV campsites. Well-behaved dogs are permitted throughout the park on leashes.

3785 Weld County Road 24.5, Firestone, CO 80504, Phone: 303-485-0186

Union Reservoir Park, formerly known as Calkins Lake, is a 736-acre natural reservoir in Longmont that serves as one of the state's few remaining natural lakes, adapted for use as a reservoir in 1903 as a result of drilling by the Union Ditch Company to release lake water into the nearby St. Vrain Creek. The reservoir, which is located approximately seven miles from Interstate 25, is a popular destination for year-round outdoor recreational activities, including boating, windsurfing, paddleboarding, and kayaking. The reservoir is also home to a seasonal swimming beach and the Union Sailing Club, one of Colorado's largest racing sailing clubs. Anglers can fish for walleye, trout, crappie, catfish, and bass at one of the state's finest fishing spots. Day-use picnic facilities offer tables and grills, while a variety of special events bring triathletes, boaters, and community festival attendees to the park throughout the year.

461 County Road 26, Longmont, CO 80504, Phone: 303-772-1265

300 Suns Brewing is a community-focused craft microbrewery in Longmont, originally opened in 2014 by founders Mark Lushear and Jean and Dan Ditslear. The brewery, which is named in honor of the average number of days of sun that the state of Colorado receives annually, is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays, serving up delicious craft brews, including the company's year-round Rabbit Mountain Red Ale, Sun Worshipper American Brown Ale, Hop and Sol IPA, and 1st Avenue River Pale Ale. Bar snacks are served up at the brewery's taproom, including artisanal paninis, charcuterie plates, and Bavarian hot pretzels, with food trucks frequently parked on site throughout the week. Regular special events include the brewery's Trivia Thursdays, drop-in acoustic jams, Barley-Har-Har comedy nights, and Barre to Bar dance classes.

335 1st Ave, Longmont, CO 80501, Phone: 720-442-8292

St. Vrain Cidery was the vision of owners Cindy and Dean Landi and cidermaster Dan Daugherty, who founded their company in 2015 to spread the love of craft alcoholic ciders to the Longmont community. Since October of 2016, the company has been producing dry American-style ciders in a variety of unique fruit flavors, ranging from traditional apple ciders to unusual variants such as pink guava, key lime, and chokeberry ciders. The cidery's public taproom, which is open Wednesdays through Sundays during the afternoon and evening hours, serves up the company's year-round and seasonal ciders along with a variety of craft ciders from Colorado-area cideries, allowing visitors to try up to 24 taps of the state's best hard ciders at any given time. Pints, flights, and growlers are available for purchase, along with food from various regional food trucks parked on site throughout the week. Public special events include live music performances, game nights, and CiderYoga classes.

350 Terry Street #130, Longmont, CO 80501, Phone: 303-258-6910