Denver Botanic Gardens, Cheesman Park: what to see and when to go

Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden in Denver, Colorado, covering 23 acres. It features themed gardens, a tropical conservatory, and an amphitheater for summer concerts. The site includes plants from Colorado, the American West, and cold temperate regions worldwide.

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Covers 23 acres in Denver's Cheesman Park neighborhood
Features North America's largest collection of cold temperate plants
Home to the first Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, now called Dryland Mesa
Includes a Japanese garden designed by Koichi Kawana
Hosts concerts in a sunken amphitheater during summer

What is Denver Botanic Gardens?

Visitors to Denver Botanic Gardens find a large public garden with a wide range of plant displays. There are themed gardens, including ones focused on local Colorado plants, a Japanese garden, and a conservatory filled with tropical species. The grounds include a sunken amphitheater used for concerts, as well as a green roof and demonstration gardens that show how to grow plants in dry climates. The main site is in the Cheesman Park area of Denver.

The history of Denver Botanic Gardens

The main garden opened in 1951 in Denver, Colorado. It sits on land that was once Prospect Hill cemetery, with most burials removed by the mid-20th century. The Gardens have expanded to include locations at Chatfield, with meadows and a historic farm, and Mt. Goliath, which showcases alpine wildflowers. Over time, the Gardens have introduced new features like the first public green roof in Denver and a conservatory built with innovative materials.

What there is to see

The gardens are organized into themed areas, such as the Japanese Garden designed by Koichi Kawana and Kai Kwahara, and the Dryland Mesa, which demonstrates water-wise gardening using drought-tolerant plants. The conservatory houses tropical plants and was designed to manage condensation for visitor comfort. Other areas feature plants from cold climates and the American West, and there are spaces for events and education.

When to go

The Gardens are open to the public and serve as a place for learning about plants, enjoying nature, and attending cultural events. The amphitheater hosts concerts during the summer months. The gardens also provide examples of sustainable gardening practices, such as xeriscaping, and offer educational programs for visitors. Special exhibitions and seasonal displays are held throughout the year.

Parts and collections

Besides the main York Street location, Denver Botanic Gardens includes the Chatfield site, which focuses on natural meadows and historic farm life, and Mt. Goliath, where visitors can see alpine wildflowers along hiking trails. The themed gardens at the main site highlight different plant communities and gardening styles, including a Japanese garden and a demonstration area for dryland plants.

Why Denver Botanic Gardens matters

Denver Botanic Gardens is known for its innovative approach to plant display and sustainability, such as creating the first Xeriscape Demonstration Garden in 1986. The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is recognized for its unique construction. The Gardens published a book in 2020 about their history and mission, which received a national award. The site is a valued cultural and educational resource in Denver.

Questions people ask about Denver Botanic Gardens

Where is Denver Botanic Gardens located?

Denver Botanic Gardens is in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, United States. The main site covers 23 acres and there are additional locations at Chatfield and Mt. Goliath.

What can I see at the Gardens?

You can explore themed gardens with plants from Colorado and around the world, a tropical conservatory, a Japanese garden, and a green roof. There is also an amphitheater for summer concerts and demonstration areas for water-wise gardening.

What is special about the Gardens’ plant collections?

The Gardens hold the largest collection of cold temperate climate plants in North America and showcase drought-tolerant species in their Dryland Mesa. There are also displays of alpine wildflowers and regional plants.

Are there any notable buildings or features?

Yes, the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is a landmark structure made with concrete and Plexiglas, designed to keep visitors dry while viewing tropical plants. The Gardens also feature Denver’s first public green roof.

What kinds of events take place at the Gardens?

The sunken amphitheater hosts concerts during the summer, and the Gardens offer educational programs, seasonal exhibitions, and special events throughout the year.

Good reading and sources

Official websiteOfficial site

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Denver Botanic Gardens", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. Opening times, prices and bloom dates change: check with the place before you travel. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Sim's Park, Coonoor: Thangaraj Kumaravel, CC BY 2.0, source

Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute: No machine-readable author provided. Shyamal assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY 2.5, source

Baldha Garden: Muntasir du, Public domain, source

Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source

Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Dumbarton Oaks: Boucher, Jack E. (as "creator" of the work), National Park Service, US, Public domain, source

Missouri Botanical Garden: Yinan Chen, Public Domain, source

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens: Jllm06, Public domain, source

Denver Botanic Gardens