Don’t say “West-mi-nis-ter” around people who live in Westminster (three syllables). It will offend them, and they will most likely correct you, and they should. After all, Westminster was ranked 24th on Money Magazine’s “Best Places to Live” in America list, so people should at least pronounce its name correctly.

Located just 20 minutes from downtown Denver, the city was once an open space of Central Shortgrass prairie when settlers arrived in the late 1800’s. The Bowles House Museum, a converted farmhouse listed on the National Register of Historical Places, offers visitors a peek into the lives of Westminster’s original homesteaders.

Westminster offers a wide variety of options for shopping, dining, entertainment, and recreation. Among the city’s favorite attractions are the Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center, which has more than 5,000 animals and 1,600 butterflies in their indoor tropical rainforest, and the Westminster Promenade, which is an outdoor pedestrian village with restaurants, a movie theater, a bowling alley, and various play areas.

Westminster recently earned a Gold Medal award from the National Recreation and Park Association for well-designed neighborhood subdivisions, open space, sound financial management, and leading integrating technology in the park and recreation’s system. The city also has 150 miles of trails including Little Dry Creek Trail, Rocky Mountain Greenway, and many more.

Westminster’s Legacy Ridge Golf Course features courses for every skill level, plus breathtaking mountain views. The Walnut Hill Golf Course Preserve is the first-ever golf preserve in Colorado, and is home to more than 77 species of wildlife. Golf enthusiasts will also appreciate the Hyland Hills Golf Course and The Ranch golf course where you can also find magnificent custom homes affording beautiful golf course and mountain views.