Douglas County, Colorado
Where to Play Mahjong in Douglas County
Mahjong has turned into a weeknight thing around here. You can play it for free over a beer in Castle Rock, at a winery in Parker or in an actual mahjong parlor in Highlands Ranch, and the senior centers have had tables going the whole time. I went through every schedule so you don't have to. Here's where to play, where to learn and what it costs.
By Connor Tien, DougCo Social · Updated September 29, 2026
New to the game? Start here
Almost everyone around here plays American Mah Jongg, the version run by the National Mah Jongg League, which prints a new card of winning hands every year. You draw and discard until your tiles match one of the hands on the card. That is the whole game. Reading the card is the part that takes practice.
Don't let that stop you. Every group below teaches beginners, most of the classes put a full set on the table for you, and nobody expects you to bring a partner. Alright, here's where the games are.
Mahjong nights out
A brewery, a winery, a coffee shop and a salon that built its own mahjong parlor. Evergreen and Olive Juice classes keep selling out, so book ahead where it says to.
Mah Jongg Monday at Alidade Brewing
Castle Rock · 2nd & 4th Monday · 5pm · Free to play
The easiest one in the county. Alidade hosts Mah Jongg Monday on the second and fourth Monday of the month starting at 5pm, and experienced players play for free. If you're new, lessons are available for a fee through Tiles & Smiles Mah Jongg, Shar Jordan's Castle Rock outfit (more on her below). Alidade also runs a paid Learn to Play guided session that includes the League card and a drink. The next one is Thursday, October 29 at 5pm. Every date lands in the rail further down.
Evergreen Mahjong Collective at Purgatory Cellars and Corner Bakery
Purgatory Cellars Winery (Parker) · Corner Bakery (Highlands Ranch) · Guided Play $20
Evergreen Mahjong Collective runs three things: Mahjong 101 for beginners, Guided Play ($20 a person, an instructor at the table while you play) and a monthly Mini-League with scoring and prizes. In Douglas County that means evenings and Sunday afternoons at Purgatory Cellars Winery in Parker and a Wednesday-morning league at Corner Bakery in Highlands Ranch, with more dates in Littleton and Denver. Their October calendar was mostly sold out before October started, so grab a spot early.
O Mahj-Spa at Olive Juice Beauty Bar
Highlands Ranch · Open play Tue–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun noon–5pm · $25 · Classes $60–$75
Olive Juice Beauty Bar built a mahjong parlor inside the salon and named it O Mahj-Spa. They call it Highlands Ranch's first dedicated mahjong parlor and social club, and as far as I can tell nobody is arguing. Open play is a reserved two-hour session for $25 a person with tiles, mats, dice and cards provided. Come with your own table or sign up solo and they'll seat you with one.
The instructor is Trista Sutter, television's first Bachelorette, who has been playing American mahjong for over three years. Mahjong 101 is a three-hour beginner class ($75). Mahjong 2.0 is two and a half hours on strategy, card reading, defense and faster play ($60). Both include a drink, a snack bag from their Mahjong Munchie Bar and the full set. Classes run two to four times a month and the schedule is posted two months ahead. See the next date.
Mahjong 101 at Monk & Mongoose
Lone Tree · Beginner class · Several dates this fall
Lone Tree's entry is a beginner class at Monk & Mongoose Coffee Co. on High Note Avenue, taught by an instructor who goes by Abeille. Three hours, a set at every table, light bites and a glass of wine. The listing says no experience needed, "genuinely none." Dates are in the rail below.
Lessons & leagues
Two local teachers who will come to you or set you up with a group, plus the Castle Rock Facebook group where the casual games get organized.
Tiles & Smiles Mah Jongg (Castle Rock)
Shar Jordan left a 30-year corporate career in 2025 to teach mahjong, and she's the one behind the lessons at Alidade. Her beginner group at the library is three two-hour lessons for $60 a person. An in-home beginner session is $240 for four to eight people (add $20 outside Castle Rock), and coaching is $25 an hour. She also runs Castle Rock tournaments and the Castle Rock Mahjong Facebook group, which is where the casual open-play games get posted. tilesandsmilesmahjongg.com
Mahjong Standard (South Denver metro)
Private or group American mahjong lessons at your own table, plus public open sessions. They bring everything, so nobody has to own a set. Serves Highlands Ranch, Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Parker and Sterling Ranch, among others. Private beginner lessons are $75 a person and public events run $20 to $60. mahjongstandard.com
For a league, Evergreen Mahjong Collective's monthly Mini-League (above) is the one running in Douglas County right now. Olive Juice lists leagues as coming this fall.
Senior centers, rec & community drop-in
The most reliable weekly games in the county are the daytime ones. Most are a couple of dollars at the front desk. Days and times below come from each center's own schedule as of late September 2026, so double-check before you go.
Highlands Ranch Senior Center (ages 55+, 200 E. Highlands Ranch Parkway): three volunteer-led tables in the Game Room. Mahjong lessons Tuesdays 5:30pm to 7pm, American (National) mahjong Wednesdays 1pm to 4pm, and Beginner Mahjong - Military Fridays 1pm to 4pm. Members pay $60 a year (residents) or $72 (non-residents); a day pass is $2.50 or $3.
Lone Tree Hub (South Suburban, 8827 Lone Tree Parkway): drop-in American Mah Jongg Wednesdays 11am to 3pm and Thursdays 12:30pm to 3:30pm. $2 for district residents, $3 for non-residents, paid at the front desk, no registration. They also run Learn to Play Mahjong classes through the catalog.
Parker Senior Center: mahjong Thursdays 12:30pm to 3:45pm, members only. The first and second Thursday of the month are lessons.
Castle Rock Senior Activity Center: Afternoon of Games most Mondays and Fridays (occasionally Wednesdays) at 1pm. The tables play Mexican Train, Hand & Foot, pinochle, poker or Mah Jong, depending on who shows up.
Sterling Ranch: the resident mahjong group meets every Thursday 2pm to 4pm at the Sterling Center. All levels, no RSVP.
Upcoming mahjong games & lessons
Pulled live from our events calendar, so this list updates itself as new dates are posted.
Frequently asked questions
For a night out: Alidade Brewing in Castle Rock runs a free Mah Jongg Monday on the second and fourth Monday of the month, Evergreen Mahjong Collective hosts guided play, beginner classes and a monthly league at Purgatory Cellars Winery in Parker and Corner Bakery in Highlands Ranch, and Olive Juice Beauty Bar in Highlands Ranch has a mahjong parlor called O Mahj-Spa with reserved open play six days a week. For daytime drop-in games: the Highlands Ranch Senior Center, the Lone Tree Hub, the Parker Senior Center, the Castle Rock Senior Activity Center and the Sterling Ranch resident group.
No. Every group in this guide teaches beginners. Alidade Brewing offers lessons for a fee through Tiles & Smiles Mah Jongg, Evergreen Mahjong Collective and Mahjong Standard both run Mahjong 101 classes, Olive Juice teaches a three-hour Mahjong 101 with Trista Sutter, Monk & Mongoose in Lone Tree hosts a beginner class, and the Highlands Ranch Senior Center and Lone Tree Hub both have learn-to-play sessions.
Almost all of it is American Mah Jongg, which uses the card of winning hands the National Mah Jongg League publishes every year. The Highlands Ranch Senior Center also runs a Beginner Mahjong - Military table on Fridays.
Yes. Alidade Brewing in Castle Rock hosts Mah Jongg Monday on the second and fourth Monday of each month starting at 5pm, free for experienced players. Evergreen Mahjong Collective runs guided play, Mahjong 101 and a monthly league at Purgatory Cellars Winery in Parker. Monk & Mongoose Coffee Co. in Lone Tree hosts a beginner class that comes with a glass of wine.
O Mahj-Spa is the mahjong parlor and social club inside Olive Juice Beauty Bar at 3624 E. Highlands Ranch Parkway. Trista Sutter, television's first Bachelorette, is the in-house instructor and has played American mahjong for over three years. She teaches Mahjong 101, a three-hour beginner class for $75, and Mahjong 2.0, a two-and-a-half-hour strategy class for $60. Both include a drink, a snack bag and the full set. Classes run two to four times a month and the schedule is posted two months ahead. Open play is $25 for a reserved two-hour session, Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday noon to 5pm.
Anywhere from free to $75. Mah Jongg Monday at Alidade Brewing is free for experienced players. Drop-in games at the Lone Tree Hub are $2 for South Suburban residents and $3 for non-residents, and the Highlands Ranch Senior Center sells a day pass for $2.50 (resident) or $3 (non-resident). Evergreen Mahjong Collective's Guided Play is $20 a person. Open play at O Mahj-Spa is $25. Classes run $60 to $75: Tiles & Smiles charges $60 for a three-lesson beginner group in Castle Rock, and Olive Juice charges $60 for Mahjong 2.0 and $75 for Mahjong 101.
Sources
- Alidade Brewing: Mah Jongg Monday and Learn to play Mah Jongg.
- Evergreen Mahjong Collective: events calendar.
- Olive Juice Beauty Bar: open play, classes and FAQ.
- Monk & Mongoose: Mahjong 101 with Abeille (Eventbrite).
- Tiles & Smiles Mah Jongg: classes and about. Mahjong Standard: mahjongstandard.com.
- Highlands Ranch Senior Center: October 2026 newsletter and guide and membership FAQ.
- Lone Tree Hub: South Suburban catalog, Active Adult Drop-in Games.
- Parker Senior Center: games schedule. Castle Rock Senior Activity Center: ongoing programs. Sterling Ranch CAB: clubs and groups.
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