Red Rocks Amphitheater is one of Colorado's great nature wonders, in fact Red Rocks was once considered one of the Great Natural Wonders of the World.
300 million years ago, give or take a million or so years, Colorado was an active seismic center. That was how our beautiful Rocky Mountains were formed. But on the east side of those mountains just outside of the town of Morrison there once was a prehistoric ocean. Massive ledges of rock in varying colors of red, pink, rust and crimson were pushed up from within the Earth, exposing layer upon layer of the beautiful, colored rock. Dinosaurs walked amongst these rocks leaving their footprints and fossils behind.
Fast forward several hundred million years. The Native American Ute Indians came to know what we call Red Rocks as a perfect natural shelter with panoramic views of the great plains of present day Colorado. The Utes used these formations for spiritual ceremonies.
In 1820, an Army Expedition led by a man named Stephen Long "discovered" present day Red Rocks. Long described Red Rocks as:
"many remarkable and weird shapes full of cavernous holes and crannies"
Over the years, Red Rocks has been known by many names such as "Garden of the Angels" and "Garden of the Titans".
Many formations in the area were given names like:
- Angels' Bathtub
- Demon's Grotto
- Roasted Goose
- Sleeping Lion
The founder of Cosmopolitan Magazine, John Brisben Walker, bought the Red Rocks land in the 1880's and organized concerts on a temporary platform.
In 1927, the city of Denver purchased the area from John Walker for just under $55,000 and re-named it Red Rocks Park. Denver Mayor Ben Stapleton loved Red Rocks Park and resisted attempt to develop it.
Denver City Parks Manager, a man named George Cranmer, used his political connections and a program developed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to build an amphitheater at Red Rocks Park at absolutely no cost to the city of Denver. While Mayor Stapleton was out of town, Cranmer dynamited areas of rock at Red Rocks Park. The demolished area was to become what is now known as the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Designed by architect Burnham Hoyt, Red Rocks Amphitheater is situated between two massive slabs of sandstone. One slab is called Ship Rock, the other, Creation Rock. Red Rocks Amphitheater can accommodate 10,000 people by using narrow pieces of sandstone for the seating.
Red Rocks Amphitheater held her first official outdoor concert in 1941. Cranmer did not feel that the acoustics of Red Rocks Amphitheater were "right", and flew in an expert from Germany who suggested improvements such as wind walls. Together they completed the acoustic improvements.
Initially perturbed by the work done at Red Rocks, Mayor Stapleton came to appreciate the Red Rocks Amphitheater after attending several concerts there.
Over the years countless famous people and musical groups have performed at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, just a few are:
- Nat King Cole
- Willie Nelson
- Ozzy Osbourne
- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- The Grateful Dead
- U2
- The Beatles
The Red Rocks Amphitheater was also the starting point and finish line of the 9th season of the reality show The Amazing Race.
I have been to several performances at Red Rocks Amphitheater and I assure you, it is a venue like none other that I have ever experienced.
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