Entry No. 45 — the Denver file — filed under: cemetery
Riverside Cemetery History & Mystery Tours
Denver's oldest cemetery (1876) sits forgotten on 77 acres of dry, overgrown ground in Globeville — National Register-listed, yet on the state's most-endangered-places list, which tells you how few people visit. Beneath the leaning tombstones: Colorado's first governor, Augusta Tabor, Barney Ford, and a miner whose headstone is a hand-carved limestone replica of a mining cabin. The Fairmount Heritage Foundation runs the city's only nighttime cemetery tours plus free daytime walks — history and legend, by lamplight. Most locals don't even know it exists.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but Denver's true founding generation didn't end up under manicured suburban lawns. They're stranded on 77 acres of parched prairie in Globeville, pinned between BNSF rail tracks, industrial complexes, and the roar of I-70. Founded in 1876, Riverside Cemetery was designed as the region's premier Victorian park-cemetery, but after losing its court battle over water rights decades ago, the lush grounds reverted to dry prairie grass. Today, it stands on the state's most-endangered places list, holding over 67,000 burials—including Colorado's first governor John Routt, silver queen Augusta Tabor, abolitionist and entrepreneur Barney Ford, and Sand Creek whistleblower Silas Soule.
Walk the sun-bleached grounds long enough and the stone monuments reveal remarkably specific histories. Take Lester Drake, a Black Hawk miner buried beneath a hand-carved sandstone replica of his log cabin, detailed down to a carved door latch, pick, and shovel. A few rows over sits the Richardsonian Romanesque Jones Mausoleum, built by Hartsville F. Jones, a saloon owner who lost a mayoralty race in 1888 and later died bankrupt; his estranged wife lies in the ground outside, leaving the massive stone crypt completely empty.
When autumn arrives, the Fairmount Heritage Foundation hosts the city's only after-dark cemetery walks. Led by flashlight and lantern light, you'll navigate leaning tombstones, zinc monuments, and isolated family vaults while train horns whistle across the South Platte River. It feels less like a polished museum stroll and more like a quiet rendezvous with a side of Denver that was nearly paved over.
What it's like
Arriving feels more like pulling into an industrial shipping yard than an 1870s burial ground. Skip the old walled entrance on Brighton Boulevard; instead, turn onto York Street and drive a quarter-mile north to the active gate. On the evening History & Mystery tour, you'll walk guided by flashlight behind a Foundation host across unlit, sun-baked dirt paths and gravel, stopping at notable gravesites and crypts. The air carries the distinct scent of nearby rail yards and industrial plants, giving the night a gritty, atmospheric edge. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes to handle uneven terrain, layer up against the wind sweeping off the Platte, and book your tickets on Eventbrite well in advance—the autumn night slots sell out rapidly.
The move: Book the evening History & Mystery tour together — you walk the dark grounds hearing the Lester Drake and Jones Mausoleum stories — or do the free Sunday daytime walk if you want it lower-key and lingering.
📍 Before you go Don't aim for the old Brighton Blvd main gate — it was relocated, and the current entrance sits on the cemetery's north side, reached by turning onto York Street and following it about a quarter-mile to the gate. This is open, sun-exposed prairie in an isolated industrial-residential pocket of Globeville, so plan to drive rather than walk, wear real shoes, and tread quietly: it's still a fragile, active historic burial ground. Evening tours cluster in fall and tend to sell out, so reserve well ahead; daytime walks run seasonally — check ahead. Pair it with RiNo's breweries just south or a show at nearby Globe Hall.
- 📍 Globeville
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (Globeville; entrance off Brighton Blvd — tours via Fairmount Heritage Foundation)
Hours: Grounds open daytime; guided tours are scheduled events (free Sunday daytime tours seasonally; History & Mystery / evening tours cluster around fall/October). Check Fairmount Heritage Foundation + Eventbrite for current dates and tickets — sells out.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Grave of Silas Soule — Located right on Riverside's grounds, this grave marks the resting place of the Union captain who refused orders to fire at the Sand Creek Massacre, making it a powerful stop during a daytime walk.
- Fort Greene — After walking the dark prairie paths, head less than two miles south to this signless Globeville cocktail lounge tucked inside an 1880s former saloon.
- Forney Museum of Transportation — Just 1.4 miles down Brighton Boulevard, this massive vehicle collection offers a great indoor industrial-history warmup before an evening tour.
Good to know
How do I find the entrance to Riverside Cemetery?
Do not attempt to enter through the historic main gate on Brighton Boulevard. Turn off Brighton Boulevard onto York Street and follow it north for about a quarter of a mile to reach the active gate on the north side of the grounds.
What is covered on the History & Mystery Tour?
It is an after-dark guided walking tour led by the Fairmount Heritage Foundation, focusing on dark history, pioneer biographies, unique funerary art like Lester Drake's cabin marker, and local legends around sites like the empty Jones Mausoleum.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
Yes. While daytime grounds access is free, the guided evening History & Mystery tours cluster around fall (especially October) and routinely sell out early via Eventbrite.
Can I visit during the day without a guided tour?
Yes, the grounds are open during daytime hours for respectful self-guided walks, and the Fairmount Heritage Foundation also schedules occasional free daytime tours on select Sundays.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · Westword · eventbrite.com · fairmountheritagefoundation.org · kunc.org · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-07