Riverside Cemetery

Denver's oldest operating cemetery (1876) got swallowed by the city it served — today it's boxed in by industrial lots, I-70 overpasses, and rail yards along Brighton Boulevard. After it lost its irrigation water rights in the early 2000s, the lawns died back to wild prairie grass, so 67,000 graves now sit in waist-high weeds and wildflowers. It made Colorado's Most Endangered Places list, yet the gates are open and you'll likely have all 77 acres to yourself. The headstones read like a directory of frontier Denver, veterans included.

The move: Wander the overgrown rows on a weekday morning reading the oldest 1870s–1880s stones, then walk it slow with coffee — it's quiet, strange, and weirdly beautiful in the prairie-gone-feral state.

• 📍 Swansea / Brighton Boulevard corridor, Denver
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 5201 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (between Brighton Blvd and the South Platte River, near the RTD N Line)

Hours: Grounds generally open during daylight hours; it's an active cemetery, so visit respectfully. Confirm current gate hours via Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery / cemetery office before going.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3

Verified 2026-06-07.