Here are the eleven spots we recommend in downtown Littleton — and the surrounding area — that are worth a stop for local history, shopping or a good meal.
Reinke Brothers
5663 South Prince Street
If you’re missing spooky season, stop by Reinke Brothers. The year-round Halloween store is packed to the brim with decorations, costumes, makeup and theatrical props. Not an inch of the store is empty, from the human “meat” counter in the back, to the life-sized Star Wars replicas lining the front of the store, to the magicians counter filled with tricks and pranks to the stock of over 20,000 costumes the store has for purchase or rent. Reinke Brothers also has an in-store Haunted Mansion that runs from September through November; offering nightly frights for adults and “lights on” tours. And don’t worry, the “monsters” are sent out for lunch for children to get a less terrifying haunted house experience.
Playforge offers games for the whole family, with puzzles, figurines and boardgames packing their shelves—as well as a space to play.
Lillian Fuglei
2420 West Main Street
If you’re looking for somewhere to battle dragons or unleash your wizarding potential, Playforge has you covered. The game store is packed with puzzles and board games for players of all ages, with plenty of supplies for role-playing games, or RPG’s, like Dungeons and Dragons. You don’t have to take the fun home though — Playforge offers tables for gaming in-store. If you don’t want to run your own game, never fear; the store regularly hosts workshops and gaming events for a fun night out.
Town Hall Arts Center’s rich history is written in stone, taking its name from when the building served as Littleton’s actual Town Hall.
Lillian Fuglei
2450 Main Street
A firehouse, a town hall, a jail... and then, a theater. Littleton’s Town Hall Arts Center holds a history — not just on the stage. While the historic building was once home to a variety of Littleton’s municipal services, it’s been bringing the arts to Main Street since 1982. The intimate 260 seat theater boasts a packed season, typically running from September through June, alongside educational productions for young actors. Currently, upcoming shows include ‘Night, Mother, Once and On Your Feet. Patrons can also stop by any weekday to visit the Stanton Art Gallery, which once served as city offices and now displays the work of local artists. Town Hall Arts Center can make for a great last-minute date night, with a limited number of rush tickets available for $10 at the box office an hour before the show.
Pho Real
2399 Main Street
It’s usually dinner and a show, right? Before making your way to Town Hall Arts Center, head just up Main Street to Pho Real. The Vietnamese restaurant boasts a wide variety of pho dishes and noodle bowls — but the real standout is the banh mi. Pho Real’s banh mi comes in sandwich or crepe form — if you’re feeling adventurous — with beef, pork, chicken and tofu options available. Don’t forget about appetizers – the restaurant has you covered with a variety of tasty options, from crab cheese wontons to edamame to spring rolls.
Alfred Packer, or the “Colorado Cannibal,” found his final home in Littleton. His grave is frequently visited by those seeking out the infamous Coloradan.
Lillian Fuglei
6155 South Prince Street
Littleton is the final home to the “Colorado Cannibal,” Alfred Packer. After a prospecting trip in the Rocky Mountains went south and left five men dead, the self-proclaimed wilderness guide (who led the trip) was convicted of cannibalism for killing and eating his companions. Though Packer maintained innocence until his own death, he served 18 years for the crime — after which he settled down as a security guard for The Denver Post and allegedly became a vegetarian. The infamous Coloradan is interred in a veterans grave (Packer served in the Union Army during the Civil War) in the Littleton Cemetery Association. The grave — toward the front of the cemetery, on Prince Street — welcomes visitors, with a bench and plaque dedicated to Packer. The grave itself — which has been covered in cement since 1973 to deter grave robbing — is often covered in pennies, trinkets, beers and sometimes even a fork and knife, so you can bring along a little something to pay your respects.
Colorado Pinball Pub
6209 South Santa Fe Drive
Although the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown and Gameroom Expo only comes to town once a year, Dan and Holly Nikolich make sure Littletonians have access to the pinballin’ spirit year-round. For $15 an hour, patrons get unlimited gameplay for the pub’s collection of pinball machine games and classic arcade games. If you need a drink to accompany your gameplay, the pub has over 200 whiskies — which can be sampled in Whiskey Flights. If whiskey isn’t your style, the pub has cocktails, wine and craft beers — along with a variety of food — to round out the pinballin’ pub experience.
Bemis Library
6014 South Datura Street
The Bemis Library carries Littleton’s signature look. Designed by architect Eugene Sternberg — who is responsible for other distinct Littleton buildings like Heritage High School and Arapahoe Community College — the library has served the community since 1897, when it was simply shelves housed at the local apothecary. Stop by to browse the library’s shelves or ongoing used book sale, but stick around to use The Studio — the library’s creative space, set up with recording equipment, art supplies and editing software. The library also offers programming for all ages — from storytimes for kids and gaming for teens to book clubs and cultural events for adults. Bemis is also home to the Littleton Immigrant Resources Center, which provides a variety of legal and educational services for immigrants.
At the Littleton Museum, visitors can step back into history—like in this genuine log cabin from the 1860’s.
Lillian Fuglei
6028 South Gallup Street
Travel back to the 1890s — or 1860s — at the Littleton Museum. The living history museum features two farms, showcasing the ways that early Littltonians lived, with several important historical buildings that have been transported to the museum’s grounds. On the 1860s farm: a cabin, barn, ice house and one-room schoolhouse (Littleton’s first, occasionally featuring a period-appropriate lesson). On the 1890s farm: a farm house (where Bemis Library’s namesake Edwin Bemis grew up), garden, barn and blacksmith shop (which, if you’re lucky, features the occasional demonstration). The museum takes living history to the next level — with both farms being home to a variety of livestock, including sheep, pigs, cows and even a few cats. Admission is free, so stop by and visit the farms, or swing by the museum’s rotating exhibit halls.
Carson Nature Center and South Platte Park
3000 West Carson Drive
If you want somewhere to get outside in Littleton, South Platte Park is the spot. With 880 acres of open space along the South Platte River, the park is home to a section of the Mary Carter Greenway Trail, where visitors can walk and bike while experiencing the best nature Littleton has to offer. Visitors can also fish for small-mouth bass and trout in five lakes throughout the park, or kayak in the river. If you need to step inside, you can visit the Carson Nature Center, a former family home turned nature center with naturalists on duty that’s still a home of sorts — to live animals. The nature center also houses a bit of history — visitors can recreate the area’s 1965 flood at the interactive River Table.
Colorado Antique Gallery
5501 South Broadway, #135
If you want to spend an afternoon wandering the aisles and digging for treasure—and still wanting to come back tomorrow for more — the Colorado Antique Gallery is your spot. Home to nearly 300 vendors, the gallery is the perfect place to find a postcard for some small town across the country you’ve never heard of, or a handcrafted potato bin or the perfect vintage sweatshirt. With a wealth of hidden gems, the gallery has something for everyone — if you’ve got the time to search for it. The store’s “Miles of Aisles” — each aisle is named after a Colorado Street — are just waiting to be traversed, so you can find that vintage item you’ve been searching after for years, or that you didn’t even know you needed.
Latke Love
699 West Littleton Boulevard
Latke Love is a go-to for weekend breakfast or brunch. Alongside the classic latke with apple sauce or sour cream, the restaurant features punny and delicious interpretations on the dish. Like the “Oy Vey Calienté,” which comes either vegetarian or with pork, topped with hatch green chile, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and an over easy egg. Or the “Rabbi, I'm Confused” — latkes covered in slow smoked pulled pork, Carolina BBQ sauce and pickled red onion. There’s even a sandwich — “The Jewban” — which is exactly what it sounds like, a Cuban sandwich built on latkes. The restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday, so plan your visits accordingly.
