Colorado Chronicles : Mile High Oasis

What would you an oasis located smack dab in the middle of over 2 million people at an elevation of 5280 feet? I call it the Denver Botanic Gardens. A fledgling idea between local gardeners, botanists and civic leaders in 1951, one location change and fifty-six years later, the DBG are one of the premier botanic gardens in the United States. The site was originally in another part of town, but it was not a very secure location and vandals were constantly stealing and trampling the goodies and by 1959, planting at the current location had begun. A few years later in 1966, the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory at The Gardens, housing tropical and sub-tropical plants was dedicated, and with that the Denver Botanic Gardens became a year round attraction. DBG also has two other sites in its family, one of them in nearby Chatfield, the other at Mount Goliath, where at over 10,000 feet in elevation, there are only forty frost-free days a year! At DBG you'll find a gift shop, the Helen Fowler Library, a calendar of events and exhibits and more. Heck, you can even rent the facility for special occasions! In short, Denver Botanic Gardens is much more than just a neat place to go see the natural beauty that makes Colorado what it is. DBG is truly a Mile High Oasis.