DENVER — Denver’s Elitch Garden Theme Park turns 136 years old in 2026.
The historic amusement park — visible to commuters near Interstate 25 and Speer Boulevard in downtown Denver — has evolved quite a bit from its humble beginnings.
On May 1, 1890, John and Mary Elitch opened Elitch Zoological Gardens for the public to enjoy on their farm on the outskirts of the city — or what is now 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street. At the time, Denver itself had only been a city for 30 years…