Tour of City Park, Denver Colorado

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St. Ignatius has been a central St. Louis landmark since its completion in 1924, known both for its architecture and the congregation's history of supporting racial integration despite initial opposition by some white leaders of the Catholic Church in Denver. Architects Frank W. Frewen and Frederick J. Mountjoy designed this structure based on the design of another church in Cork, Ireland. From the 1920s to 1940s, the building served as a Jesuit Parish and a Catholic Church. The congregation included members of multiple races, and Jesuit leader William Markoe refused to give in to pressures from his superiors to segregate the church. Serving a largely African American community the church insisted on supporting both integration and the nascent civil rights movement following World War II. Father Edward Murphy S.J continued Markoe's work and won awards for encouraging good relations between the African American community and the larger community of Denver.

2. Denver Zoo

Opened with one bear cub in 1896, the Denver Zoo has featured ground-breaking exhibits since 1918, when it unveiled America's first display of an animal in a natural habitat setting: Bear Mountain, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the zoo boasts two new award-winning exhibits, Predator Ridge and the Toyota Elephant Passage, which allow animals to rotate between multiple habitats for stimulation and exercise, as well as scheduled feedings and showtimes, guided tours, educational and play areas for children, and a variety of Up-Close Animal Encounters [1; 2].

3. Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is an independent, nonprofit museum dedicated to informal science and the natural history of Colorado, Earth, and the Universe. With over 500,000-square-feet of interior space along with more than one million objects in its collections, which includes natural history and anthropological materials as well as archival and library materials. Founded in 1900, the museum traces its origins back to pioneer and naturist Edwin Carter, who assembled one of the most comprehensive collections of Colorado fauna in his log cabin home, called the Carter Museum. To protect this collection in a larger, fireproof building, funds were collected and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was incorporated on December 6, 1900. Over the course of its history, the museum has added the Phipps Auditorium (1940), the Gates Planetarium (1968), an IMAX theater (1983), and the Leprino Family Atrium and Anschutz Family Sky Terrace (2002).

4. Pavilion, Bandstand, and Boat Dock

The City Park Pavilion Spanish-style structure was designed and built by local architects William E. Fisher and John Humphreys in 1929 to replace the original 1894 structure. The pavilion was built as part of the “Denver City Beautiful” campaign at the start of the 20th century to help beautify areas of the city. Today the pavilion and surrounding bandstand and lake serve as host to various concerts, festivals, and other outdoor events.

5. Robert Burns Memorial

Donated to the city by the Caledonian Club No. 1 in 1909, this statue depicts Scottish poet Robert Burns. Regarded by many as the national poet of Scotland, Burns is the author of many works including "Auld Lang Syne" which is sung annually by millions to signal the closing of the year. This poet and writer from 18th century Scotland was selected by Denver's Caledonian Club as the centerpiece of this monument and reflects the way that people of Scottish ancestry often used Burns as a symbol of their nation at the time of this monument's dedication. Burns is known for his work that has inspired many, and his poems and folk stories are still recited to this day. Near the statue can be found several static displays of weaponry from the Civil War, some of which were donated by the Grand Republic Army in 1897.

6. Denver Martin Luther King Memorial Statue

Dedicated in 2002, this 8½-meter tall Sierra White granite and bronze memorial honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Artist Ed Dwight depicted King symbolically standing on the shoulders of influential leaders and historical figures in the global movement for civil and human rights. This is the second monument erected in honor of Dr. King in City Park, the first being dedicated in 1976 which depicted Martin Luther King Jr. and Emmett Till. The artist's decision to place Till and King together led to conversations and conflicting opinions and was later placed within a nearby museum in Pueblo.

7. Thatcher Memorial Fountain

Joseph Addison Thatcher was a successful banker in Colorado's early history, and this fountain was dedicated in his honor on September 14, 1918. Thatcher laid the foundation for the Denver National Bank. He was a philanthropist and patron of culture in the state. The fountain is located at the north end of The Esplanade, at the entrance of City Park, and consists of four bronze statues that each symbolically represents a different virtue.

8. East High School

East High School, part of Denver Public Schools, stands out both for its dramatic architecture and for its long and diverse roll of distinguished former students. Built in 1924 to replace the former East High School on Strout, this building was declared a Denver Historic Landmark in 1991.The school’s design reflect the strong influence in Denver of the City Beautiful movement that influenced the construction of civic buildings in the early 1900s.

9. Sullivan Gateway

Located on the north side of Colfax Avenue near East High School. The Sullivan Gateway is an impressive entryway to the City Park Esplanade. It was a memorial envisioned during the "Denver City Beautiful" campaign in the early 1900s. It was erected in honor of one of the founding leaders of Denver, Dennis Sullivan. Sullivan moved to Denver penniless and quickly rose up making his mark in Colorado's history. This monument was close to ruin after a century. It was on the 2010 Colorado's Most Endangered Places List. A grant funded renovation project, restored the memorial back to its original condition.

10. City Park

One of Denver's oldest parks, City Park was designed in 1882 by Henry Merryweather in the style of New York's Central Park. The park features gardens and a large greenhouse, mountain vistas, picnic areas, a playground, walking and jogging paths, tennis and handball courts, horseshoe pits, a lake and pavilion, ponds, and interactive fountains, and fields for baseball, softball, soccer, and football. The park is also home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and is included on the National Register of Historic Places

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Tour of City Park, Denver Colorado

Created by Clio Admin on July 6th 2020, 2:12:51 am.

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City Park was designed in 1882 by Henry Merryweather who used New York's Central Park as his inspiration. The park home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The park features gardens and a large greenhouse, playground, walking and jogging paths, courts and fields for sports, a lake and pavilion, ponds, and interactive fountains.

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Tour of City Park, Denver Colorado

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