Cold War Horse

On a lonely stretch of Highway 72 northwest of Denver, a life-size horse stands in an electric-red hazmat suit, black rubber boots and a respirator. Artist Jeff Gipe (whose father worked the plant for 20 years) built it as a memorial to Rocky Flats, the nuclear weapons site beneath your feet that churned out more than 70,000 plutonium triggers for warheads from 1951 to 1989. It was sledgehammered by vandals within two weeks of going up; Gipe rebuilt it in his mother's Arvada garage and added a fence, sensor lights and a camera. Drivers pass it daily without ever knowing what the red horse is guarding.

The move: Drive out at golden hour for the eerie roadside photo op, then read the plaque together and talk about the Cold War history hidden under the open space around you.

• 📍 Arvada / Rocky Flats
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: South side of Highway 72 (Coal Creek Canyon Rd), just west of Indiana St near the Candelas development, Arvada area, CO

Hours: Roadside sculpture, viewable anytime; best in daylight. No facilities; pull off safely on Hwy 72.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3

Verified 2026-06-07.