Whenever I walk downtown with my family, I frequently wonder about the history of many of the places and buildings. Now, my most burning questions can be answered!
The Denver Architecture Foundation (DAF) recently released two significant audio tour journeys, free and accessible from DAF’s website featuring 24 locations historically significant to Denver and Colorado and highlighting more than a century of Denver’s architecture and cultural history. This project was paid for in part by the History Colorado State Historical Fund.
Weaving together historic facts and preservation, the audio journeys tell an interactive story about Denver’s past, better explaining the present and helping to imagine the future. Tours can be explored on location or remotely. The journeys are in walking or biking distance from one another and are concentrated in downtown Denver and Civic Center, titled respectively “Downtown Denver: A Game of City and Empire Builders” and “Civic Center Park: A Speerian Play.”
Tours include the following locations, by journey.
“Civic Center Park: A Speerian Play”
– Civic Center Park: Voorhies Memorial Gateway & Sea Lion Pool and Greek Theater & Colonnade of Civic Benefactors
– McNichols Building/Carnegie Library
– Denver City & County Building
– The Denver Mint
– Denver Art Museum North (Martin) Building
– Byers-Evans House
– Clyfford Still Museum
– Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
– Evans School
– History Colorado Center
– Denver Central Library
– Colorado State Museum Building
– First Baptist Church
– Scottish Masonic Center
– Colorado State Capitol
“Downtown Denver: A Game of City and Empire Builders”
– Denver Union Station
– Oxford Hotel
– Rockmount Ranch Wear
– Sugar Building
– Larimer Square Historic District
– Hotel Teatro
– Ellie Caulkins Opera House
– Equitable Building
– Brown Palace Hotel
In addition to audio tours, DAF offers a number of educational experiences throughout the year providing opportunities to learn more about Denver’s built environment. DAF offers Doors Open Denver, Box City, year-round hard hat tours, walking tours, special events and a lecture series, along with the Cleworth Architectural Legacy Project (CAL), a K-8 educational program. To become a member of DAF and access these year-round opportunities, visit denverarchitecture.org.
Author: Mile High Mamas
