August 2015: Red Rocks achieves National Historic Designation
Red Rocks Park, purchased by Denver in 1928, was one of the last Mountain Parks to be acquired. Its 640 acres contain a remarkable landscape of red sandstone monoliths that has been a regional attraction since the 1870s–at least! These features can be viewed from road and trail, with new scenic vistas around every corner.
Here you’ll find some of the history behind this famous park and its world-class concert venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, completed in 1941 by workers from the nearby Civilian Conservation Corps camp. We’ve divided the Park’s history into the following periods:
- Prehistory
- Before 1906: Garden of the Angels
- 1906 to 1927: Garden of the Titans
- 1928 to 1941: Denver’s Park of the Red Rocks
This location directs you to internet resources for the history, natural history, geology, and scenery of Red Rocks Park, wherever they are located. Use the menu above to access sections of interest and the links to the left to explore further. Please respect any copyrights and other restrictions posted by the linked sites.
Red Rocks is located near the historic town of Morrison, Colorado. For information on and links to the history of Jefferson County, Colorado, see HistoricJeffco.org.
![]() More on Red Rocks? See Historic Then/Now Scenes at the Mountain Parks history pages! |
![]() Visiting Red Rocks? Horton House Bed and Breakfast the closest place to stay! |
John Brisben Walker and Cosmopolitan Magazine
More News and Views
Visit MountainParksHistory.org The Denver Mountain Parks Foundation is working with Mountain Parks staff to develop and maintain a website featuring documents, images, brochures, and articles from 98 years of Mountain Parks history.
Tour Red Rocks Park in Winter with this gallery of photos taken February 15, 2007.
As this site grows, visit again for more great old information on Red Rocks Park at this location. Please visit any of the links provided for more information. If your favorite site is not listed, let us know so we can consider including it.
I’ve visited your Amphitheater and I love it. It has been known for the Earth Sunrise Easter Service, bands, plays, and many more. We have to give speeches this year on a landmark that interests us and i am most defiantly going to do your Red Rock Amphitheater. When i went their last year with my Grandpa and his girlfriend Judy said she was getting tired of walking, but when we got home she said it was definatly woth walking around. 🙂