Denver Botanic Gardens – Chatfield

Decided to come here to celebrate my 1 year anniversary with my girlfriend. We had the night planned in downtown Denver, but needed something during the day. Looked online and found that there was a corn maze. I had only done one once before, but during the night for a Halloween thing. This was was during the day, but also used at night for Halloween as well. I really loved the huge open space that the corn maze was created on. As you walk into the zone, the surrounding areas are very pleasant looking and create a beautiful atmosphere. This was great because we had gone on an autumn day in October and the weather was beautiful! I didn’t know that there was Botanic Gardens here as well, since you could purchase them, but we only had time for the corn maze.
The corn maze itself was pretty good. Had us lost a few times, but we made it through in a good amount of time. There were basically three parts to the entire maze, and each one had a certain difficulty. We did the easiest first of course, then decided to to the others, since we had time. After we finished, there were food trucks nearby. Love the convenience of that so we decided to eat some food and replenish ourselves after getting lost in the maze lol. We also did a small carriage ride after, which helped end the wonderful day we had as the night came. There were also a lot of other activities to do, mostly kid-​friendly. Nice little place to spend the day with a family or your significant other :)

This a great little stop off for a stroll in the summer. However; I love it most for their winter wonderland that they do with their Christmas lights and display. They have a sleigh ride and cocoa for purchase. It’s truly a magical experience!

Incredibly lame! The scariest part of this experience… the parking lot and the huge line to get tickets. The Reapers Ranch leaves you wanting and hoping for someone to scare you. It only lasts about 5 minutes if you walk slowly. Maybe all the staff called in sick… very few people trying to deliver the scares. Blackout maze=stupid. The haunted corn maze had a huge line that seemed frozen in time so we eventually gave up. We called it a night and got a funnel cake. We have kids ages 10 – 16 who wanted a fun scare and we were all disappointed. Complete waste of money. Unilocal… please add a zero star option, although in all fairness the funnel cake was good.

Oct 24^th: Dead zone is not scary! It was in 2014 not at all in 2015! The maze is very short. The corn didn’t grow up dense so you can easily see people in the maze ahead of you getting scared… You also can see the characters hiding. Many times people in front of you are wandering around because there isn’t a clear path of which way to go. We paid for a fast pass for $ 35 but it wasn’t even worth $ 25 for a regular pass. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT!

The hubs and I are new members of the Botanic Gardens. We had quite frankly never heard of Trail of Lights. Thankfully we chose a gorgeous and more importantly warm night to check this out. I cannot imagine how cold it must get as it is out in the open.
It was a nice walk with lit trees and laser lights on the pathways. Not knowing what it looks like during the day, we thought it was lovely at night.
We thought it was a nice evening and are glad we took advantage of the complimentary tickets with our membership. I don’t know that I would pay full price if I didn’t have the membership.

Went to a pumpkin patch with my 4 year old and the rest of his pre school and while at the chicken and duck pen there was a young man in a riding lawn mower with the law care crew. The man was just zipping around us blowing leaves and grass all around the kids with the big mower. He actually stopped and waited for us to move for him while he continued to mow around us. Very unprofessional. They will need to get rid of that guy before I return to this place or recommend anyone else here!

This place is beautiful. Bring good walking shoes because it is a lot bigger than it looks and there is a lot to see. There was so much plant life from all over the world and you need to circle the whole park at least twice to take everything in. There were tons of honey bees and butterflies floating around which was great to see. I had to leave one star off because on a busy day parking is bad and you will probably have to park in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Came here for a Barenaked Ladies concert. Tickets were around $ 60 for GA where you sit on a hilly grass area or bring a short folding chair (not to exceed 26″) they measure it before you go in. You can bring food and sealed non-​alcoholic beverages.
I like Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield better than the Denver location because it’s more open with birds and wildflowers. They only charge $ 5 per vehicle instead of $ 15 per person at the Denver location. No pets allowed.
Concert tip: park on the side street before entering the main lot because it took us about 50 minutes idling in the car to get out after the concert.

Bring a blanket or a chair that is no more than 26″ high. Pack water, drinks, snacks & be ready to enjoy a great Colorado evening sunset! This is a beautiful concert venue. They were very well organized from parking all the way through the experience. I would definitely recommend it!

If you’re looking for a little holiday cheer, or just something to get you out of the house — you should definitely stop by Denver Botanic Gardens both Chatfield and Denver. The Trail of Lights at Chatfield is beautiful and the Blossoms of Light in Denver is always a classic!
As soon as you walk into the Chatfield location you are greeted by a beautiful canopy of lights and a cozy fire pit to get you nice and toasty. As you continue along the Trail of Lights, there are a ton of interesting and artistic displays as well as traditional décor to keep you entertained. Halfway around the trail is a warming house so you can stop in and warm your hands again. I recommend picking up hot chocolate near the fire pit to help along the way.
My favorite part was by far the kids’ play area and I don’t even have kids! The trees wrapped in green and white mixed with all of the other décor made me feel like I was in a Dr. Seuss story. There is also a giant Cottonwood tree that is stunning. Every branch is wrapped in a different color and it takes a minute to really get your eyes to understand what is going on.
For a finale, you pass a row of trees draped in silver and gold lights that look so rich and decadent, like they are already ringing in the new year.
There are tractors pulling hay rides full of families and music playing throughout the park. The Denver location is beautiful as well but this park is a little bigger and it is really stunning to see such an expanse of lights on a cold dark night. I can’t wait to go back!

So, we went with a groupon to the «Trail of Lights.»
This groupon included ice skating. Which is really what roped me into purchasing because what a deal– the lights, hot chocolate, and ice skating. Romantic and affordable. NOT. The ice rink was a freaking piece of either wood or plastic that was LITERALLY 15×15 feet wide. There were three children and a mom on it and they could hardly move around 1. because of the space and 2. because it wasn’t ice. Also, another huge disappointment was the carriage rides, or «hayride» as they like to call it. It was not a hay ride. There was no hay. And, we planned on going on the hayride, but every single ride was full and then they told us not to wait any longer because they weren’t taking any more rides. Bummed again.
This next part is just my opinion because though I see several people were impressed with the light show, I am from the midwest, and ya’ll just do not know how to properly do holiday festivities. I was as equally disappointed in fall hayrides/​pumpkin patches as I was this huge light show. It was just so small and tiny and expensive. Nothing really memorable about the whole thing, which is the entire point of these things-​to make memories with loved ones.
On a positive note I will say the staff were friendly and nice, the line for tickets moved very fast, and the hot chocolate was great. But, it wasn’t a large event. I would comfortably pay maybe $ 5.

Trail of Lights 2012:
We went last night along with another family. The lights are very pretty of course and they are also spread out over the entire circuit from the entrance to the kids tree house and extending along the walkway to the barn area. I liked that it was spread out because you stretch your legs and get a little walk in versus standing in a crowd.
Go on a warm night — wind was icy bitterly cold last eve. There is a warming hut (the yurt) and they provide a fun kid craft while you are warming up.
SKIP the ICE RINK!!! It’s not ice. It’s a board of plastic or wood and therefore not at all worth the $ 5 fee. It’s tiny.
We bought the glasses but they were go-​hum.
You can buy 3.50 hot chocolate, candied nuts, rice crispie treats… kids loved the marshmallows, whipped cream and sprinkles.
Overall, it was fun and pretty.

It was pretty just not Magical. I think it is just too spread out but it is the location. Tons of lights in the trees. Loved the candy cane around the silo. Some of the trees were just dripping in lights.
Heard it took almost a month to set it all up and you could tell. What a lot of work went into the Lights At Chatfield.
It is 10.00 now but will go up mid November to 12.50 at least for adults. Hot chocolate and hot cider costs 3.50. Kinda expensive but nice to have on a chilly night as you stroll through the gardens. There is a small ice rink but it didn’t sound so good as a few skaters tried to skate but they seemed to be having fun. There are 3D glasses for another 1.50. Did not purchase but it would have been nice to have brought some from home.
Best view is from the main street. It is fun especially if it’s not too cold outside. If you get cold the warming hut is nice and toasty. Nice way to get the holidays started.

I spent my childhood going to the corn maze put on by the Botanic Gardens and I have to say that those are good memories best kept in the past. The corn maze is absolutely amazing, for children. As an adult I found it easy and overpriced. It is still a fun afternoon and the money certainly goes to a good cause.
I highly recommend it for any family with kids, because you will definitely have an amazing time. If you’re a kidless adult, wait for the haunted maze in the evenings or go to more challenging mazes outside of the city.

Yay!
Corn Maze!
An easy maze but it is still a fun afternoon.

Met friends for the Trail of Lights for the 2^nd year in a row and must say I was happy we had a Groupon for it as it can get pricey. Again we seemed to have picked a bitterly cold night to go but this time dressed in extreme layers and grabbed hot apple cider– sold for $ 3 a cup– to help keep us warm.
What I liked most was it was an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the beautifully displayed lights and catch up with friends. We strolled and chatted and took time to relax — in the albeit freezing cold.

I think if you received an invitation to a wedding at anywhere named «Botanic Gardens,» you probably go into it with a certain amount of expectations. That, well, there might be botany there. Blooming, perhaps. On the Botanic Gardens website they have this page that tells you what’s blooming every month of the year, and where you can find it at one of the Garden’s locations. If you go to any Fall month, none of those «blooming» things can be found at the Chatfield location.
I will be the first to admit that having a wedding outside in extremely late October (between 6-​inch snows) is not the brightest idea, but there are some years when the leaves and trees would still be quite lovely at that time of year. At Chatfield in late October, the only thing that’s blooming is the corn maize, hay bail rides on tractors, and teenagers yelling at people through bullhorns. The wedding location is an outside gazebo, within audible and visual proximity of both a playground full of screaming children and the corn maize and food concessions. The gazebo area is not closed to other visitors. What if it’s freezing the day of your wedding, you ask? Too bad. The wedding I did was 50 degrees with no direct sunlight and winds at 20 miles an hour, and no alternative was offered. It was also probably not offered because I never saw a single employee that wasn’t manning a bullhorn or driving a tractor. I even went to the «Visitor’s Center» (keep in mind it’s afternoon on a Saturday) and it was dark and locked up.
On the plus side, there are a lot of signs about how to find your way around, including wedding and general parking, site information (to a degree), etc. Rental cost of the gazebo and 100 chairs, as well as the «Barn» including chairs and tables for reception, is $ 2800 for a Saturday night, which isn’t terrible but isn’t cheap either.
My biggest complaint is that I never saw a single exhibit of plant life. I saw lots of trees full of dead leaves but nothing you would expect at a botanic garden. By the gazebo there were some mums that had their blooms chopped off, and 2 whiskey barrels filled with the saddest, most wilted pansies I’ve ever seen. Oh, and kale. Nothing says «best of luck on your life together!» like a tough, bitter, green.

Want a lower-​key, kid-​friendly concert experience, to which you can pack your own picnic and at which you can get some cool green grass between your toes? Chatfield, my friend, Chatfield.
Saw my first show – Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones – at this lowland venue this weekend with the moms who was in town. As outdoor venue and hippie show aficionados, we highly approved. The atmosphere was completely chill and beautiful, and some cloud cover blessed the evening with a perfect cool-​down and a lovely sunset over the hogback. The crowd was very manageable, the grass was soft and lush, the staff was chill, the johns were clean and the sound was heel-​kickin’; we couldn’t have asked for a better night.
Since we knew no alcohol was allowed in the venue, we pre-​gamed with some gin in the dry grassy parking lot, but since everyone else seemed to want to stake their claim on the lawn ASAP, we were pretty much alone in that activity. We weren’t too worried about where we laid our blanket, and it turned out we didn’t need to be because the spot we struck was perfect, in back on the hill looking over the sound tent.
Despite our cocktail hour, we still had time to take a stroll around the surrounding gardens, which included a peek at the chicken coop and gardens. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised at the setup, with a creek bed, well-​paved walking paths, and a free cell phone audio tour. I guess you call the phone number on each sign and get a rundown of the local plant life? I can’t wait to return to look and learn about the indigenous terrain that Chatfield features.
As mentioned, Denver Botanic Gardens claims that Jeffco doesn’t want them allowing alcohol or glass beyond the front gates, yet they served mini bottles of Berringer at this show AND they don’t necessarily sample your pineapple to check it for tequila or rum. I also eyed a few patrons conspicuously sipping a flask or two, so it can be done. Even though, er, you shouldn’t.
The only drawback was the price of the tickets and booze. Though we were happy to spend a bit more than $ 50 to see these musical geniuses, I don’t think I would swing that for just anyone, despite the beauty of the venue.

I don’t really understand this place. It seems to just be an old farm area out by Chatfield. I went there to check out the Trail of Lights they do for the holidays because I bought a Groupon for it, but I don’t think I’ll be going back again. First off, I picked the worst night ever to do it, it was absolutely freezing cold out there. They had a warming area, and a couple of the old farm buildings that you could go into, but the cold made it kind of miserable. It’s not really a «botanic garden» though, so don’t go there expecting something similar to the York Street location, or else you’ll be very disappointed.
They need a proper visitor’s center building I think, and that might help out. Maybe this place is better in the fall when they do the corn maze and stuff, but I’ll have to wait a while till I think about giving it another shot.

What’s the best part of Fall ??— Leaves changing, Fall fashion, Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes.
Yes, Corn Mazes. I grew up on the East Coast where Fall is a celebration.
The entire Month of October was magical; my Son and I would go from farm to farm in search of the perfect pumpkin, the perfect hay ride, the best apple cider, and the best corn maze
. Ah… Good times, good times.
Quite by accident, I stumbled upon the only corn maze in the Denver Metro area… I mention this to the BF, and quite to my surprise, he’s never been to a corn maze. In fact, he never even heard of one. Well, we can’t have that– a Corn Maze is something everyone should experience, and I convince him that we should check it out.
Good sport that he is, we trek over to Chatfield, pay our $ 10 per person entrance fee, he eats a hot dog and lemonade to get into the mood, and off we go into the… corn field???
The aerial shot of the maze looked SO cool — Planet Earth with the words Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield 2008 spelled out. I’m so excited, I can’t contain myself — memories of past mazes flood my thoughts. The ones with clues, where you needed to solve the riddle before getting a clue as where to go next. The ones that had so many passages, it took hours to figure out how to escape.
Ok, we’re not in Jersey or Pennsy anymore… this is Denver, with Denver soil, not very conducive for growing corn, so the outcome was pretty pathetic.
Even a shrimp like me was able to see over the stalks, and since this wasn’t a real farm, the stalks were thin, and not dense enough. To make matters worse, obnoxious people (or obnoxious weather) caused many of the stalks to break, ended up in the path instead of standing tall. So, here we are trying like hell not to look at the Mountains which totally gave away any mystery as to where we were in relation to the exit.
I don’t want to be too hard on the Botanic Gardens… I’m sure they did their best, and I give them tons of credit for trying.
It is great for little kids, take them, but if you’re an adult, and you have the time and money… go to the North East, and experience a real corn maze. It’s something everyone should do while they can–
Over the year, I’ll even compose a list of the best Tri –State area (NY/​NJ/​PA) farms to visit; so start planning that Fall East Coast trip. It won’t disappoint.