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The Best Clubs in Denver, Colorado, Worth Checking Out

The nightclubs of Denver don’t disappoint
The nightclubs of Denver don’t disappoint | © Alfonso Scarpa / Unsplash.com

Denver, Colorado, knows how to party. So whether you’re looking for a night of dancing, live music and DJs, innovative cocktails or a lively place to meet new people, the nightclubs of Denver won’t disappoint. From trendy to country to quirky, here are the best clubs in town.

Milk

Music Venue

Milk
© Coclubs

Tucked in a basement below Bar Standard (a great place to start the night, in fact) with an alleyway entrance, Milk is really two clubs in one. The first is Milk Bar, with unusual decor inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971). Nontraditional, yes, but it fits; Milk is known for quirky goth nights, drum and bass and jungle music, as well as the more playful ’80s nights – although you can find just about every kind of music here (except country). The other side of Milk is the old-fashioned Jazz Room, which has cozy, private nooks for when you’re tired from the dance floor. Dress to impress, as there’s a dress code to enter.

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

Restaurant, American, Fast Food, Soup, Street Food

Ophelias Electric Soapbox
© Ophelia's Electric Soapbox
For an only-in-Denver experience, head to the quirky Ophelia’s, where you can hear live music and dance in a full-service restaurant with great, globally inspired, vegetable-forward food. Ophelia’s calls itself a gastro-brothel, which plays out with sexy, boudoir-esque decorations. This decor has historical significance, too; it was a brothel turned peep-show house more than a century ago, and at one point an adult arcade. The multi-level venue is spacious, with the stage on the bottom floor, so you can look out at the DJ from your table, if you score the right seats. From the food (green chili cornbread, chicken and waffles) to the vibe, there’s nowhere else like Ophelia’s.

Beta Event Center

Concert Hall

sam-van-bussel-RpbhPzhxSlI-unsplash
© Sam van Bussel / Unsplash.com

For more than a decade, the Beta nightclub ruled the local live DJ and dance scene, known for high-quality productions and big-name DJs. It shifted owners in 2020, and the new Beta Event Center is a multi-genre nightclub open until 2am, Thursdays through Sundays. This music hall is where to go if you want to experience well-known DJs spinning techno, dubstep and electronic dance music. Here, EDM is king. Oh, and if you work up an appetite from all that dancing, there’s an on-site pizza restaurant.

The Grizzly Rose

Concert Hall

The Grizzly Rose
© The Grizzly Rose

If you’re craving a honky-tonk, the Griz is the place to hear live country music and stomp some boots. The dance hall attracts big-name performers, as well as local musicians (often as often as six days a week), and has plenty of space to line dance, swing dance or two-step the night away. You can also order tasty barbecue to eat and test your cowboy skills on an electric bull. Not sure how to line dance? Many nights begin with free or cheap lessons. Most events are 18 or 21 and up, but you can find family nights too (usually Sundays).

Tracks Denver

Concert Hall

Tracks Denver
© Tracks Denver

Tracks is the most established LGBTQ nightclub in Denver. It’s earned a national reputation, too, with live drag shows featuring celebrity drag queens, popular Pride week parties and plenty of dancing. Since it opened in 1980, it has grown to offer multiple dance floors, rotating theme nights, high-quality sound and light shows, live performances and a welcoming attitude – there’s no dress code here. Other events include the likes of drag bingo brunch, male reviews, cabarets, industry night with drink deals and swanky jazz nights. Some nights are 18 and up.

Club Vinyl

Nightclub, Cocktails

Club Vinyl
© Club Vinyl

This is a mega club, with four stories of dance floors featuring different music on every level. For fresh air, head to the rooftop patio, where you can gaze over Denver and enjoy a cocktail. In the winter, the rooftop is heated. In between dancing, take advantage of the hookah lounge, and for a special night, ask about bottle service. Look for themed nights, such as Latin music, college nights with DJs, LGBTQ night, ’80s and ’90s hits, top 40 and more. The club as it’s known today dates back to 1993, but this has been the spot for many clubs dating back to the 1930s, including cabarets and speakeasies.

About the author

Aimee Heckel has two decades of experience writing for newspapers and magazines. She has edited, written and contributed to more than 50 books, including many best-sellers and award-winners. Her book, "Colorado Day Trips By Theme," hit #1 in four different categories. As a travel writer, she was the head writer and editor of TravelBoulder.com. She remains a regular contributor for USA Today 10Best and Fodor's travel books (specializing in Colorado and the national parks of the West), as well as a luxury spa travel writer and editor for SpaTravelGal.com. She was the Colorado travel expert and a content editor for Tripsavvy. As a journalist, she has been published everywhere from Oprah's O Magazine to the cover of Yoga Journal. She wrote an award-winning, humorous fashion column and fitness column for the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper in Colorado and was a long-time blogger for HuffPost Weird. She has written on nearly every beat at daily newspapers in Colorado and been the editor-in-chief of multiple print magazines.

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