These iconic Denver-area places are gone — and we miss them

By Doug Fitzgerald November 25, 2022 | updated 4 years ago

Places come and places go, but these iconic locations that have disappeared from the Denver metro landscape were particularly beloved by many.

The fountain at Cinderella City. Courtesy Lakewood Public Library.

Cinderella City

When it opened in 1968, developers boasted that this was the largest shopping center under a single roof in the world. They amended the boast to the largest west of the Mississippi River but, at 1.5 million square feet, it was massive by any standard.

It consisted of a central hub, called the Blue Mall, that featured a grand fountain with a 35-foot-high spray and a beautiful two-deck carousel that was 28 feet high. Four other named malls spread from the hub.

Midnight struck for Cinderella City in 1997. It stood as a vacant monolith at Santa Fe and Hampden for two more years before it was demolished.

Designer Josh Goldstein has created The Cinderella City Project, which is a virtual walkthrough of the famous mall. You can see it on Instagram by clicking or tapping here.

Mile High Stadium

So many memories. Joey Meyer’s 582-foot moonshot, which is still the longest verified home run in American baseball history. Haven Moses catching two touchdown passes to lift the Broncos into Super Bowl XII — their first Super Bowl appearance. Eric Young hitting a leadoff homer in the Colorado Rockies first-ever home game. The many magical comebacks engineered by John Elway.

And who can forget the Rocky Mountain thunder? Over 75,000 fans stomping their feet on the steel bleachers created a deafening roar and made the stadium vibrate as if in the midst of an earthquake.

Built in 1948 as Bears Stadium and modified several time, the east stands could be moved 145 feet, giving Mile High different configurations for football and baseball.

Stapleton International Airport

Believe it or not, Denver’s airport was once actually in the city. It was so much in the city that one of the runways crossed Interstate 70.

Opened in 1929 as Denver Municipal Airport, it was renamed Stapleton in 1944. By 1962, it was the third-busiest airport in the United States. It boasted five concourses and was a hub for several major airlines including Continental, United, Frontier and Western.

Despite numerous expansions and upgrades, Stapleton’s age was beginning to show by the 1980s. There was no room for new airlines, the runways were too close together and neighbors were filing lawsuits over the noise. The final flight departed on Feb. 27, 1995.

After the Gold Rush (and other 3.2 bars)

Baby Boomers had it better than kids do today. Not only was the drinking age 18 (for beer with no more than 3.2% alcohol content), but many 3.2 bars sprung up as social gathering spots. After the Gold Rush (5255 W. Sixth Ave. in Lakewood) was among the most popular of these niche establishments.

Opened in 1974, the second floor overlooked the dance floor while lights, smoke machines and an overly powerful sound system guaranteed to keep things hopping. That all ended in 1987, when Colorado raised the drinking age to 21.

Despite attempts at reinvention, the bar closed in 2004.

Confetti’s (and other Glendale disco bars)

While the Baby Boomers had it better than kids today, they didn’t always take full advantage. Show of hands: How many of you males out there cringe at your senior photo because of the pastel leisure suit or other disco garb you’re wearing?

The City of Glendale has a tiny footprint but looms large in the memories of metro-area residents. In the 70s and early 80s, it was the go-to destination for “stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” on the dance floor. Besides Confetti’s, there were The Lift, Thrills, Mr. Lucky’s and others.

Celebrity Sports Center

Speaking of Glendale, nobody who grew up in the metro area in the 60s, 70s or 80s will ever forget this entertainment paradise. Funded by Walt Disney and several of his Hollywood pals, it opened in 1960 at 880 S. Colorado Blvd. It featured a massive bowling alley, a bigger-than-Olympic-size pool, a huge arcade and several restaurants.

Despite being beloved by multiple generations of metro youths, the surrounding area deteriorated and Celebrity eventually closed in 1994. The site is now home to Home Depot, Whole Foods and Staples stores.

Original Elitch Gardens

The current Elitches in downtown Denver still has the name but none of the charm of the original, which was located at 38th and Tennyson streets.

In its heyday, Elitch Gardens was the go-to amusement park in the metro area, followed closely by Lakeside Amusement park, which is still around but hanging by a fingernail.

When it opened in 1890, it was a zoo, theater and botanic garden. The gorgeous landscaping remained a staple of the park until it moved downtown in 1994. The famous rollercoaster, Mister Twister, opened in 1965. Moving the all-wood structure downtown was unrealistic, so a near-replica was built instead.

Rainbow Music Hall

The Rainbow Music Hall was a pet project of renowned music promoter Barry Fey. The 1,300-seat facility at the intersection of Monaco and Evans opened in 1979 and closed just 10 years later. But what a ride concertgoers had in that decade.

In its first month, the Rainbow hosted Willie Nelson, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Cheech and Chong and others. And the stars kept coming. One frequent patron remembers seeing R.E.M, Ratt, Bob Dylan, The Police, Steppenwolf, Prince, U2 and B.B. King.

A Walgreens drug store now stands at the location.

Villa Italia mall

Before Cinderella City, the shopping wonder of the metro area was Villa Italia in Lakewood. When it opened in 1966, it was the largest indoor, air-conditioned shopping mall between Chicago and the West Coast.

Located at 7200 W. Alameda Ave., the Villa had a food court before food courts were a thing. Greenery and a large sculpted tree gave the feeling of dining outdoors.

By the end of the 1970s, the mall had lost momentum, leading to a major renovation in 1984-85. The refresh added a second level and led to a renaissance of the mall, but at the expense of many of the ornate Italian details. Villa Italia closed in 2001 and is now the site of the Belmar shopping center.

Shakey’s Pizza

Once among the most popular pizza chains in the Denver metro area (and elsewhere in the U.S. many Colorado transplants may say), Shakey’s stateside footprint has now shrunk to California and Washington. In its Colorado heyday, it rivaled Pizza Hut as the most popular pizza destination. With all-you-can-eat specials, buffets and game rooms, Shakey’s holds a special place in the hearts of Denverites who ate there as youngsters.

The Broker (and many other beloved restaurants)

Dozens of lists like this could be curated using nothing but favorite restaurants that have closed. Pagliacci’s and its famous neon clown sign. The Traildust Steak House, where they cut your tie off if you wore one. Baby Doe’s Matchless Mine. Bonnie Brae Tavern. The list goes on and on.

So we’ll let The Broker represent them all.

The Broker opened in the basement of a former bank at 821 17th Street in 1972. It was known for great steaks and complimentary peel-and-eat shrimp. It was a favorite of downtown businessmen until it closed in 2017.

Lowry Air Force Base

The first Lowry Field was located near E. 38th and Dahlia streets, but was relocated to its better-known site near East 6th Avenue and Quebec Street in 1937. Always a training center, bomber crews and other technical specialists learned their craft there during World War II.

From 1953-55, it served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Summer White House” and was the site of the original United States Air Force Academy from 1955-58. Flight operations ceased in 1966, but it continued as a training base and an administrative center until it was closed for good in 2006.

The Air Force still has a presence there in the form of the Wings Over the Rockies Museum. Other parts of the base have been repurposed or bulldozed and redeveloped.

Doug Fitzgerald

Reporter