12 Best Tattoo Shops in Denver 2024(Location, Reviews, And Services)

Denver, the capital of Colorado, is home to numerous museums, landmark 19^th-century buildings, modern architectural works of art, and many other places to see. The Mile High City is also home to tons of tattoo shops.

Whether you live in Denver or you just happened to be there and feel like getting a tattoo, you’re probably wondering where to do so. You will like your body art the most when you find a great tattoo shop with awesome tattoo artists. Scroll down to see the best tattoo places to check out.

12 Best Tattoo Shops in Denver

Tattoo shops are everywhere in Denver. And by that, we really mean – everywhere. You have a lot of choices, which is always a good thing. However, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. We’re going to take you through some of the best tattoo shops in Mile High City below.

1. Dedication Tattoo

• Website: https://www.dedicationtattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dedicationtattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedicationtattoo/

Founded in 2013, it didn’t take long for Dedication Tattoo to become a top-rated tattoo shop in Denver. The world-renowned fully-custom tattoo shop is located on South Broadway Street. Tattoo artists at Dedication Tattoo have combined 60 years of experience.

Specializing in different types and styles of tattoos, artists in this shop prove to be the real deal. Whether you want a Japanese tattoo or traditional, delicate, neotraditional, or something else you can be confident Dedication Tattoo will handle it perfectly.

The official website of Dedication Tattoo allows you to take a look at the portfolio of each artist. Just hove the mouse over the Artists section, click on their names, and you will see their work.

When making an appointment you can ask for a specific tattoo artist, or you can select the first available option.

A minimum $100 deposit is required to make an appointment.

Besides appointments, this shop also works with walk-ins too. Open seven days a week, Dedication Tattoo is focused on long-term results.

Their knowledgeable artists know exactly how tattoos work on the body and will do their best to give you a tattoo that will look perfect for a long time. Dedication Tattoo also has its merchandise online store where you can order hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, and more.

2. Urban Element Tattoo

• Website: https://www.urbanelementtattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanElementTattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uetattoo/

Urban Element Tattoo was founded in 2012 by Rowell and Jenny Alfelor. Rowell has been working as a tattoo artist for over 10 years. This tattoo and piercing shop focuses on providing a clean, safe, and professional environment to explore and experience the world of body art.

Located on Larimer Street, Urban Element Tattoo is a collective of talented, trained, and certified artists who provide the best level of care to each client.

Artists at Urban Element Tattoo specialize in different styles and designs ranging from watercolor to geometric and traditional tattoos. You can take a look at their work on the shop’s website. The homepage features dedicated sections for each artist. Just click the name and you’ll learn more about artists and see their tattoos or Instagram profile.

Urban Element Tattoo is an appointment-only shop. Complete the contact form on their website or send an email with reference images, size, and location of your tattoo. But, you can always call to see if they have an opening for a walk-in appointment.

As one of the top-rated Denver tattoo shops, Urban Element Tattoo has a reputation and quality of service to match the client’s impressions. It’s also nice to see the founder of this tattoo shop replying to all reviews online.

3. Bound By Design

• Website: https://boundbydesign.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boundbydesigncolfax/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boundbydesign/

Bound By Design is located in the heart of Denver’s Capitol Hill. This tattoo and piercing shop was founded back in 1993 and is one of the most well-known places of this kind. Like Dedication Tattoo, Bound By Design sells their merchandise online as well. But, they focus on jewelry and other similar items.

Winner of Best of Westword – Best Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Denver.

The name of the tattoo shop goes back to the community that helped this business get started and while it changed owners over the years, Bound By Design remained true to itself and its philosophy.

And their philosophy is to provide the best service to their clients, but also extends to a sense of quality, integrity, and passion for art.

Bound By Design gathers a truly talented team of artists specializing in different tattoo styles. That way, you can find the best tattoo artist for the type of ink you want on your body.

4. Alternative Arts Tattoo

• Website: https://alternativeartstattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alternativeartstattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alternativeartstattoo/

Alternative Arts Tattoo studio opened its doors to clients in 2003 in Littleton, just 20 minutes from Denver’s center. Clients can bring their own artwork, choose from the studio’s selection, or simply describe the ink they want. You can also get a piercing there.

Basically, Alternative Arts Tattoo is not a stereotypical tattoo parlor. In fact, their mission is to break those stereotypes associated with tattooing. Their official website is quite practical. Not only does it introduce their artists, but also has a FAQ section where you can learn a lot about everything associated with tattoos.

5. Mammoth American Tattoo

• Website: http://www.mammothamerican.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mammothamerican/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mammothamerican/

Mammoth American Tattoo may seem like an old tattoo place, judging by its name, but it was founded in 2014. The founder has been in this business since 1993 and gathered a creative team of artists who will get the job done, regardless of the type or tattoo design.

Located on 26^th Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood of Denver, Mammoth American Tattoo accepts appointments and walk-ins alike. The appointments require a $100 deposit and it’s preferred to book them in person.

If you visit the website of this professional tattoo shop, you can learn a lot about tattoo aftercare and other useful things everyone needs to know after getting inked.

6. Think Tank South

• Website: https://www.thinktanksouth.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinktanksouth/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinktanksouth/

Think Tank South is one of the most iconic tattoo places, or should we say communities, in Colorado. They are located in Littleton. What makes Think Tank South so special is that many talented tattoo artists and shop owners started their careers there. We could easily say Think Tank South is like a tattoo artist talent incubator.

Their artists, 12 of them at this point, have diverse styles in terms of tattoo design. That means you can find the ideal artist for the type of tattoo you want.

Well-known tattoo artist, Chris Collinsworth, provides his tattooing services at Think Tank South. Born and raised in Denver, Chris has been tattooing for over 20 years. His favorite styles are Japanese, traditional, neo-traditional, dot work, black work, and black and grey.

Chris Collinsworth is among the best top 20 tattooers in Colorado.

7. Dead Drift Tattoo

• Website: https://www.deaddrifttattoo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deaddrifttattoodenverco/

Dead Drift Tattoo is one of those shops that focus on the individuality of artists and clients. They encourage potential clients to check out works of their artists and choose the one that fits their needs the most. Every artist in this shop has a different style.

Located at Santa Fe Drive in Denver, Dead Drift Tattoo offers a clean environment and polite customer service. Their artists are friendly and make you feel comfortable, especially if you’re going there for your first tattoo and aren’t sure what to expect.

8. EOD Tattoo

• Website: https://eodtattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EODTattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eodtattoo/

End Of Days (EOD) Tattoo, located at East Colfax Avenue in Denver, is an old meets new kind of shop. It started off by restoring one of the oldest tattoo shops in Colorado and paved the way to new traditions set by a creative team of talented tattoo artists. EOD Tattoo is ideal for tattoo collectors and newcomers alike.

Since EOD Tattoo works with walk-ins you don’t have to set up an appointment. But you may want to contact them and consult their artists beforehand, especially when it comes to payment. While they say “cash is king”, some tattoo artists may accept credit or debit cards too.

EOD Tattoo has a shop minimum of $100.

To find the most suitable tattoo artist at EOD Tattoo, you can just head over to the official website and check them out.

Interestingly, they bring in guest artists for variety and also host special events with awesome deals.

9. Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio

• Website: https://www.fallenowltattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fallenowltattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fallenowltattoo/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCczq5NLTVKo2jSFII2yrcfg/

Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio has been a part of Denver’s tattoo scene since 2010. The artist-owned and operated studio is located in the Denver Metro area and is home to talented and creative artists.

Adam Rose, a lifelong artist and a founder of Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio, draws inspiration from the ocean, mountains, and the ridiculousness that keeps daily life entertaining. Besides portfolios, the official website of the studio also allows you to check out introductory videos.

That way, you can “meet” the artist before you actually go to the studio and see them in person to get your tattoo done.

Every year since 2010 Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio has been voted one of the top tattoo studios by Denver’s A-list and notable publications.

Whether you are into fine line tattoos or big and bold ink, Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio artists can make it happen.

10. Love and Hate Elite Tattoo Studio

• Website: https://lnhtattoostudio.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveNHateEliteTattoo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lnh_tattoostudio/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQA35enkUwJ1YRT4Cy4V3Fg/

Love and Hate Elite Tattoo Studio was established in 2011 and it’s located in Ammons Street, Lakewood, the fifth largest city in Denver Metro Area. Their tattoo artists specialize in different inking styles ranging from black and grey realism to American traditional, neo-traditional, and geometric designs.

Clean studio and friendly staff delight clients who keep going back to Love and Hate Elite Tattoo Studio. Besides brand new tattoos, talented artists can also transform the old tattoo into something completely different. So if you have a really bad old tattoo that you don’t like anymore, they may be able to take care of it.

11. Fortune Cookie Tattoo

• Website: http://fortunecookietattoo.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortuneCookieTattoo/

Fortune Cookie Tattoo is more than a cute name. Established in 2010, the tattoo shop is located downtown off the 16^th Street mall. It’s just a short walk from the Convention Center. The main philosophy of this tattoo shop is to give its clients the best tattoo in a clean, comfortable, and friendly environment.

They also promise you won’t find the same old flash tattoos there. Fortune Cookie Tattoo is relatively affordable meaning you can get a great tattoo even if you’re on a tight budget.

Clients are generally impressed with the quality of tattoos and attention to detail. Friendly staff makes first-timers comfortable in a relatively unknown setting.

12. Landmark Tattooing

• Website: https://www.landmarktattooing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landmarktattooers/

Landmark Tattooing, founded in 2011, is a small group of tattoo artists from Denver who decided to collaborate and take their talents and skills to a new level. They specialize in different styles of tattooing. Six tattoo artists are ready to turn your tattoo idea into a work of art on your body.

If you want to get tattooed at a specific time and date, then making an appointment is practical. Otherwise, walk-ins are also allowed. In fact, they operate by first come, first serve rule.

The shop minimum is $100 and a wide spectrum of small tattoos fall easily into this price range.

While Landmark Tattooing is a cash-only establishment, some artists may accept cards too.

What clients generally love about this parlor is its cleanliness coupled with a friendly atmosphere and awesome tattoo artists. A chill environment takes away the nervousness and boosts confidence in your decision to get a tattoo. Most people report feeling relaxed and claim artists have exceeded their expectations by drawing designs that look a lot better than they imagined.

Choosing the ideal tattoo shop

Choosing the ideal tattoo shop is often easier said than done. With a wide range of options available it can be tricky to decide where to go and get inked. In the process of working on this guide, we took several factors into consideration. You can use these factors to narrow down your choice and find the best tattoo shop that will meet or even exceed your expectations.

Reputation

Despite a wide spectrum of tattoo shops in a specific area not all of them are equal. Reputation is what sets them apart the most. It’s always practical to go for a tattoo shop or tattoo artist that are considered reputable and trustworthy in their field.

If other people have positive experience chances are high you will too. On the flip side, if a tattoo shop is well-known for low-quality service then you may not want to risk going there.

Reviews

Customer reviews go hand in hand with a reputation of a tattoo shop. You can learn a lot about experiences that other people had with a specific tattoo salon or an artist. While composing the list of best tattoo shops in Denver we also focused on customer reviews and you should too. This will help you narrow down your choice.

Besides reviews made by their customers on the website, or social media, you may want to check Google and Yelp too.

The importance of reviews is best observed through the fact that three out of four consumers trust a business if it has positive reviews. At the same time, 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use services provided by some business.

Website or social media presence

A website or social media profile is like an ID card of a tattoo shop. The quality of the site (or profile) helps estimate the level of service they provide.

Do they offer background info?

Do they show tattoos they’ve done for the clients?

Or maybe they provide some useful tips, recommendations, and guides you can use to learn more about tattoos?

About 97% of consumers search online for local businesses and 12% of them do it on a daily basis.

The more you can learn about a tattoo shop from their website or social media, the more reliable they are. You can use this factor into consideration when choosing a shop where you’ll get the next tattoo.

Ideal tattoo shop checklist

• Reputable and trustworthy
• Certified
• Positive reviews
• Tattoo artists have experience and expertise in the tattoo style you want
• The tattoo shop is committed to hygiene, health, and safety
• Helpful and polite when communicating with potential clients
• You find tattoo costs and prices affordable

Don’t rush. A tattoo is going to be on your body for many years. Take your time, compare different tattoo shops, do your research, and only go for the one that meets your needs and preferences the most.

Also read: Safety Precautions Checklist before Getting a Tattoo (How to Prepare for your Tattoo)

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