Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the Denver Architectural Foundation invite the public to celebrate “150 Years of Denver Architecture” with Doors Open Denver 2008.
2008 will be the 150th anniversary of the founding of Denver. Doors Open Denver 2008 will commemorate the occasion by opening doors representing each decade, including outstanding examples of work by important Denver architects and buildings characteristic of various eras.
On the weekend of April 12 and 13, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to experience Denver’s built environment in a new way—from inside many buildings that are not ordinarily open to the public. Attendees will have access to more than 80 of Denver’s prominent architectural gems and lesser-known treasures. These include corporate offices, mansions, museums, architecture and design studios, hotels, commercial and retail buildings and more.
Doors Open Denver hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with event headquarters at Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop.
Participants can experience Doors Open Denver through:
- a self-guided tour
- an Urban Adventure (self-guided tours tailored to a specific interest or theme)
- an Expert Tour (led by architects and historians)
Urban Adventures engage everyone and promote an appreciation of the facilities that comprise Denver’s rich architectural landscape. Titles include:
- Denver Icons Recommended by AIA Denver (The American Institute of Architects)
- Bicycle Tour of Central Denver – NEW for 2008!
- Mountain Parks Auto Tour – NEW for 2008!
- Family Fun
- Great Outdoors
- Art Spaces
- Romancing Denver
- Churches & Chapels – NEW for 2008!
- Schools – NEW for 2008!
- Performance venues – NEW for 2008!
- What Was This Building?
- Does Your Office Look Like This?
36 Expert Tours are available in 2008. A sampling of the offerings includes:
- Elitch Gardens Theatre – NEW for 2008!
- Baker Historic District/SoBo (South Broadway) Walking Tour – NEW for 2008!
- History of Denver Walking Tour – NEW for 2008!
- Under the Golden Dome: The Historic State Capitol – NEW for 2008!
- Denver Artist's Club: Birth of the Denver Art Museum
- Historic Washington Park
- Denver Botanic Gardens - Waring House Mansion Tour – NEW for 2008!
- The Restoration of the Byers-Evans House Museum
- 1600 Glenarm Place
- Denver After Dark (a unique nighttime tour of Denver) – NEW for 2008!
- Discover How Easy It Is To Be Green….Creatively!
- Public Art Tours – Civic Center, Colorado Convention Center & Denver Performing Arts Complex
To reserve a spot on an Expert Tour, attendees must pre-register on the tour day at event headquarters, located at Union Station. Tours have limited capacity. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Other activities include:
- Colorado Architecture Week, April 11-17
- Box City presented by AIA Denver, Saturday, April 12
- Sustainable Building Workshop offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. – NEW for 2008!
Event guides will be distributed to 250,000 households through the April 4 editions of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Guides will also be available at Doors Open Denver headquarters in Union Station on event weekend, at each participating site, kiosks along the 16th Street Mall and tourist information centers.
For complete information please visit
Doors Open Denver 2008. .
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Doors Open Denver 2008 is presented by the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and the Denver Architectural Foundation. The event is sponsored by AIA Denver, Downtown Denver Partnership, American Society of Landscape Architects, American Society of Interior Designers, B&R Screen Graphics, Davis Audio/Visual and Qdoba. Media sponsors include The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, KBCO, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine and Colorado Real Estate Journal.