Red Rocks, Denver

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Red Rocks is an open air Amphitheatre located 15 miles west of Denver near Morrison.
John Brisben Walker in the early 1900’s had the idea of having performances here on a temporary stage. In 1927, the Manager of Denver Parks (George Cranmer) convinced the city of Denver to buy the area from Walker. His plans for the amphitheater on this area took over 12 years to complete. In 1947, an Easter service was held here. Since then numerous well known performers played here. There is a museum area where you can go which tells a more in depth history of the area. In addition, you can see the names of various performers who have played here. Some of the names who have performed here are Fleetwood Mack, REM, Coldplay, the Killers, Dave Mathews, Insane Clown Posse, U2 and many others. There is also an area where you can play a few instruments like drums, which everyone thought was fun.
You can enjoy the area when there was no performance, which was what we did. When it is hot and bright you can picnic here. One thing to note is there is not much food sold here or it is overpriced when there is no performance. Bring your own food and sodas if you are going to picnic. Even if it is not so bright the geology is something to see. Red rocks was created from two, 300 foot monolithic rock formations, which as the museum states provide great acoustics. The south facing monolith was named ‘ship rock’ since it resembles a ship. Opposite the amphitheater is a monolith called creation rock. Both of these monoliths are larger than Niagara falls. There are rock formations that have as much as a 90 degree slope and others that tilt backwards. There is a panoramic view of Denver from the amphitheater which must be a great sight to see this during a concert.

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This natural amphitheater has hosted a galaxy of popular music stars, such as Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana, and U-2, to name just a few. The best time to visit, simply to see the place, is on weekdays. There are several hiking trails, a gift shop, and a cafe. The views of Denver and the plains are just stunning.

Many hail the music scene of Denver. Rightly so - Given it's the largest city (for nearly 1,000 miles in any direction) sitting smack-dab in the middle of the country, Denver is a must-stop for nearly every nationally touring band/musical act.

One of the most renowned music venues of the world resides 20 minutes from Downtown Denver: Red Rocks Amphitheatre -- Think the 1983 U2 video - "Under a Blood Red Sky".

This NATURAL amphitheatre, deep set into the towering red rocks of Morrison Colorado is as impressive to the eyes as it is to the ears. Thanks to the combination of natural aesthetics and accoustics, Red Rocks was at one time considered one of the Natural Wonders of the World.

The summer concert series is so amazing and diverse that anyone should be able to find a performance of interest. If music isn't your scene, every Monday night (in the summer) - they play a movie at dusk on a big screen on the stage. People bring blankets, wine/beer, for a pleasant evening in an exceptional environment. General admission will treat you just fine.

Beyond the stage, in the distance, are the flat lands of the greater Denver area, and the downtown skyline.

One 4th of July, I saw Blues Traveler at RedRocks. During their performance of "The Mountains Win Again" a lightning storm accompanied them just beyond the stage. Admitably so, I may have enjoyed more than a few beers that night, but I could swear the lightning flashes were synchronized to the band's lyrics.

For out of towners, I reccomend you get there a couple hours early to enjoy the tailgate experience. Even the parking lots are surrounded by majestic settings.

In 1911, Mary Garden was one of the first singers to perform at Red Rocks. Since then, everyone from the Beatles, to U2 to the Greatful Dead, to Willie Nelson have considered it to be one of the most special and magical music venues in the world.

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Red Rocks is a very cool place. Unfortunately, my trip didn't coincide with a concert that I was interested in, but the odds must have been against me because there are a ton of great acts and during the summer there is some concert or event at least once a week. I went and visted the museum under the ampitheatre. There is all kinds of memorabilia dating back to 1964 when the Beatles played in the inaugural year. The museum isn't large and you can see geological surveys of the area, history of construction, and pictures of concert events in less than half an hour. There is a gift shop and cafe as well. I spent some time on the short hiking trail through the adjoining state park. The hike was less than four miles and not difficult at all. The scenery is quite nice though and you can see downtown Denver in the distance.

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This is a beautiful park. If you visit Colorado take the drive out here to see the cool rock formations or see a concert!
The park was originally designed to drive through and take in the views, so you can do just that or park and hike down the many paths. If you go to the park-go see the open-air Amphitheatre it is impressive and if I had to walk all those stairs you can too! Very nice view of Denver from up here!

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Denver has a growing music scene and some of the best concert venues on earth, including the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a 9,000-seat arena carved out of gigantic red rock boulders. Almost every well known musician/band has performed at this venue.

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We stopped by this venue on the tour bus. I really wish we could have seen a show there. I'm sure that would be the ultimate concert experience! But, even going during the day to just tour the facilities and see the museum is well worth it!

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Red Rocks Park and ampitheatre is located just west of Denver and is one of the most famous outdoor concert venues. The unusual ampitheatre was created from two 300 foot sandstone formations which are supposed to provide incredible sound quality.

In addition to the ampitheatre where concerts and other events are performed, incredible views can be seen from here- extending hundreds of miles on a typically clear day. There is also the Trading Post Loop- a short hiking trail, which give you another chance to explore the park's sandstone formations and fantastic views.

The park iteslf is open to visitors 7 days a week. There is a charge for entering and parking. On event days, which are frequent, the park closes to visitors early.

I can only imagine what it must be like to watch a concert here. The ampithratre has a full schedule of concerts and attracts some of the top bands and musicians. For information about seeing a concert here, visit,www.redrocksonline.com.