Entry No. 66 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
National Wildlife Property Repository
“a customs seizure crossed with a natural-history nightmare”
Tucked inside the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge sits a 16,000-square-foot federal warehouse stacked floor to ceiling with the spoils of the global wildlife trade: pangolin scales, carved ivory, sea-turtle-shell guitars, python-skin boots, mounted tiger heads. It's the largest repository of seized trafficking goods on Earth, run by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and most Denverites have no idea it's a 20-minute drive away. When tours run, a ranger walks you through aisles of contraband that look like a customs seizure crossed with a natural-history nightmare.
The story
Twenty minutes outside downtown Denver, on a former World War II chemical weapons manufacturing plant turned prairie sanctuary, sits Building 128. You won't find it on standard tourist maps. Inside this 16,000-square-foot federal warehouse, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service stores the world's largest stash of confiscated animal contraband—over 1.2 million items seized by border inspectors and federal agents at ports of entry across the country.
Walk the aisles and you aren't looking at natural history museum displays. You're looking at a crime evidence locker stacked floor to ceiling with the wreckage of the global black-market wildlife trade: pangolin scale coats, carved elephant ivory tusks, guitars made from endangered sea turtle shells, stuffed tiger mounts, and endless racks of python-skin boots. Nothing in the building is alive, and none of it is ever put up for sale.
Federal authorities consolidated the operation at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge in 1995, pairing it alongside the National Eagle Repository under one roof. While thousands of bison, coyotes, and black-tailed prairie dogs roam the 15,000-acre remediated Superfund soil outside, inside Building 128 staff log incoming contraband shipments, lend artifacts out to scientific researchers, and maintain a quiet, climate-controlled testament to illegal trade.
What it's like
Reaching the repository requires entering the Rocky Mountain Arsenal gate off Gateway Road and navigating deep into federal refuge property. You'll pass open shortgrass prairie where wild bison graze, making the abrupt transition into a locked federal storage facility jarring. Do not expect to walk in off the street: the facility is strictly appointment-only, and official public tours—historically scheduled on the first Friday of each month—are currently listed as unavailable pending staff availability. When tours do run, an inspector or ranger walks you through metal shelving units holding thousands of confiscated dead species. Treat any visit as a rare stroke of luck, and call (303-287-2110) or email (nwpr@fws.gov) ahead to verify if staff can accommodate you.
The move: When public access is open, book the first-Friday tour, then make a half-day of it by pairing it with a slow drive through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge to spot bison and the resident prairie dogs.
📍 Before you go This isn't a standalone address — the repository is Building 128 deep inside the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge, so you'll pass through the Gateway Road entrance gate and the refuge visitor center to reach it. The refuge grounds are free and open daily, gates running roughly sunrise to sunset (longer on summer evenings), which makes the drive out worthwhile even when the warehouse itself isn't on the agenda. The repository is strictly appointment-only — no walk-ins — and tours are genuinely scarce, since it's a working federal warehouse staffed by a skeleton crew who hand-pick which requests they can host. Treat any visit as a lucky bonus, not a guarantee.
- 📍 Commerce City
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 6550 Gateway Rd, Building 128, Commerce City, CO 80022 (inside Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge); by appointment only, nwpr@fws.gov / 303-287-2110
Hours: By appointment only; historically free public tours on the first Friday of each month. NOTE: as of mid-2026 FWS lists tours and education programs as 'unavailable until further notice' pending staff availability. Email/call ahead to confirm before planning a visit.
Pair it with
- National Eagle Repository — Located right inside the same federal building on the refuge, this facility receives deceased bald and golden eagles nationwide to distribute feathers and parts to Native American tribal members for religious ceremonies.
- 88 Drive-In Theatre — Just three miles west in Commerce City, Denver metro's last original drive-in cinema screens double features under the open sky after a day exploring the refuge.
- Riverside Cemetery — A four-mile drive southwest leads to Denver's oldest cemetery (1876), a dry prairie graveyard hemmed in by industrial rail lines and highway overpasses.
Good to know
How do I book a tour or visit Building 128?
You must contact U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff directly by emailing nwpr@fws.gov or calling 303-287-2110. Walk-ins are strictly prohibited, and public educational tours are currently paused pending staff availability.
Are there living animals kept inside the property repository?
No. The repository holds only dead specimens, hides, taxidermy, and manufactured wildlife goods confiscated from illegal trade. Living bison, deer, and prairie dogs live outside on the surrounding refuge grounds.
Does it cost money to enter the refuge or repository?
No. Refuge entry is free daily, and official federal tours or appointments at the repository do not charge admission fees.
What happens to all the seized contraband stored here?
Items are held as federal property, cataloged in a national database, and loaned out to educational institutions, museums, and law enforcement agencies for conservation training and research.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · fws.gov · rmpbs.org
last checked: 2026-06-07