City Park Walking Tour
March 27th, April 17th & May 12th
Ahh… spring is in the air and we couldn’t be more excited about this next set of DAF tours. Join us and our partners at City Park Friends and Neighbors – Georgia Garnsey, John Brett and Patrick O’Driscoll – for a rejuvenating and educational walking tour of City Park. THREE tour dates are available. Capacity is limited, so purchase your tix soon! Tour date options are:
- Saturday, March 27th, 10-11:30am
- Saturday, April 17th, 10-11:30am
- Wednesday, May 12th, 4:30-6pm
About the tour: Treat yourself to this multi-dimensional tour of City Park, the Crown Jewel of the Queen City. Designed in 1882, City Park is also known from Denver’s early history as the “people’s park.” We’ll explore City Park’s history and its intrinsic beauty, sculpted by the vision of Denver’s pioneer founders and leading designers such as Reinhard Schuetze, S.R. De Boer, George Kessler and Charles Robinson. Not only will you learn more about the park’s evolution from a rattlesnake and cactus-filled stretch of prairie to an oasis of lakes, trees, fountains and gardens, but you will also learn about the rich bird life that has evolved in our inner city as a result. Additionally, we will make a special stop at the new Color Field art installation at the Lily Pond.
About the park: City Park is located in northeast Denver, home to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Zoo. When City Park was established in 1882 (only 26 years after Denver’s founding), it was out in the “country.” It is astounding that city leaders had the faith in their new city to plan for a regional park of such size (330 acres), inspired by NYC’s Central Park. The tree-filled neighborhoods that developed around City Park include Park Hill, South City Park, City Park West, Cole, Whittier, Skyland and North City Park.
About the tour guides:
Georgia Garnsey is a long-time resident of Park Hill and a City Park enthusiast. She is the author of several books on Colorado themes including Colorado’s Great Gardens with Rob Proctor. Garnsey is also the President of City Park Friends and Neighbors.
John Brett is a retired university professor who focused on the anthropology of food and nutrition, food security and urban sustainability. John was also the Volunteer Coordinator for Denver Botanic Gardens for ten years. He has walked and biked in City Park for nearly 40 years and is a board member of City Park Friends and Neighbors.
Patrick O’Driscoll is a retired career newspaper reporter who lives in the Hale Neighborhood. He took up birdwatching seriously eight years ago on a solo walk through City Park, the first of more than 280 bird outings there since then.
Please note: All attendees (including tour guide and DAF staff) will be required to sign a waiver of liability and answer a COVID-19 questionnaire prior to the in-person tour. All participants must wear a mask on this tour and remain six feet apart. Our tour guide will utilize a portable PA system for voice amplification. Click here for more information on DAF’s COVID-19 precautions.
Tour meeting location will be included in your purchase confirmation.