Founded by rough and tumble prospectors in the 19th century, Denver supports plenty of rowdy doings. The town is sports mad, and the Broncos — the NFL team that came from nowhere to finally win the Super Bowl in 1998 — are local heroes. You'll see people strolling the streets in full cowboy gear, and there are plenty of nearby dude ranches where you can play Old West. Every January, Denver returns to its roots, hosting the National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show.

But the city fathers also prided themselves on their culture. A hundred years ago, Mayor Robert Speer vowed to make Denver into "Paris on the Platte," and current mayor John Hickenlooper is also known as a strong advocate for the arts, as well as for his work in preserving the city's historic buildings. Denver is home to several institutions of higher learning, and the population tends to be highly educated. Not many towns these days have two competing daily newspapers, as Denver does.

Denver was built on the search for gold, and agriculture followed soon after. Following World War II, oil and gas became the primary industry, but the energy boom crashed in the 1980s. A bleak period of stagnation ensued before Denver's economy diversified into aerospace, tourism, electronics and communication. The population continued to grow, and is now at 2.1 million, although much of it is dispersed in neighboring counties, with roughly half a million people calling the city proper their home. Denver sees 1.9 million overnight stays by business travelers annually.

Enjoy the trendy downtown scene, stroll among the dignified civic structures surrounding the capitol building, explore Denver's diversified neighborhoods and feel the pulse of the city's history beneath the brick.

Best neighborhood stroll — The 16th Street Mall, designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, was built in 1982 to revitalize the city after the bust of the late 1970s. It is a mile and 16 blocks long and links the lively galleries and coffee shops of LoDo (Lower Downtown) to the north with Civic Center Park and the gold-domed Capitol Building just beyond the south end. When you stroll along it, you're bridging history. Victorian buildings edge contemporary structures. The 325-foot May D&F tower at Arapahoe Street was constructed in 1911 as a replica of the bell tower of St. Mark's in Venice. It was at that time the tallest building in Denver and part of the town's first department store. The store was torn down in the 1970s, but the tower still exists and houses offices and the Rattlebrain comedy club in its basement.

This is Beat territory. Allen Ginsberg and the man he loved, Neal Cassady, both worked at the May department store in 1947 and spent hours strolling this street, no doubt talking poetry. In his most famous poem, Howl, Ginsberg immortalized "those who journeyed to Denver, who died in Denver, who came back to Denver and waited in vain, who watched over Denver & brooded & loned in Denver and finally went away to find out the Time, & now Denver is lonesome for her heroes..."

These days you'll see a beautifully designed pedestrian strip, in warm red and gray granite, lined with trees. The humorous cut-out cows that used to walk its length — a wry reference to Denver's one-time self-image as a cow town — are gone, replaced by planters, fountains and a chess table. The mall is lined with galleries, gift shops, clothing and jewelry stores and anchored by shopping centers at both ends. If you don't feel like walking, you can catch the free shuttle that traverses from end to end every five minutes. Then stop in at one of the numerous coffee shops for a sip of something warm.

Take a detour onto nearby Larimer Square, one block west of the mall and cruise the eclectic collection of galleries and clothing stores. In particular, check out Z Gallerie, a kind of upscale Pier One (1465 Larimer St.; 303-615-9646; www.zgallerie.com) and Earthzone Mineral and Fossil Gallery (1411 Larimer St.; 303-572-8198), which carries jewelry, vases and lamps. The Market (1445 Larimer St.; 303-534-5140) features salads, sandwiches and a glistening, heart-stopping array of baked goods, but it's far more than just a cafe; it's the kind of place that makes a city a city. Denverites hang out there to talk books, people watch, argue politics.

For more strolling ideas, pick up the Mile High Trail map, a series of six free unguided walking tours through downtown, at the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Information Center. 16th and Larimer streets; 303-892-1505; www.denver.org.

Step into the past — Take afternoon tea at the Brown Palace Hotel, built in 1892 and patronized in the past by Elvis Presley as well as several presidents. It's just toward the south end of the 16th Street Mall and to the east at Tremont Place. You can choose from a variety of teas and sample sweet and savory delicacies, including sandwiches, cakes and scones, while a harpist serenades you. It's pure Victoriana and a flashback to dignified old Denver. Legend has it that hotel guests once used an underground tunnel in the hotel to visit a well-known brothel across the street. Tea is served between noon and 4 p.m. every day and costs $20.95. For $26.50, you get the Royal Palace tea, which includes scones, Devonshire cream, strawberry preserves, sandwiches, pastries and Kir Royale, but, no, her Majesty won't be dropping by. Reservations recommended. 321 17th St.; 303-297-3111; www.brownpalace.com.

Yippie-ey-oh — The National Western Stock Show, Rodeo and Horse Show (Jan. 8-23, 2005) is a showcase for the agricultural industry, and includes barrel racing, bull riding, livestock judging, steer wrestling, quarter horse shows, an antique tractor exhibition and a fiddle contest. It all takes place at the National Western Complex, where I-25 and I-70 intersect, and just a few minutes north of downtown. Entrance fee is $7, and $9 on Saturday and Sunday. Prices for specific events cost between $12 and $15, which also covers the entrance fee. 303-297-1166; www.nationalwestern.com.

Classic American works — The Denver Art Museum, located a few blocks south of 16th Street just off Broadway, offers one of the best collections of American Indian artwork in the country, in addition to works by Georgia O'Keeffe and Edouard Manet. Two floors of the unique 28-sided, 10-story building feature European, American and Western painting, sculpture and artifacts.

Until Jan. 23, the DAM will present "Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca," which draws from collections in Europe, South America and the United States. The Tiwanaku lived in what is now Bolivia from A.D. 300-1000, 500 to 1000 years before the Inca Empire.

Construction on a major addition to the museum — originally designed by Gio Ponti — began in July and will be finished in 2006. Visionary architect Daniel Libeskind designed the addition, a 146,000-square-foot building of titanium, glass and Colorado granite that will double the size of the museum. In addition to increased gallery space, the addition will boast a theater, a restaurant and a rooftop sculpture garden. (Libeskind is also designing the World Trade Center memorial in New York.)

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (open until 9 p.m. Wednesday), and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and kids 13-18, and free for kids 12 and under. 13th and Acoma streets; 720-865-5000; www.denverartmuseum.org.

A contemporary view too — The eight-year-old Museum of Contemporary Art, which is situated in Sekura Square, a few blocks east of the mall, specializes in innovative and challenging work. There is no permanent collection; the museum offers a roster of exhibits and curated shows in all media. The current exhibit is "PILLish: Harsh Realities and Gorgeous Destinations," prints, paintings, etchings, videos and constructions that explore the horrors and seductions of the drug culture and of drugs both legal — such as alcohol — and illegal. Like its older cousin, the Denver Art Museum, MCART is about to embark on a major addition, with hot, young, English designer David Adjaye at the helm. He envisions a building that holds "frozen light." Open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5:30 p.m. Admission: $5. 1275 19th St.; 303-298-7554; www.mcartdenver.org.

Tiny Tokyo — If you visit the contemporary art museum, take time to explore the area where it is situated. Sekura Square, between 19th and 20th streets and Lawrence and Larimer streets, may be one square block, but it is the center for Denver's small but vital Japanese community. It contains a restaurant, newspaper office, book store and Buddhist temple, as well as the Pacific Mercantile Company, which was founded in 1944 and carries Asian foods and gifts of all kinds (1925 Lawrence St.; 303-295-0293; www.pacificmercantile.com).

Explore Colorado's history ... The Colorado History Museum has a variety of exhibits that tell the story of the Native Americans, explorers, gold miners and cowboys of Colorado. Exhibits include dioramas illustrating buffalo hunts and early gold-mining techniques. The museum, a 15-minute walk southeast of downtown, is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5. 13th Street and Broadway; 303-866-3682; www.coloradohistory.org.

And the ancient world — The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is in City Park, located 10 minutes east of downtown. While there, you can see two 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummies, walk through a diamond mine replica and stare into a cave shining with crystals. Until Jan. 23, the museum is showing "The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt, an extraordinary collection of artifacts that include stone carvings, intricately painted coffins, gold death masks and a sculpture of the god Osiris at the moment of rebirth. The museum also boasts a fascinating dinosaur collection, a planetarium and an Imax theater. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for seniors and kids 3-18. 2001 Colorado Blvd.; 800-925-2250; www.dmns.org/main/en.

The best view — Though it's called the "Mile High City," Denver isn't actually in the mountains. But you can see the snowy peaks of the Continental Divide from several parts of the city. For one of the best views, take a 10-minute walk south and east of the Mall from downtown to the Colorado State Capitol — you can't miss the gold-plated dome. From the rotunda, you can see the entire Front Range of the Continental Divide, from Pikes Peak north to the Wyoming border. While you're there, take advantage of the free weekday tours of the building, which features a dome covered with 200 ounces of gold. Free tours are given daily at 9:15 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. 200 E. Colfax Ave.; 303-866-2604; www.milehighcity.com.

Quaff a brew — With Anheuser-Busch in Fort Collins and the Coors Brewery in Golden, it's no wonder that Colorado produces more beer than any other state. Denver boasts myriad microbreweries and brewpubs, each producing its own original potable. Most breweries are in Lower Downtown (LoDo), a 26-square-block area bounded by Speer Boulevard and 20th Street and Wynkoop and Larimer streets. One of the best-known — and oldest — brewpubs in the area is the mayor's own Wynkoop Brewing Co., which carries many brands of artisan beer and serves pub food, including fish and chips, elk medallions and shepherds pie. There's a lively billiard hall on the second floor. Impulse Theatre, one of the funniest improv groups in town, works the Wynkoop's basement Thursday nights at 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. It's a young, crowded and feverishly funny scene (303-297-2111). 1634 18th St.; 303-297-2700; www.wynkoop.com.

Take a cooking class — Cook Street, in downtown Denver, offers a number of classes for the passionate cook. Single classes cost $79. If you're looking for a cooking mini-vacation, there are four-session techniques classes for $389. Or just drop in for a wine tasting, and meet some interesting Denverites. The kitchen is large, welcoming and beautifully appointed, the food is great and the cooking tips invaluable. 1937 Market St.; 303-308-9300; www.cookstreet.com.