Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver has the tenth largest downtown in the U.S. This energetic, young city has 300 days of sunshine, brilliant blue skies and stunning mountain scenery down every street. Downtown Denver is home to three new sports stadiums; more than 300 restaurants; a restored historic district filled with boutiques, restaurants and brewpubs, a collection of museums, a variety of galleries and shopping, the second largest performing arts center in the nation, three college campuses and even a unique downtown amusement park, Elitch Gardens.
 
Denver is a clean and green city with over 200 parks and dozens of tree-lined boulevards. The architecture reflects the city's three boom periods: Victorian, when silver was discovered in Leadville; turn-of-the-century, when gold was discovered in Cripple Creek; and contemporary, when the energy boom added 16 skyscrapers to the downtown skyline in a three year period, 1980-1983.
 
The Art Institute of Colorado is situated in the Golden Triangle Museum District - a quirky, artsy, eclectic neighborhood. The Golden Triangle neighborhood hosts Denver's most prominent cultural attractions in the Civic Center Cultural Complex: the Denver Art Museum, the Michael Graves-designed Central Denver Public Library, Colorado History Museum, Denver Mint, Byers-Evans House and Civic Center Park, and Acoma Street - the primary corridor through the Golden Triangle to the Civic Center Cultural Complex.
 
A one-hour drive takes you to world class skiing and water sports amid the breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery. In the mountains, and right in the city as well, opportunities for biking, hiking, rollerblading and other individual sports abound.
 
Many students make their first career contacts in Denver, a hub of business for the western United States. Thriving professional organizations, major corporations, high-tech companies, top-notch retail fashion stores, hotels, restaurants, design firms and many other creative organizations offer opportunities for professional networking and future employment.
 
For more information about the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, visit the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau at http://www.denver.org/ and the Downtown Denver Partnership at http://www.downtowndenver.com/.