First-time visitors to Denver are often surprised to find that the city isn't actually in the mountains and that cows aren't grazing in the grass. Want to give them another bite of the reality sandwich? Take them to the Molly Brown House Museum. This is actually where Margaret Brown lived at the turn of the last century, after she and her husband, Johnny, made their fortune in Leadville and before she became an international legend for surviving the sinking of the Titanic. By then, though, Margaret had already made a name for herself (never Molly, by the way) in Denver, fighting for the rights of the poor, of children and of women; she even considered a run for Senate. Her home-turned-museum will give your house guests the real story on this local heroine, and also a glimpse into how a dedicated group of residents saved the structure in 1970, going on to create Historic Denver and preserve much more of this city's past.
Readers' Choice: Denver Art Museum