This Friday, May 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Boulder High School will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a special open house at its historic campus on Arapahoe Avenue. The evening will include guest speakers, guided tours, live music, historical slideshows, and light refreshments. The event is free, and RSVP information is available through the Boulder Valley School District.
For alumni, longtime residents, and anyone who appreciates Boulder history, this is more than a school celebration. It is a chance to reconnect with one of the city’s most important landmarks and the generations of students who helped shape Boulder into the community it is today.
Colorado’s First Public High School
Founded in 1875, Boulder High School holds the distinction of being Colorado’s first public high school. At the time, Boulder was still a small frontier mining town, and Colorado had not yet achieved statehood. The school originally served as a preparatory department for the University of Colorado Boulder, helping students prepare for higher education during the earliest days of the university.
The first graduating class received diplomas on June 9, 1876. Students studied subjects including Latin, algebra, physiology, ancient geography, and multiple foreign languages such as German, Greek, and French. Even student life had its own traditions, with freshmen through seniors nicknamed “Onies,” “Toots,” “Trips,” and “Quads.”
The Iconic Red Stone Campus
As Boulder grew, so did the school. By the 1930s, Boulder High had outgrown several earlier buildings. During the Great Depression, funding from President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal WPA program helped construct the stunning red sandstone and limestone campus that still stands today…