Loveland, Colorado is defined by its natural landscape, its love for the arts and its thriving small businesses. All of that comes together at its heart: downtown Loveland. This historic and growing district is home to some of the city’s best boutiques, restaurants, craft breweries, galleries and parks. And this tour includes a little bit of everything—with coffee and cupcakes thrown in, too.
Our route begins at a locally-owned coffee shop, winds through Civic Center Park, travels through The Foundry, and invites you to step inside art galleries, shops, a theater and even a dessert bar.
To keep up to date on businesses, developments and events in Downtown Loveland, check out Loveland Downtown District here. You can follow them on Facebook, too!
Dark Heart Coffee Bar
Photo courtesy of Christa Tippmann Photography via Dark Heart Coffee Bar
Dark Heart is undoubtedly Loveland’s trendiest coffee shop. If you don’t believe us, check out their Instagram here! Their team brews up single-origin coffees from Portland-based Coava Coffee Roasters and rotates other small batch roasters from around the world. Alongside perfectly prepared espresso beverages, you can also enjoy kombucha and nitro cold brew on tap, loose leaf teas, bean to bar chocolates, pastries, bio-dynamic wine, local craft beer and mimosas.
Taste Local
This neighborhood eatery offers a bright and casual dining room if you want to dine in and they also serve savory meals to go. But no matter where you’re eating, Taste Local meals are made from scratch using local, fresh ingredients. When you dine in, you can pair that with in-house and Colorado-made beverages from local beers to coffee-themed cocktails. To check out the food menu, click here.
Loveland Museum
Founded in 1937, Loveland Museum is an accredited art and history museum that has grown to offer various history exhibits dating back to 1919, world-class art exhibitions, family events, adult and youth classes, readings, lectures and more. To see what exhibits, galleries, classes and programs are available now, check out the website here.
B Sweet Cupcakes
Established in 2010 and located in Historic Downtown Loveland since April 2011, B Sweet Cupcakes is the perfect place to stop for a sweet treat. Whether you need one or one dozen, you can enjoy flavors like Chocolate Cherry and Chocolate Coconut, Cake Batter and Almond Poppyseed, Apple Pie and Raspberry White Chocolate, and creative specialties like Death By Chocolate and Snickers. They also bake cupcakes with fillings and serve gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan options, too!
Civic Center Park
Located between the Loveland Public Library and Chilson Recreation Center, Civic Center Park is one of the city’s best open spaces. It offers a playground and walking paths, and it’s home to Foote Lagoon Amphitheater, an open stage with a seating capacity of 300 which serves as the location of the Rialto Summer Concerts!
The Foundry
The Foundry is the newest addition to Downtown Loveland and has revitalized three empty blocks, adding into a movie theater, apartments, a hotel, retailers, eateries and parking to support the increased activity in one of our favorite neighborhoods. Though things are still developing in these blocks, The Foundry is already hosting some awesome events in their plaza (complete with a seasonal splash pad!). You can stay up-to-date on those events and on new business openings by following the team on Facebook here.
Artworks Loveland
Artworks is the largest studio artist community in Northern Colorado dedicated to advancing the contemporary arts and visual artists. In their facility, they offer 30 desirable studios for artists to work and collaborate as well as two galleries for exhibits and programs. Our route is taking us right to the front door so you can visit these galleries!
Mo’ Betta Gumbo
At Mo’ Betta Gumbo, they’re slinging the best Cajun and Creole cuisine in the region. Growing up in the South taught Chef Clay Caldwell the basics of Southern hospitality and true home-cookin’. He made the move to Colorado in an effort to slow down and enjoy life, but he also discovered a community craving Southern classics. To satisfy that need, he opened Mo’ Betta Gumbo as a cozy family spot serving Jambalaya, Famous Asiago Shrimp & Grits, Hush Puppies, Beignets, and even homemade, flavored moonshine!
Verboten Brewing & Barrel Project
The old German Purity Law stated that beer could only be made with three ingredients: barley, water and hops. Later, yeast was added to that lineup. Verboten’s beers are driven both by the simplicity of the German Purity Law and the creativity that comes from breaking the rules. Their beers incorporate fruit and spice, barrel aging, and other distinctive ingredients that were once “verboten”. Driven by the belief that there’s a beer out there for everyone, this is a must-visit in Loveland.
Loveland Aleworks
This Sweetheart City original is an independent, family-owned brewery offering a selection of small-batch handcrafted beers. Driven by brewer and owner Nick Callaway, the beers are inspired by traditional European and American craft beer styles and can include anything from a classic Saison to the Guava Milkshake IPA, a New England-style IPA with lactose sugar, Tahitian vanilla and guava puree.
Crow Hop Brewing
Crow Hop has been a Loveland favorite for years, bringing home medals from Great American Beer Festival while impressing the locals with every new brew. When they relocated to this downtown location, they brought the neighborhood more patios, more beer and more fun! And no matter which brew you’re sampling, it’ll be clean with complex flavors from just four classic ingredients, starting with pristine Colorado water. To see their tap list, click here.
Mary’s Mountain Cookies
Photo courtesy of Abigail Mahaffey via Mary’s Mountain Cookies
The giant cookies at Mary’s Mountain Cookies come straight from founder and baker Mary Johns’ kitchen—though they’re now made in 100-pound batches with industrial mixers to meet demand. When your craving hits, you can find Mary’s cookies at their Northern Colorado locations in Fort Collins and Loveland, including their spot right here in downtown Loveland. Don’t forget you can turn any cookie into a cookie ice cream sandwich, too!
Dickens Alley
Shopping in downtown Loveland is always a treat, so our next few stops on this block are some of the neighborhood’s best boutiques and galleries, including the beloved Dickens Alley. This small shop specializes in rare books, art and antiques so don’t be surprised if you find something essential for your home!
Lincoln Gallery
Owned and operated by the Thompson Valley Art League, Lincoln Gallery is a nonprofit, cooperative art gallery in downtown Loveland, which provides a venue for member artists to display their work and provides the community with original, local art. Every spring, they host the National Fine Art Show featuring artwork from national artists based in all 50 states! But if you’re visiting outside of the show dates, you’re still in for an artistic treat.
Rabbask Designs
This local, artisan boutique and gallery features more than 100 local artists covering every medium from glass and jewelry to acrylic paintings and sculpture. While shopping here, you’ll also discover owner, artist and creator Jacqueline Marsh’s Rabbask Designs Art to Wear jewelry as well as a selection of clothing, shoes and doTerra essential oils.
Garment Gal
Owned and operated by Colorado native, Robbie Emge, Garment Gal is an outlet for Robbie to practice her passion for fashion. She travels to the country’s famous fashion cities to curate an inventory that is comfortable, stylish and affordable. To preview the inventory, check out their Instagram here.
Independence Gallery
Independence Galley has been a favorite in Loveland for more than a decade. Their unique, original collection features a variety of forms from talented Northern Colorado Artists, including original paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, mosaic, photography and fine art reproductions. You can learn more about their artists and even shop the online gallery on the website here.
Vintage Willows
Photo courtesy of Vintage Willows
One of Loveland’s trendiest fashion boutiques, Vintage Willows started in 2012 as an Etsy shop showcasing just 10 vintage items from founder Kali’s own closet. Today, the downtown Loveland store is much more than vintage. Their inventory is made up of cute, trendy clothes at affordable prices and new arrivals arrive almost every single day!
Door 222
Door 222 is a favorite in Loveland for a variety of reasons. For starters, the menu is crafted with extensive detail in every bite with a special focus on tapas and inventive cocktails. In addition to providing one of the freshest seasonal menus in the region, this locally-owned spot gives back to the community. Each quarter, they donate a portion of specific menu items to local nonprofits in childhood enrichment and education, medical research, and animal shelter and enrichment. To view the food menu, click here.
Rialto Theatre
The story of the historic Rialto Theater begins all the way back in 1920 when this grand silent movie theater opened with 1,014 wooden seats. Today, the theater remains one of the finest entertainment destinations north of Denver but has much more comfortable seats. The performance hall hosts music, theater, film and community events featuring both national and local talents. And they honor their history by showing independent films monthly and silent films twice each year with live music accompaniment. To check out the calendar, click here.
Starlight Dessert Bar
Starlight Dessert Bar is a family team of Colorado natives who just love sweet treats. In addition to a custom bake shop for special orders, they offer a dining room where you can enjoy an extensive dessert selection—from Caramel Apple Pie and coffee to Bourbon Bread Pudding paired with Riesling. On Fridays and Saturdays, they’re open until 11 p.m. so we recommend getting a reservation after your show at the Rialto!
Where are you headed?
There’s so much to do in downtown Loveland, we couldn’t possibly include everything. You can add stops to the itinerary in the comments below!
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