Events

Mayor Bill Vidal, the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs and The Denver Architectural Foundation invite the public to celebrate Denver’s unique architectural landscape by taking part in Doors Open Denver 2011.  The theme for this year’s Doors Open Denver is modern architecture and the program will feature sites from the 50’s to present.

Doors Open Denver 2011 will take place the weekend of April 16 and 17.  Residents and visitors will have the opportunity to experience Denver’s built environment in a special way—from inside many buildings that are not ordinarily open to the public.  Attendees will have access to more than 70 of Denver’s prominent architectural gems and lesser-known treasures.  These include corporate offices, mansions, architecture and design studios, hotels, commercial and retail buildings, museums, educational facilities and more.  Note that about half of the sites to be featured in 2011 are new to Doors Open Denver. 

Doors Open Denver is a FREE event.  Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Event headquarters will be located inside Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop.

Participants can experience Doors Open Denver through:

• a self-guided tour
• an Urban Adventure (self-guided tours tailored to a specific interest or theme)
• an Expert Tour (led by volunteer guides)

Urban Adventures engage everyone and promote an appreciation of the facilities that comprise Denver’s rich architectural landscape.  Titles include:

• Denver Icons Recommended by AIA Denver (The American Institute of Architects) 
• Family Fun
• Great Outdoors
• Art & Architecture Spaces
• Romancing Denver
• Performance & Event Venues
• Berkeley Neighborhood Walking Tour – NEW!
• Stapleton Neighborhood Walking Tour – NEW!
• University Park Walking Tour – NEW!
• Cherry Creek North Walking Tour – NEW!

More than 100 Expert Tours will be available in 2011.  A sampling includes:

• Mayan Theatre
• Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Headquarters Building
• Union Station, LoDo & the Red Light District with Tom Noel
• Public Art Bicycle Tour – NEW!
• Art District on Santa Fe Walking Tour – NEW!
• Denver’s Public Art & Architecture – NEW!
• Platte Valley/Commons Park Public Art Tour – NEW! 
• Cableland, Official Residence of the Mayor – NEW!
• The Low Down About Denver’s LoDo with Auditor Dennis Gallagher
• History Tour of 16^th Street – NEW!
• EPA Green Building Tour
• Bicycle Tour of Stapleton Public Art – NEW!
• Transforming Denver’s Civic Center – NEW!
• Three Bridges: The Pedestrian Corridor on Upper 16^th Street – NEW!
• Hangar 2 at Lowry: Redevelopment of an Historic Hangar – NEW!
• The Frederic C. Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum – NEW!

Expert Tour participants must pre-register at event headquarters on the tour day to reserve a place.  Tours have limited capacity, but many tours will be offered more than once.  Registration will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Only two tickets per person and two tours per day/per person will be permitted.  Only those wishing to take expert tours need to come to event headquarters.  Self-guided experiences can start at any participating location. 

Other activities will include:

• Colorado Architecture Month, April 2011
• AIA Denver Box City for Kids, Saturday, April 16
• FOCUS ON ARCHITECTURE Photography Competition
• Platte Valley Trolley - Denver Rail Heritage Society, Saturday, April 16 & Sunday, April 17 
• Denver Society of Model Railroaders display in Union Station
• Platte Valley & Western Model Railroad Club display in Union Station

Event guides will be distributed to 195,000 households through the April 8 edition of The Denver Post.  Guides will also be available at event headquarters in Union Station on event weekend, at each participating site, kiosks along the 16^th Street Mall and tourist information centers.

Complete information on Doors Open Denver 2011 will soon be available at www.DenverGov.org/DoorsOpenDenver. 

Doors Open Denver is taking place in celebration with Colorado Architecture Month.  Visit www.ColoradoArchitectureMonth.org for more information. 

The mission of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs is to advance the arts and culture in the City and County of Denver.