25 FUN FACTS ABOUT DENVER

1. The first permanent structure in Denver was not a hospital,

bank or houseit was a saloon.
2. Denver brews more beer than any other city in the nation,
with over 200 different beers brewed daily.
3. In Denvers rarified air, golf balls go about 10% farther than
they would at sea level.
4. Because of Denvers air and altitude, its also easier to get
drunk. Alcoholic drinks can sometimes feel 1.5 to 3 times more
potent in the Mile High City.

Denver's
local beers

Great American Beer Festival, in

Denver

5. The 1976 Winter Olympics were originally going to be held in

Denver. However, after the community voted against it, the city
withdrew their bid, making it the first place to ever turn down
hosting the Olympics.
6. Famed music group Led Zeppelin played their first show in
America at the Denver Auditorium Arena on December 26,
1968.

7. In 1902, the police at Denver Union Station started enforcing

a no kissing rule on platforms because it slowed down the
trains.
8. Denver is one of the 12 US cities to have teams from four
major sports (baseball, hockey, football and basketball).
9. Denver has been named the Baby Boomer Capital of
America, boasting a higher number of baby boomers than any
other US city.
10. The dome of the Colorado state capitol is plated with real
24K gold.
11. However, the real rarity of the Colorado state capitol is on
the inside because the buildings interior has large amounts of
Colorado Rose Onyx. The worlds entire known supply of the
material was used on the building.

Colorado's Rose Onyx at The Capitol

12. Denver was rated as the healthiest city in the country for
pets by Purina, ranking high in categories like veterinarian to
pet ratio and low number of fleas.

13. Denver has the largest city park system in the nation, with
14,000 acres of mountain parks and 2,500 acres of natural
areas.
14. The iconic Blue Mustang sculpture, near the main road into
airport, is rumored to be cursed. Its sculptor, Luis Jimenez, died
in a freak accident while creating it when a piece of the 9000
pound sculpture fell on his leg and severed an artery. The
stallion is now known as the Devil Horse and Blucifer.
15. Denver currently has more marijuana dispensaries than
Starbucks stores.
16. The 16th Street Mall in Denver was designed by master
architect I.M. Pei, who also created the glass pyramid outside of
the Louvre in Paris
17. When viewed from above, the 400,000 pieces of granite
paving on the pedestrian walkway of the 16th Street Mall
resemble the skin of a western diamondback rattlesnake.
18. Denver was named after Kansas Territorial Governor James
Denver in hopes of gaining political favor. However, by the time
the town was named, Governor Denver had retired.
19. Denver is one of the few cities in the country that wasnt
built on a road, railroad, lake or navigable body of water.
Settlers were attracted to the spot because of the gold found
there.
20. The Denver Performing Art Complex is the 2nd largest
performing arts center in the world.
21. Denver is home to the Great American Beer Festival, the
American brewing industrys top beer tasting opportunity and
competition.
22. The Denver mint is the single largest producer of coins in
the world. You can tell if a coin is made in Denver by a D mark.

23. Contrary to popular belief, Denver is not within the Rocky

Mountains. Instead, its near them, lying at the base of the
mountain range. In fact, it was built on the high planes and is
one of the flattest cities in America.
24. Denvers bright blue sky really is bluer than many other
cities. Because of Denvers elevation, the air has less water
vapor than it would at a lower altitude, making for a gorgeous
sky!
25. Denver International Airport is the largest airport in the
country in terms of land area. Its so huge that the four busiest
airports in the US (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport, OHare International Airport, Los Angeles International
Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) could fit into
Denver Airports 53-square miles of land.