Aurora: Nature, Culture and Recreation by the Water

Options include a conservation area with an educational mission, a permanent exhibit, a self-guided tour, and a theater. You can tailor the focus of your stay to the places and activities that interest you.

Nature Trails and Conservation Area

The Plains Conservation Center is a nature preserve and educational center. Reconstructions of a settler village and a tipi camp illustrate the lives of pioneers and Indigenous people of the prairie in the late 19th century. The center covers 1,182.5 acres and has nature trails. The size of the area and the history it presents give your visit a different focus than a brief look at a single exhibit.

The Richard Gary Black Jr. Nature Exploration Area at the Morrison Nature Center also offers a distinct connection with nature. It is open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset; check the latest information before your visit. The listed amenities vary at other nature destinations: Quincy Reservoir and Star K Ranch have nature trails, while Star K Ranch also has a nature center. The Aurora Reservoir Trail, meanwhile, is 8 miles long. These specific details can help you factor nature trails, a nature center, and a stated trail length into your plans as distinct considerations.

Aurora Reservoir: Fishing, Swimming, and a Trail

Fishing is available at Aurora Reservoir, and swimming is also possible, subject to seasonal operating conditions. The Aurora Reservoir Trail is 8 miles long. This puts different activities and a specific trail distance side by side in the same area. If swimming is important to your plans, keep the seasonal condition in mind. If you are more interested in trails, you can consider the stated length without equating it with a walking time.

History at Exhibits and a Farm

Growing Home features a permanent exhibit on Aurora’s history. It includes the fully restored historic Trolley Trailer No. 610, dating from 1913. This historic vehicle connects the exhibit with a specific object and a year; those particularly interested in the city’s history will find a different way to engage here than on the nature trails or at the reservoir.

DeLaney Farm includes the round barn, the Gully House, and farmland associated with the DeLaney family. The family lived there on the prairie before Aurora was founded. The farm therefore offers a glimpse of a time before the city’s founding. The named buildings and land are part of the farm property; the recorded family connection is to the DeLaneys.

Culture, Art, and a Collective of Local Businesses

The Aurora Fox Arts Center is a historic landmark and performing arts venue with 245 seats, as well as an adjoining black box theater. This gives you a specific cultural venue to consider, with its main auditorium and adjacent theater space offering different performance settings.

Explore the Colfax Canvas Murals on a self-guided audio tour in Aurora’s cultural district. The mural program may change. Stanley Marketplace is a collective of more than 50 locally owned businesses; its lineup may change over time. These offer additional ways to experience Aurora beyond exhibits, theater, and nature. If you are planning your stay around a particular theme, you can include these different places in your selection accordingly.

Two Golf Courses with Different Classifications

Golf enthusiasts will also find two distinct course profiles in the information about Aurora: Saddle Rock Golf Course is an 18-hole championship golf course, while Springhill Golf Course is an 18-hole executive course. Both have the same number of holes, but differ in their stated classification.

Discover more destinations: Castlewood, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Littleton, Cherry Hills Village, Sheridan, Englewood

For the broader travel overview: Arapahoe.