Entry No. 94 — the Denver file — filed under: arboretum
Fairmount Cemetery Arboretum & Heritage Rose Garden
This is Colorado's largest and most diverse arboretum — over 4,000 trees and shrubs first planted in 1890 by Reinhard Schuetze, the state's first landscape architect — and it's hiding in plain sight inside a still-operating cemetery off Quebec Street. The Heritage Rose Garden centered on the white gazebo in Block 85 holds one of the largest Old Garden Rose collections in the country: roughly 300 antique bushes in 60-plus varieties, some over a century old, many planted by grieving families on graves and now treated as a living horticultural archive. It's free, open daily, and almost nobody outside the rose-and-tree nerds knows you can just walk in and treat it as a botanical garden. Peak rose bloom is roughly June into early summer.
The move: Pick up the self-guided arboretum tree map or just wander Block 85 in June when the heritage roses peak — slow loop through the old roses and centenarian trees, no crowds, completely free.
📍 Before you go Enter off S Quebec Street, but the Heritage Rose Garden sits deep in the grounds at Block 85, marked by the white gazebo — follow the interior lanes rather than expecting it near the gate, and you can park along the drive beside it. June into early summer is peak bloom, and quiet weekday mornings give you the place almost to yourself. Remember this is a still-active cemetery: stay on the lanes and steer clear of any service in progress. While there, pair the roses with the 1890 Gothic Ivy Chapel, the stained-glass Mausoleum, and the self-guided arboretum tree map.
- 📍 East Denver (near Aurora border)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 430 S Quebec St, Denver, CO 80247 (Heritage Rose Garden is in Block 85, marked by the white gazebo, inside Fairmount Cemetery)
Hours: Cemetery grounds open to the public daily during daylight hours; roses peak roughly June into summer. Call Fairmount (303-399-0692) to confirm seasonal hours and any tour dates.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: cpr.org · Official site · highcountryroses.com
last checked: 2026-06-07