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DENVER COLORADO ATTRACTIONS
Brown Palace Hotel
Brown Palace Hotel is the oldest hotel located in Denver, Colorado. It
was built and owned by Henry Brown and guests included and still include
many entrepreneurs, legislators, presidents and foreign officials. There
is a rumor that a crematorium exist in the basement.
Civic Center
Civic Center is a neighborhood and park in Denver, CO. The area is known
as the center of the civic life in the city, with numerous institutions
of arts, government, and culture as well as numerous festivals, parades,
and protests throughout the year. The park is home to numerous fountains,
statues, and formal gardens, and includes a greek amphitheater, a war
memorial, and the Voorhees Memorial Seal Pond. It is well-known for its
symmetrical Neoclassical design. Civic Center is also well-known for its
large homeless population and problems with crime. Ironically, a lot of
open-air drug-dealing occurs in the eastern grove area within sight of
the lawmakers at the city and state government buildings. Recently, the
city officials have proposed changes to make the area more accessible
to the downtown population in the north and the museums towards the south.
Some of these changes include adding newer pedestrian crossings, bus areas
and kiosks. One proposal would even put Colfax Avenue underground with
a pedestrian plaza on top of the former street. Two new buildings planned
for the Civic Center are the Denver Newspaper Agency (northeast of the
park), the future home to the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News
and the new Denver Justice Center, two blocks away from Civic Center Park.
These new buildings will change the dynamic of the area with some people
worrying that the architecture of the two buildings, especially the Justice
Center, (which will have the city jail) will disrupt the historic design
of the park. Denver hopes to alleviate these concerns by incorporating
the buildings into the future Civic Center plan.
Colorado State Capitol
The Colorado State Capitol Building, located in Denver, Colorado, is the
home of the Colorado legislature. The building is intentionally reminiscent
of the United States Capitol. It was constructed in the 1890s from Colorado
white granite. The distinctive gold dome consists of a plate of real gold,
first added in 1908, commemorating the Colorado Gold Rush. The main entrance
hall is open 180 feet (55 meters) to the top of the dome, about the height
of an 18-story building. The interior of the building uses copious amounts
of a rare rose marble from a quarry near Marble, Colorado.
Confluence Park
Confluence Park is a park encompassing the intersection of Cherry Creek
and the South Platte River in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo), a bustling
neighborhood of 19th-century brick warehouses and storefronts that has
been redeveloped since the late 1980s into one of Denver's most vibrant
and active regions. The park includes cement trails often filled with
walkers, runners, and bikers. Some grassy areas, river overlooks, and
park benches are also available. One pedestrian bridge (soon two--as of
May 2004) crosses the South Platte River at Confluence Park. The eastern
edge of the South Platte in Confluence Park has been transformed into
a kayak run, immediately across from Recreational Equipment Incorporated's
(REI) Colorado flagship store. The park is adjacent to a number of new
up-scale townhouses, apartments, and loft developments, another park bordering
the South Platte downstream, train tracks, and Denver's skatepark.
Daniels & Fisher (D&F) Tower
The Daniels & Fisher (D&F) Tower is a distinctive Denver, Colorado
landmark. Built as part of the Daniels & Fisher department store in
1910, it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi at the time.
A clock tower, it has clock faces on all four sides. Daniels & Fisher
were later bought out by the May Company, and in the 1950s and 60s it
was known as the May D&F building. When the building was demolished
(ca. 1980), the tower was saved. It stands today in downtown Denver.
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an art museum in Denver, Colorado. It is known
for its collection of American Indian art, and has a comprehensive collection
of world art with a total of more than 55,000 works of art. The museum
was founded in 1893. It is housed in a 28-sided building designed by Gio
Ponti. A major expansion, the Frederic C. Hamilton building, designed
by Daniel Libeskind is under construction and expected to open in 2006.
The museum is run by a non-profit organization separate from the city
of Denver. Major funding for the museum is provided by a 0.1% sales tax
levied in the Science and Cultural Facilities District, which includes
seven Colorado counties in the Denver metropolitan area. About 60% of
this tax is used to provide funding for the Denver Art Museum and three
other major science and cultural facilities in Denver (the Denver Botanic
Gardens, the Denver Zoo, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science).
Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens 23 acres (93,000 m²) has been recognized
as one of the top five botanical gardens in the United States. The main
garden is located at 1005 York Street, Denver, Colorado, with satellite
gardens at Chatfield 750 acres (3 km²) in Littleton, Colorado and
Mt. Goliath, as well as the Centennial Gardens 5 acres (20,000 m²)
also in Denver. The Gardens contain more than 32,000 plants from Australia,
Africa, and the Himalayas. Specific garden areas include: the Birds and
Bees Walk, Boettcher Conservatory, Children’s Secret Path, Cloud
Forest Tree, Japanese Garden, June's PlantAsia, Mile High Garden, Monet
Garden, O’Fallon Perennial Walk, Rock Alpine Garden, Romantic Gardens,
Sacred Earth, Sensory Garden, Water Gardens, and the Water-Smart Garden.
Denver Mint
Denver Mint A branch of the United States Mint established in 1906 that
produces coins with a D mint mark (not to be confused with the mint in
Dahlonega, Georgia). The Denver Mint still operates today and produces
coins for circulation, mint sets, and commemoratives.
Denver Performing Arts Complex
A performing arts complex located in Denver. It is the second largest
performing arts center in the US after New York City's Lincoln Center.
The complex houses the following performance spaces: Auditorium Theatre-
Historic theatre that was home to the 1908 Democratic presidential convention,
Boetcher Concert Hall- Home of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Bonfills
Theatre Complex- Home of Stage, Space, Ricketson, and Jones Theaters as
well as the Grand Ballroom, Buell Theatre, Galleria Theatre.
Molly Brown House
The Molly Brown House Museum was the home of Margaret Brown, known as
"The Unsinkable Molly Brown" because she survived the sinking
of the RMS Titanic. The museum in Denver, Colorado presents exhibits interpreting
her life and that of Victorian Denver as well as architectural preservation.
It was built in the 1880s by William Lang, incorporating several popular
styles of the period, including Queen Anne, for the original owners Isaac
and Mary Large. They suffered from the crash resulting from the repeal
of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 and were forced to sell the
house. It was purchased by James Joseph Brown (J.J.), Margaret's husband,
in 1894 for $30,000 U.S. and the title was transferred to Margaret in
1898, possibly due to J.J.'s deteriorating health.
Ocean Journey
Colorado's Ocean Journey was the largest aquarium between Chicago and
California. Covering 17 acres it was located at 700 Water street, Denver.
Founded by Bll Fleming and Judy Petersen Fleming and partially funded
by a $57 million dollar bond loan as well as loans by the department of
Housing and Urban Development. The total cost was $93 million. Early on
skeptics questioned the neccessity of an expansive Aquarium exhibit in
a landlocked state. This view was seemingly born out by low attendence
numbers following its opening June 21st 1999. Colorado Ocean Journey Liquidation
Inc. filed bankruptcy April of 2002 and the building was purchased in
by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. for $13.6 million with plans to reopen it
as the Downtown Aquarium in Denver.
Red Rocks
Red Rocks is a mountain park to the southwest of Denver, where very large,
dark red boulders seem to sprout from the earth. One of these, Ship Rock,
is the size and approximate shape of a large ship, but balanced on another
boulder so delicately that it sways and rocks back and forth in a moderate
wind. Within the park boundaries is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Nearby
(South 17.7 miles) is Roxborough State Park, with red-rock formations.
Further south is Garden of the Gods. Also nearby (South 4.21 miles) is
Willowbrook Amphitheatre.
Six Flags Elitch Gardens
Six Flags Elitch Gardens is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It
is a member of the Six Flags chain. Elitch Gardens was a family owned
amusement park at a different location in Denver (38th and Tennyson) known
for its lush landscaping, theater, and wooden roller coaster named Mr.
Twister. In 1994-1995 the original Elitch Gardens relocated to a new location
in Denver and was subsequently sold to the Six Flags chain. Twister II
is a new wooden roller coaster based on the original Mr. Twister. The
new park has a water park as well as over 45 rides, shows, and attractions.
Tattered Cover
The Tattered Cover Bookstore is a bookstore in Denver, Colorado, and one
of the largest independent bookstores in the United States. Its main location
is in the Cherry Creek district of Denver with another branch in Denver's
LoDo (lower downtown) district. In November, 2004, the store opened a
third location in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. The Tattered Cover is open
7 days a week, hosts prominent book signings, and is renowned for its
customer service. The inventory for its retail sales is over ½
million books. The store was founded by Joyce Meskis. Like many independent
bookstores, the Tattered Cover is a member of the American Booksellers
Association.
Union Station
Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic train station at 17th
and Wynkoop in Denver's LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.
After the original structure was destroyed by fire in 1894 it was rebuilt
in Beaux-arts style and still serves passenger traffic including: Amtrak's
California Zephyr, Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad's Ski Train,
providing service between Denver and the Winter Park Ski Resort.
Wells Fargo Center
The Wells Fargo Center, formerly known as Norwest Center, is the third-tallest
building in Minneapolis, Minnesota after 225 South Sixth and the IDS Center
tower. Completed in 1988, it is 773 feet (235.6 m) tall. For many years,
this was believed to be one foot shorter than 225 South Sixth, but that
structure actually had a different height (see the IDS Center article
for details). Norwest Center was designed with a modernized art deco style
by Cesar Pelli, reflecting nearby structures such as the nearby Qwest
Building and the Foshay Tower, which is several blocks away. It is also
considered by many to be an homage to the GE Building at New York City's
Rockefeller Center. Wells Fargo Center sits on the site of the old Northwestern
National Bank Building, which was destroyed in a fire in 1982. Norwest
Bank was the original lessee, and Wells Fargo still has regional offices
there (Norwest, one of the most acquisitive banks of the 1990s, actually
bought Wells Fargo in 1998, later changing the company name and moving
their headquarters San Francisco, California where Wells Fargo had been
based).
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