Riverside Cemetery Block 12 — Denver's Forgotten Potters Field

Riverside is Denver's oldest operating cemetery (1876) and a National Historic District, but almost no one knows about Block 12. It's a flat, near-empty stretch of grass hiding thousands of unmarked graves — a potters field where counties from across Colorado quietly shipped their poorest dead, including an enormous number of infants. There are no headstones; volunteers are still piecing together names from burial ledgers. Standing on what looks like an ordinary lawn and knowing what's under it is the whole experience.

The move: Do a quiet, reflective walk together with a printout of the cemetery's notable-graves map, end at Block 12, and talk about who decides whose name gets remembered — heavy, but it sticks with you.

• 📍 Elyria-Swansea / Adams County border
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Riverside Cemetery, 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (Block 12 / Potters Field is within the grounds; main gate relocated to the north side along York St)

Hours: Grounds open daily ~8am-5pm; office hours Tue/Thu/Sat 10am-3pm only. Free to walk. It's an active historic cemetery — be respectful and quiet.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3

Verified 2026-06-07.