Founded in 1859 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, the town of Golden, Colo. is the perfect side trip to business in Denver. Located on the edge of Denver, the historic town offers a wealth of diversions showcasing the best of the West. World-class exhibitions at the Foothills Art Center include Ansel Adams: Masterworks, on display until Aug. 30.

The exhibition is accompanied by Spectacular Summits in the main gallery, with mountaineering photographs by Vittorio Sella and Bradford Washburn including Stella’s shots of K-2 and Siniolchu taken during a 1909 Italian expedition.

A few blocks away, the Geology Museum — part of the Colorado School of Mines — provides a light-filled contemporary space with a glittering collection of gems, minerals, meteors and moon rocks. The museum also serves as an official state repository for Colorado’s mineral heritage and historic treasures. A short drive from the museum on Lookout Mountain, visitors can learn all about Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows at the Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave. The collection of personal artifacts was begun in 1921 by William F. Cody’s (aka Buffalo Bill) foster son, Johnny Baker, and includes bows and arrows that once belonged to Sitting Bull.