Observatory Park · Denver
Named for a telescope.
Still using it.
Observatory Park is a treed residential neighborhood in south-central Denver, laid around the park and the University of Denver's Chamberlin Observatory at its center. From Saint Paul Street the park is a few blocks away, the university a short ride west, and the rest of the city closer than the quiet suggests.
- 0.31 mi to the park
- 0.28 mi to the observatory
- 0.50 mi to the Newman Center
- 0.75 mi to light rail
The park
Twelve acres under old trees.
Observatory Park itself covers about 11.9 acres between East Evans and East Iliff, South Fillmore and South Milwaukee — tennis courts, ball fields, a basketball court, a playground and long stretches of open turf under mature shade. The observatory sits on the south side; the playground and fields on the north.
The residence is 0.31 mi from the center of the park, to the south-east — a few blocks on foot.
- Size
- About 11.9 acres
- Bounds
- E Evans Ave · E Iliff Ave · S Fillmore St · S Milwaukee St
- Amenities
- Tennis · ball fields · basketball · playground · open turf · paths
- Steward
- Denver Parks & Recreation
Chamberlin Observatory
A working observatory,
a few blocks from the door.
In 1888 Humphrey Chamberlin, a Denver real-estate man, pledged $50,000 toward an observatory for the University of Denver. The Romanesque building in red sandstone was begun in 1890, and its 20-inch refracting telescope saw first light in 1894. It is still operated by the university's Department of Physics & Astronomy, and the Denver Astronomical Society has hosted public nights there for well over a century — a reservation, a lecture, and the eyepiece.
It is why the neighborhood has its name, and why the rooftop deck at 2442 Saint Paul faces the right sky.
The observatory at the University of Denver- Pledged
- 1888
- Established
- 1890
- First light
- 1894
- Refractor
- 20″
The University of Denver
A campus, not a campus town.
The University of Denver begins 0.66 mi to the west. Its presence in the neighborhood is architectural and cultural rather than loud: the Newman Center for the Performing Arts on East Iliff — Gates Concert Hall, the Hamilton Family Recital Hall and the Byron Theatre, more than four hundred performances a year — is 0.50 mi from the front door. Athletics at the Ritchie Center, the campus itself, and the University of Denver light-rail station sit just beyond, 0.75 mi away.
- Newman Center for the Performing Arts0.50 mi
- University of Denver campus0.66 mi
- University of Denver Station · RTD E & H Lines0.75 mi
Around the neighborhood
Curated, not exhaustive.
A short list of places that shape life here, with straight-line distances from the residence. Travel times depend on the route and the hour; the location chapter covers getting around.
Parks
- Observatory Park0.31 mi N
About 11.9 acres between E Evans and E Iliff: tennis, ball fields, a playground and open turf under mature trees.
- Wellshire Golf Course1.2 mi SE
Denver's municipal Donald Ross course from 1926 — 18 holes, par 71, tree-lined parkland, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Washington Park2.2 mi NW
Denver's 155-acre park: two lakes, the recreation center, the loop road for running and cycling.
Dining & shopping
- Old South Pearl Street2.0 mi NW
Platt Park's restaurant street: Sushi Den (since 1984), The Black Pearl, Stella's Coffee Haus, Tokyo Premium Bakery — and a Sunday farmers market from May to November.
- Cherry Creek3.1 mi N
Cherry Creek North and the Cherry Creek Shopping Center — the city's principal shopping and dining district.
Culture
- Chamberlin Observatory0.28 mi N
University of Denver, 1890. A 20-inch refractor that saw first light in 1894; public nights run by the Denver Astronomical Society.
-
The University of Denver's Indiana-limestone arts building at 2344 E Iliff: Gates Concert Hall, the Hamilton Family Recital Hall and the Byron Theatre — more than 400 performances a year, including the Lamont School of Music.
- University of Denver0.66 mi NW
Campus, athletics, and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
Transit
- University of Denver Station0.75 mi NW
RTD light rail — E and H Lines — at 1901 S Buchtel Blvd. Check current service during the downtown rail reconstruction.
- Downtown · Union Station6.1 mi NW
By rail via the E Line, or by car on I-25 north.
Schools
Denver Public Schools.
- University Park Elementary K–50.2 mi
- Merrill Middle School 6–81.2 mi
- South High School 9–121.6 mi
Assignments and boundaries change; confirm with the district. Distances approximate. Third-party ratings are not published here.
Getting around
Bikeable first.
Walk Score rates the address 52 — somewhat walkable — and Bike Score 76, very bikeable. Transit Score is 41. Read plainly: the park, the observatory and the Newman Center are on foot; the university, Old South Pearl and Washington Park are a bicycle ride; and the E Line at the university station carries you downtown.
Rail, road, bike and foot — the location chapter
