1944 Old Mill Fire

“On July 16, 1944, fire roared through a ‘tunnel of love’ boat ride at Denver’s famed Elitch Gardens amusement park. A locked gate delayed fire engines from reaching the blaze. […]

WANTED
Theatre Programs!

Historic Elitch Theatre Programs

The following programs are missing from our Archives! We would LOVE your help finding these missing programs! 1941 – Skylark1943 – Theater (by W. Somerset Maugham)1944 – But Not Goodbye1944 […]

The Return of Live Theatre

2024 Historic Elitch Theatre - Elitch Encore. The return of live theatre.

Following 20 years of restoration and preservation, on Saturday, August 17th, the Historic Elitch Theatre celebrated the grand return of live performances with the Elitch Encore series. Thirty-three years after […]

Opening Day of Elitch’s Zoological Gardens

1890 Entry to Elitch's Zoological Gardens

The Elitch’s Farm “A sixteen-acre tract was purchased in the Highlands, adjoining, and now a part of Denver… Mary had found her trees; majestic cottonwoods…and an orchard of thriving apple […]

Mary’s Zoo

In 1896, the theatre program included an article about the Zoo at the theatre. The writer walks around the zoo and describes every “house” and enclosure, and shares the animals […]

Ivy Baldwin at Elitch’s Zoological Gardens

Photo: Ivy Baldwin

A very popular attraction at Elitch Gardens was Ivy Baldwin. From 1890 to 1907, he made a balloon ascent every Saturday and Sunday. He varied his balloon routine by doing […]

Edison’s Vitascope

Edison Vitascope

The Vitascope made its Colorado premiere at Elitch’s the weekend of August 15, 1896.

Raffaelo Cavallo (1897)

Raffaelo Cavallo seated in front with the 1902 Orchestra.

“In 1896 a brilliant young violinist arrived in Denver. This was Raffaelo Cavallo, who succeeded Ferdinand Stark as conductor at the old Tabor Grand when that theatre was at the […]

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