Page 12 - Denver, CO Sunken Gardens

SUNKEN GARDENS

Looking from the northern gateway south into the park, the original pathways meandered around the formal flower gardens to con-
nect to the reflecting pool and pavilion. Historic pathways through the park are highly significant and should be preserved. (Denver
Municipal Fact: Volume 3 Number 34, 1911 August 19. Denver Public Library.)
Circulation
Numerous pathways currently lead through the park.
While some of these pathways reflect the historic location
of pathways, as shown in orange in the map on page 13,
the majority of the historic pathways no longer exist. The
current pathways respond to changing uses over time,
and changing features in the park. Original pathways
through the park focused on bringing visitors to the key
features of the park. For instance, a pathway surrounded
the reflecting pool and drew visitors around and through
the formal gardens north of the pool. As the park features
changed over time, many of the original pathways, such
as the one surrounding the pool, were removed. Others
were used less frequently. The current pedestrian path-
ways can be grouped into three categories: perimeter
sidewalks providing easy movement around the park,
internal circulation corridors through the park and mean-
The gateway at the southwestern corner of the park, located dering internal footpaths.
at 8th Avenue and Delaware Street, connects to the perimeter
path and an internal pathway through the park. Both are key to
accessing various parts of the park. (Winter & Company, 2020) In addition to the primary pathways, there are also a
series of important gateways that should be noted. While
some gateways provide a grander entry experience than
others, they are all key to bringing pedestrians into the
park. The gateways are noted on the map and include:
• Elati Street and Speer Boulevard (G1)

• West High School to the Park (along Elati Street) (G2)
• Elati Street and 9th Avenue (G3)

• Delaware Street and 8th Avenue (G4)
• Speer Boulevard and 8th Avenue (G5)
The Speer Boulevard and Bannock Street gateway provides a
crosswalk for pedestrian access into the park from the neighbor- • Speer Boulevard and Bannock Street (G6)
hoods to the east. (Winter & Company, 2020)
CITY & COUNTY OF D ENVER | P ARKS & RECREATION
12