Recap: Westwood Neighborhood Walking Tour with Dr. Nicki Gonzales

About the tour: Join Dr. Nicki Gonzales, Colorado State Historian, and explore the history of Westwood and its vibrant community. Walk Morrison Road, a unique commercial and cultural corridor, and learn about the urban design and development of the greater Westwood neighborhood. Visit community spaces, including St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, longstanding businesses and a selection of Westwood’s celebrated murals. This tour, presented in partnership with Historic Denver, was informed by the City’s recent Latino/Chicano Historic Context Study, an overview of the deep history and historic places of Denver’s Mexican American, Chicano and Latino communities.

About the neighborhood: Once a stretch of unpopulated prairie, the Westwood neighborhood grew rapidly to supply much-needed housing following World War II. At the center of the southwest Denver neighborhood is its distinctive thoroughfare, Morrison Road, which cuts diagonally from Alameda Ave. to Sheridan Blvd. Westwood’s Mexican-American roots are evident in the culturally inspired murals, restaurants, homes and businesses that line Morrison Road and the surrounding streets. The neighborhood is also home to the Westwood Creative District, the annual Westwood Chile Fest and an urban farm managed by local nonprofit Re:Vision.

About the tour guide: Born and raised in Denver, Dr. Nicki Gonzales has deep roots in the coal mining and agricultural communities of Colorado and New Mexico. She is a graduate of Yale University and CU Boulder, with a PhD in American History. Currently, she serves as Colorado State Historian and is also a Professor of History and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Regis University. Dr. Gonzales specializes in the history of the American West, with a focus on race relations and social and political movements. Her most recent projects include the City’s Latino/Chicano Historic Context Study and an oral history of Chicano Vietnam Veterans.

Meeting location details will be provided in the order confirmation.

Accessibility: This 90-minute walking tour will cover several sites in the Westwood neighborhood. Opportunities for rest will be limited.

COVID-19: All attendees will be required to sign a waiver of liability and answer a COVID-19 questionnaire prior to the in-person tour. 

Mural by Westwood artist Julio Mendoza.