Pearl Street Mall in Boulder
The Downtown Boulder Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1980, encompasses the city’s oldest commercial section. In 1976, the city of Boulder closed part of Pearl Street to all automobile traffic and constructed the open-air, pedestrian Pearl Street Mall. In 1980, the mall won a national award for urban environmental design. Craft breweries, cafes, restaurants, boutique design and clothing stores, as well as outdoor stores and other enticing businesses line the brick pathways in this college town.
Cherry Creek North
Just a few minutes' drive from downtown Denver, Cherry Creek North is comprised of more than 300 shops, spas/salons, home stores, art galleries, restaurants and hotels. Sixteen tree-lined and flower-bedecked blocks set the stage for a veritable Rodeo Drive of independent luxury boutiques. Combined with the adjacent Cherry Creek Shopping Center, home to Colorado's only Neiman Marcus as well as 40 other luxury stores like Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Louis Vuitton, Cherry Creek is the largest and most varied shopping scene between Chicago and San Francisco.
16th Street Mall
Downtown Denver's 1.25-mile pedestrian promenade is often visitors' first stop in the city for shopping, upscale and casual dining, breweries, coffee shops, public art, architecture and — naturally — lots of people watching. In winter, the mall is particularly festive and colorfully lit for the holidays. Free shuttle buses run up and down the strip, making getting around its 250-plus stores a cinch. The mall is also steps from Civic Center Park, the History Colorado Center, the Denver Art Museum and other attractions.
The Village in Estes Park
More than 200 retailers line Elkhorn and Moraine avenues in this mountain town just outside the eastern gates of Rocky Mountain National Park. Most of the independently owned shops and eateries are unique to Estes Park, with Colorado-made gifts, sweet shops, "Rocky Mountain rustic" home decor and sundry boutiques and clothing stores. Many of the buildings along the avenues have been repurposed from Estes' early days —a former Presbyterian church now houses several businesses perfect for window shopping.
Old Colorado City
This area adjoining Colorado Springs was one of Colorado’s earliest settlements. In 1861, it became the Colorado Territory’s first capital — a home to miners, farmers and outfitters in the gold rush days. Today, it retains a bit of Old West atmosphere with historic brick buildings and tree-lined streets. You’ll find Colorado Springs’ biggest cluster of art galleries here, mostly with Southwestern collections. Rare jewelry, kitschy gifts and antiques are among the other goods for sale in these boutiques. The nearby Van Briggle Pottery & Tile art studio draws collectors from all over the world.
Breckenridge
Breckenridge hosts distinguished shops, including fashion boutiques, book stores, souvenir shops and even quilting and craft stores that offer regular classes, all within the town's Victorian National Historic District. Perhaps most notably, shoppers discover that the town of Breckenridge is pet-friendly. Doggie bakeries provide treats and trinkets to show pets how much they are appreciated. For visitors interested in expressing their own unique nature, try one of the hat stores that carry anything from sophisticated to downright silly hats. Pick up a free walking tour of the town's historic areas at the visitor information center right along Main Street.
Telluride
Western elegance is found in antique, jewelry and clothing shops sprinkled all over this mountain town. Telluride is rich in history, and its vintage, Victorian-era charm will have you feeling like you’re walking through a Western romance novel. Its identity as a 19th-century mining town explains why Telluride houses many beautiful, long-lived antiques. You’ll find jewelry, musical instruments, collectibles, prints and mining memorabilia. Antique markets around Telluride also present plenty of vintage finds, such as American Indian and folk art, Western prints and decorative collectibles — all with amazing views of the town's box-canyon walls.
