Natures Stage, a Look at the Beauty and History of Red Rocks Amphitheatre

In a land not so far away about 230 million years ago dinosaurs roamed the earth and some beautiful red rocks were formed. They were huge in size , made of sandstone and heavy with iron which gave them a striking red color. Many years later movement in the tectonic plates under the ground caused a shift in the land and these rocks were pushed upward into the most perfect acoustic amphitheatre in the world. While all of that may sound easy it took this magnificent formation millions of years to form into the premier venue that we see today. In 1820 it was discovered by an army expedition led by Stephen Long but the Native Americans that lived in the area , primarily the Ute tribe, had known about it for many years. It was considered a sacred place for many tribes. A favored campsite for Native tribes due to its protection from the elements. I can appreciate that on this windy day while I walk to the top of the hill overlooking the stage. It was also a place that they could sing their sacred songs and their words were amplified to the heavens. Red Rocks was primarily made up of three large rocks and many smaller ones. The larger ones are Creation rock, Stage Rock and Ship Rock.Later a man named John Brisbane Walker had a vision for this crude rock stage. He wanted it to become a venue for the biggest names in music of the time. He had already made it big in publishing and the auto industry. He was the  owner of Cosmopolitan Magazine and co-owner of a car manufacturing company. Long story short, this man had the vision and perseverance to make his dream for the Red Rock Stage come true. On May 31’st 1906 Red Rocks officially opened under the name The Gardens of the Titans. This event featured Pietro Satriano and his 25 piece brass band. While Satriano was the first, thousands have followed. In 1928 the city of Denver purchased the land from Walker. Walker had wanted the land to be a park. He had already constructed roads and hiking trails he even built a tea house on the property. After the city had purchased the land they wanted to continue with Walkers vision of turning the land into a public park and entertainment venue. Even a city as big as Denver could not financially take on a project that big at the end of the Great Depression. In a windfall they secured workers and funding from Roosevelt’s New Deal Programs, which funded the Civilian conservation Corp and Works Project Administration all in an effort to help the American people recover from the Great Depression. In cooperation with the city of Denver the many manual laborers from these programs began in earnest to see this project underway. In 1929 they began building a 5 mile road across the park to allow for better access to the theater. In 1936 they gained the proper funding to begin work on the theater. This was a huge project requiring over 200 men on any given day. Each were paid one dollar for a day’s labor.  Rocks on the hillside had to be blasted, a new stage had to be built and seating for thousands had to be produced. All of this was done with tools from the 1930s so it took time and dedication from each and every worker. That is why there is a statue erected at the entrance to commemorate these creative and brave men and women who helped construct this magnificent amphitheatre. I wonder what they must have thought working on such a project. Could they have known what it would become, the joy that it would bring to so many? On any given night thousands of people flock this wondrous venue not only for concerts but for movies and even graduations. This stage has seen thousands of great performances . Everyone from Elvis to U2 . The natural beauty and function of this theater will keep people coming for many years to come. I highly recommend checking it out and if you get time there is a great museum attached to the theater and another at the trading post at the bottom of the hill both are filled with information about the theater, how it was made and the artist that have preformed there. Put this one on your bucket list because it a definite must see as one the most creative of the natural wonders. I would like to send out a special thanks to my guide on this tour Dawn Nelson at The Colorado Sightseer and to the Red Rocks museum for all the great information provided. The walls are full of even more great information. Check them out. Thanks for reading, if you have any questions are comments please let me know and be sure to sign up to receive an e -mail about my next adventure.