Meet Sam Blumenthal | Owner, operator, lead chaperone

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Blumenthal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, what is the most important factor behind your success?

The most important factor behind the success of Denver Tour Club is trust. Taking care of children is an enormous responsibility that’s first earned by garnering the trust of parents and guardians. This is accomplished through marketing, customer service and a sustained track record of safety and fun.

If we want repeat customers, we also have to earn the trust of the participants; They have to trust that they’re going to have a fun time when they come to our camps. Providing fun and lively activities is the most obvious step here, but just as important is making sure the kids feel heard and respected. We accomplish this by demonstrating and requiring mutual respect and when necessary, gently holding kids accountable.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Denver Tour Club is a field trip based camp for school aged kids! We go on daylong excursions to a variety of exciting destinations in and around Denver over summer break and the weekdays of school breaks during the school year. We also offer custom adventures most commonly used for birthday celebrations.

When we started in 2015 we walked and took public transportation everywhere. In 2016 we started to phase in Lyft and Uber to expand our list of destinations. In 2019 we purchased our own van! And in 2020 when the world almost ended, we became an outdoor adventure camp. Starting over winter break 2021 we began reintroducing some indoor destinations (indoor pools and museums).

All of our adventures are part field trip, part recess, part field day and part gym class! We have a blast and most kids come home exhausted from a nonstop day of playing.

While we are looking forward to expanding in the next year, we are currently a one van operation. Kids are dropped off to our van at 9 am at the Washington Park United Church of Christ (two blocks east of Wash Park) and picked up at the same spot at 3 PM.

Aside from the wide variety of activities and destinations, we are also set apart in having the founder and owner as the lead chaperone and van driver on all adventures.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We have easy access to so many awe inspiring landscapes! My favorite such places to take visitors are Cherry Creek State Park, Chautauqua Park, Settler’s Park and Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I learned early on that it’s important to be careful who you share business ideas with. A discouraging reaction can totally zap the drive and energy out of a project. My shoutout goes to my late grandmas, LaBerta and Alicia, who provided unmatched (and borderline comical) excitement about all of my endeavors, including Denver Tour Club.

Little Kickers Swim School owners Yael and Daphna also deserve a shoutout! Having successful business owner role models my age has been encouraging and inspiring.

Website: denvertourclub.com

Instagram: @denvertourclub

Facebook: facebook.com/denvertourclub