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All the United States Colorado Denver Riverside Cemetery

Riverside Cemetery

The oldest operating cemetery in Denver is the eternal home of some of the Centennial State's most famous residents.

Denver, Colorado

Added By
James O'Neill
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Statues and headstones mark the final resting place of Denver’s early pioneers.   U.S. Air Force/Public Domain
Statues and headstones mark the final resting place of Denver’s early pioneers.   U.S. Air Force/Public Domain
Lester Drake’s Log Cabin Monument   Public Domain
John Evans’ Monument   Mary Byers Robinson/Public Domain
  IgFan / Atlas Obscura User
  IgFan / Atlas Obscura User
  IgFan / Atlas Obscura User
Office   By L.C. McClure (1867-1957), Public Domain
Chapel   By L.C. McClure (1867-1957), Public Domain
Riverside has some very unique and touching memorials.   NightEagle / Atlas Obscura User
  Aty Trocious / Atlas Obscura User
Medal of Honor recipient   78stidham / Atlas Obscura User
  cjklever / Atlas Obscura User
  78stidham / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Opened in 1876, the Riverside Cemetery was originally intended to be so attractive that families would spend the day picnicking there. Today, Denver's oldest operating cemetery has lost its water rights, slashed its custodial budget, and the fading tombstones and overgrown crypts marking the burial sites of more than 67,000 members of Colorado history are listed on the state preservation group's "most endangered places."

The historic cemetery is a study in contrasts. Its location on the South Platte River made it an ideal final resting place for the wealthy. Unfortunately, Denver grew in a different direction, and now the cemetery is surrounded by industrial parks, train tracks, and Interstate 70. 

Still, touring its plots are a walk through the history of the West. One of the most famous graves is a miniature-stone cabin belonging to Lester Eugene Drake Sr., complete with a miner's pickax and shovel, flowers, and mule droppings. Other notable residents include freed slave Clara Brown, U.S. Congressmen and governors, suffragists, pioneers, railroad barons, the co-founder of Coors, civil rights activists, members of the first baseball and basketball leagues, and around 1,000 veterans. 

Riverside became a member of the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and issued its final grave site (due to financial concerns) in 2005.

Related Tags

Cemeteries Graveyards Gravestones History Graves

Know Before You Go

Riverside Cemetery
303-293-2466
Grounds open daily
Office Hours Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 10:00-3:00pm
Sun, Mon, Wed and Fri - closed
Closed all Holidays

Community Contributors

Added By

jamesboneill

Edited By

Jason Scott Cordova, Meg, NightEagle, Aty Trocious...

  • Jason Scott Cordova
  • Meg
  • NightEagle
  • Aty Trocious
  • IgFan
  • cjklever
  • ldevey29
  • 78stidham

Published

June 8, 2017

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Sources
  • http://friendsofriversidecemetery.org/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Cemetery_(Denver,_Colorado)
Riverside Cemetery
5201 Brighton Blvd
Denver, Colorado
United States
39.790489, -104.962798
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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Denver

Denver

Colorado

Places 42
Stories 12

Nearby Places

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Denver, Colorado

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Denver

Colorado

Places 42
Stories 12

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