23 Terrific Places to Take Pictures in Denver, Colorado (by a local!) (2023)

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Are you looking for the best places to take pictures in Denver, the Mile High City? You’re in luck. I’m a Denver local and have been scouting out the best Denver Instagram spots since moving here, and boy have I compiled quite the list, including a few hidden gems.

Throughout this post, you’ll learn all about the top Denver photo spots so you can get the perfect picture for the ‘gram. Even though Denver experiences all types of weather throughout the year and its four seasons, each of these spots is excellent no matter the month.

Read on to find the perfect places to take pictures in Denver!

Best Places to Take Pictures in Denver

Union Station

Location: 1701 Wynkoop St, Denver, CO 80202

First up is one of the best places to take pictures in Denver, Union Station. It’s most famously known for being the city’s transportation hub, and it’s located right in LoDo (or Lower Downtown). While this area of the city can be pretty touristy, Union Station provides a touch of elegance that you can’t find anywhere else in the city. In fact, it’s one of the best places to elope in Denver and one of the top spots to elope in the USA!

It’s completely free to go inside Union Station and take photos. Depending on the time of year that you visit, there may even be incredible decorations up. For instance, there are fun lights, igloo seating arrangements, and even a giant Christmas tree set up inside Union Station during the holidays.

If you’re looking for indoor places to take pictures in Denver, put this one at the top of your list!

Lookout Mountain

Location: right outside Golden, Colorado

Located right outside Denver is Lookout Mountain, which overlooks Golden, Colorado. This is one of the most picturesque outdoor places to take a photo in the Denver area. Take a drive up to the top of the mountain, and you’ll be in awe of the view.

If you’re not a big fan of heights, then this is one of the Instagrammable places in Denver that you may want to overlook. The drive up can be a bit nerve-wracking for those who don’t like heights, but at the top, there are many great backdrops for the perfect photo.

Flatirons

Location: Baseline Rd & 9th St, Boulder, CO 80302

For one of the best Instagram spots in Denver that’s well-known, head right to the Flatirons. This is one of the most famous parts of the Rocky Mountains. Though it’s technically located in Boulder, it’s only about a 30-minute drive from LoDo to get there.

You don’t even have to hike up high to get a great backdrop. In fact, take the short thirty-minute walk up to the first viewpoint to be rewarded with an epic view of both Boulder and the Flatirons. The photo opportunities at the Flatirons are endless.

Whether you’re visiting the area for a girl’s weekend in Boulder or for a fun vacation, this is one Instagram spot worth seeing.

City Park

Location: 2001 Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO 80205

City Park is one of the more extensive parks found in Denver and the surrounding area! It’s located in the eastern part of the city and is home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Visit any time of the year for City Park to be one of the good places to take pictures in Denver. There are many areas throughout the park where you can get away from others, so you will only have nature in your backdrop!

Plus, with many lakes and trails throughout, you could easily spend a whole day photographing while at City Park.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Location: 1007 York St, Denver, CO 80206

Believe it or not, but one of the most Instagrammable places in Denver is the Denver Botanic Gardens. This park is fairly large and is filled with tons of different areas throughout the garden. There’s even a lake and a cafe right in the middle of the garden!

It’s reasonably easy to find a place in the park to take a photo despite it being one of the more popular places to visit. Be sure to plan your trip wisely, though and visit in the summer. Don’t make the mistake of visiting in the fall because then many of the plants and flowers may be dead, unfortunately!

To avoid the Denver heat, try to visit earlier in the morning, too.

Dairy Block & Milk Market

Location: 1800 Wazee St, Denver, CO 80202

Are you looking for one of the more unique places to take photos in Denver? Then head to Dairy Block, which isn’t that far from the 16th Street Mall. This small alleyway is filled with fun restaurants, sitting areas, street art, and more. Plus, it still is mainly only frequented by locals!

The Dairy Block can get pretty busy in the evening since it tends to host quite a few events, especially over the holidays, so try to visit in the morning around 10 a.m. Around this time, there’s usually nobody there except for maybe a few people getting coffee inside the market.

For a real treat, stop by in the winter. The entire alleyway gets filled with festive decorations and becomes one of the best photo spots in Colorado.

Pearl Street

Location: Boulder, Colorado

While it’s technically located a short drive outside of Denver, Pearl Street is one of the most photographable places in the area. This walking street is similar to 16th Street in Denver but even more picturesque. You can find colorful walkways, statues, and more throughout the walking street.

Pearl Street is known to get pretty busy throughout the day, no matter the time of year. That’s because of its central location in Boulder. Visit early in the morning before most of the shops along the street open to get some fantastic shots for Instagram.

Tattered Cover Bookstore

Location: 1991 Wazee St Suite 100, Denver, CO 80202

Attention, book lovers! Tattered Cover Bookstore is one of the best places in Denver to take pictures. Get lost in the bookshelf maze for some unique photos for Instagram or other social media. They have a few locations throughout the city, but the best one is their newest location near Coors Field.

This local bookstore is one of the most popular and well-known in the Denver area. Once you’re done taking photos inside, you can also explore more of McGregor Square, another one of the great places to take pictures in Denver.

Rainbow Crosswalk

Location: Broadway, near Buffalo Exchange

One of the best places to take pictures in Denver is the rainbow crosswalk! This hidden gem is located on Broadway, one of Denver’s busiest streets, so it can be hard at times to take photos there. Plan your time wisely and try to get there when not many people will be on the road.

I’ve done a photoshoot on this road before, and it’s best to try to take photos when the crosswalk allows you to cross. For some epic photos, get some movement involved and walk across the crosswalk with a photographer snapping shots on the other end!

Downtown Golden

Location: Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401

Golden is a beautiful small town located right outside of Denver. There are so many fun things to do there, and even if you’re visiting with just one day, you can get some incredible photography! The best place to start with is to go right downtown on Washington Ave.

The downtown area of Golden is filled with historic buildings, mountain views, and of course, the welcome to Golden landmark sign. It’s super easy to get photos of the sign in the background without standing in the road, making it a lot safer to take photos here than on the Rainbow Crosswalk on Broadway.

Emerald Lake Trail

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park

Take a short trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and hike out on the Emerald Lake Trail to witness tons of amazing outdoor backdrops. Along this moderate hike that takes about three hours, you’ll pass by Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake.

As you may imagine, each lake that you pass by gets even better. If you visit during peak season, you’ll have to book a permit to get to the park. However, no permit is needed if you visit in the off-season (which I highly suggest). Just get to the park early to beat the crowds and take in the view from the lakes!

Meow Wolf Denver | Convergence Station

Location: 1338 1st St, Denver, CO 80204

Meow Wolf is the latest addition to amazing places to visit in Denver! It’s quickly also become one of the best Denver Instagram spots. While prices to get inside aren’t cheap (it’s about $60 per person, and tickets have to be purchased well in advance), what you see inside will amaze you.

Throughout this life-size art installation made by local artists, you’ll find some incredible photo opportunities. Each part of Convergence Station that you visit is completely different, allowing for some unique shots. Similar to some other places on this list, it can get super busy, so try to get tickets for as early in the day as possible.

Colorado State Capitol

Location: 200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203

One of the best places for photography in downtown Denver is at the Colorado State Capitol. This building is located right in Cap Hill and is super hard to miss because of its giant gold dome. In fact, it can be seen pretty much everywhere in LoDo, including from 16th Street!

Head up to the front steps of the capitol and find the one that’s labeled as being exactly one mile high. Taking a photo here is basically a rite of passage as a tourist in the city! Plus, it’s a pretty fun photo to have, even though it is a popular spot to take pics in Denver.

Larimer Square

Location: 1430 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80202

Larimer Square is a historic area located right in downtown Denver near 16th Street! It’s impossible to walk by this area without being intrigued, as it’s a pedestrian-only square surrounded by tons of local shops and restaurants. Plus, if you’re stopping by in the evening, you’ll witness the entire square lit up.

The square is one of the most historic areas of Denver that’s still in existence. Even though all of the businesses are newer, the area is seeping with rich architecture and history. Visit in the evening for a great photo opportunity in Denver!

Coors Field

Location: 2001 Blake St, Denver, CO 80205

Even though it’s a baseball field, Coors Field is one of the best Denver Instagram spots! This is the home to the local favorite Colorado Rockies. The view from the stadium is incredible, with the Rocky Mountains in the backdrop, which you can so easily see on a clear day.

There are also tons of fun spots around the park where you can pose for some great photos. Of course, you’ll have to purchase tickets to a game to be able to take pictures there or consider going on one of the stadium tours that they offer throughout the year.

Confluence Park

Location: 2250 15th St, Denver, CO 80202

One of the most underrated Instagrammable places in Denver is Confluence Park. It’s another spot that’s situated right in downtown Denver. It’s only a short walk from both Union Station and the 16th Street Mall. For now, it tends to be primarily a spot visited by locals and those who live in the area!

The park is filled with tons of green space and has the river going right through it. It’s busiest in the evenings and only during summer, so visiting any other time of day and year would provide you with the perfect backdrop for a photo in Denver. Plus, the sunset view from here is pretty breathtaking!

16th Street Mall

Location: 16th Street, Denver, CO 80202

Yes, this mall is one of the best spots to take photos in Denver! Even though it’s a touristy commercial area filled with shops and restaurants (and not all of them local), there’s always fun stuff going on. There are also many events hosted on the mall, and you can often find fun spots set up to use as backdrops in a photo.

Usually, the best spot to take photos tends to be near Denver Pavilions because there’s a whole bunch of little nooks that are pretty well decorated. Go upstairs to get some great views of the area and fun backdrops! It’s also a good idea to take some pictures at night when all the buildings are lit up, especially in winter.

Little Man Ice Cream

Location: 2620 16th St, Denver, CO 80211

Arguably one of the best places to get ice cream in Denver is also one of the city’s top spots to take a picture! This fun ice cream stand doubles as a giant milk jug, which provides a unique background for taking some great photos. Plus, all the red stripes create a fun juxtaposition against the metal of the building.

Because it’s also an ice cream stand, you can grab some ice cream or a milkshake to use as a prop when taking pictures. Feel free to also venture around the rest of the area for some other fun spots to take photos with your ice cream, like the park that’s nearby.

Millennium Bridge

Location: 16th St Mall, Denver, CO 80202

Located right by the 16th Street Mall and Confluence Park is the beautiful Millennium Bridge. Built in the early 2000s, this bridge has incredible views of the surrounding area, including the mountains. Plus, it’s higher up than other Denver Instagram locations, so you’ll be able to have a unique vantage point in your photos.

Right by the Millennium Bridge is also one of the most popular spots to take a pic in the city – the wings sculpture! Head to the side of the bridge closer to Confluence Park to use the wings behind you when you snap a shot during your trip to Denver.

Stanley Marketplace

Location: 2501 Dallas St, Aurora, CO 80010

Though it’s technically located in Aurora, take the quick trip out there to get some amazing photos at Stanley Marketplace! It’s most recently become popular among locals for being home to the Van Gogh Alive exhibit that the city has been hosting, but the interior is extremely unique and is filled with tiny spots away from the crowds where you can take some fantastic photos.

What used to be an old warehouse has since been turned into a place to support local business. You’ll find tons of great affordable Denver restaurants and retail shops throughout the marketplace. But, the warehouse vibes are still present, which makes it such a fun spot to take photos.

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

Location: 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80465

Another place that’s *technically* located right outside of the city but that’s worth visiting for great photos in the Denver area is Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. This concert venue doubles as an outdoor attraction during the day and is filled with hiking trails, viewpoints, and spots for working out.

Spend some time exploring the area to find some hidden gem spots to take amazing photos. You can easily make it seem like you’re out in the wilderness, even though you’re only about 30 minutes from downtown Denver. Visit earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds, and know that you can only enter the park until mid-afternoon on concert days.

RiNo

Location: Neighborhood just north of Five Points and LoDo

River North, or RiNo as the locals call it, is the best spot for street art backdrops! Plus, visiting it is one of the awesome things to do in Denver.

This entire neighborhood is filled with painted walls that will take your breath away. While the most popular place in Denver to take pictures in the RiNo area is right by Denver Central Market, I highly encourage you to venture out and see what other street art you can find.

Even just a short walk and a few blocks away from the Denver Central Market, you can find some incredible backdrops that other people are probably overlooking. Another way to find some limited-time backdrops is to check out the Crush Walls, which change every year!

Wash Park

Location: 701 S Franklin St, Denver, CO 80209

Located in the neighborhood of Washington Park is a park by the same name! This park is one that is mostly only visited by locals, but it’s filled with a lake, garden area, and tons of walking trails. Plus, there’s a boat rental spot where you can get a boat to bring out on the lake.

Consider renting a paddle boat and heading out to the water for some unique photos. Just know that there aren’t many spots to hide from the sun because there’s no shade on the lake, but the fun summery images are well worth it!

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Final Thoughts: Denver Instagram Spots

Hopefully this post helped you find the perfect places to take pictures in Denver, including the surrounding area. Which of these Instagram spots in Denver do you most want to visit?