Denver, CO
City Park’s new Nature Play project is finally moving toward completion
Visitors to City Park will soon be able to explore the long-awaited, $7.9 million playground that simulates the box canyons, beaver dams and other wild features of Colorado.
The Nature Play project, which is scheduled to open later this year, has been a construction fence fixture at the park ever since it broke ground in January 2023 — 20 months ago.
Project leaders at the time said it would open in late 2024, but about eight months ago, a Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) staffer mistakenly shared a notice saying it would be open this summer, prompting DMNS leaders to publicly reassert the original timeline.
“We always said it would open in fall 2024, so at the moment we still have to close out permits and are in the process of making sure all the plants we selected are going in,” said Jacqueline Altreuter, director of strategic planning at DMNS, and leader of Nature Play.
“When I saw that (false opening date) over the holidays I was like, ‘Oh no!’ so we tried to take that down pretty quickly,” she added.
Nature Play is a complex project that digs much deeper than the grassy expanses typically seen at Denver’s largest park. Its goal is to simulate miniature versions of the alpine tundra, grassland prairies, wetlands and other distinct environments that cover the state.
One of the templates was set 75 years ago, when Denver Botanic Gardens first opened in City Park. “Some of the areas in the southeast part were theirs before they moved to York Street, so there are lots of leftover plant species still growing,” Altreuter said. “Restoring those waterways, which were originally designed by Dutch architect Saco Rienk DeBoer to mimic mountain streams, is a big part of this.”
Nature Play brings together Denver Parks & Recreation and the DMNS for a project that’s been six years in the making. Situated just outside the museum, the 4-acre, gently hilly strip offers interactive chances for kids and students to learn how they work. That includes the process of carefully restoring natural ecosystems, museum officials said.
“Since Nature Play will be landscaped with native Colorado plants, we are hoping that we will see a return of insect species that aren’t currently found in City Park right now,” said John Demboski, senior vice president of science at the DMNS, in a statement.
Animal footprints from Colorado wildlife lead visitors into different areas, whether it’s a wooden swing set or the path of the waterway that connects the mini-ecosystems.
“When we asked people to tell us about experiences they had in nature that were memorable and meaningful and really lasted for them, 98% described something with water,” Altreuter said. “Now, we’re in an arid state, but we’re all connected by and reliant on water, so we wanted that to be a big component.”
As such, the project was designed to amplify the sounds of splashing water by narrowing the restored waterway at points and adding rocks to create the illusion of a larger stream or river. Nature Play uses very little water, however, and is fed by a diverted storm drain. The same water source irrigates Washington Park and feeds City Park’s Ferrill Lake, and it all eventually filters into the South Platte River, according to Denver Parks & Recreation.
So far, the only Nature Play impression for visitors has been the construction fences concealing the playground, plus a new, winding sidewalk that’s meant to discourage cyclists from barreling down a pedestrian path. But inside, they’ll soon see hundreds of new trees and plants, a 20-foot-tall Bighorn Sheep sculpture and play structure (it’s Colorado’s official state animal), a slide, climbable beaver dam, native pollinators, carven-wood benches, and tableaus inspired by the museum’s dozens of dioramas in its Explore Colorado gallery.
Many of the features in the playground spring from the 800 people surveyed about it in 2021, and crews had to change gears at times, as when researchers discovered a native bee colony they didn’t want to disrupt or move. Staying nimble through the project, which broke ground last year, has allowed designer Dig Studios to adapt to changing conditions, officials said.
About 70% of the space featured existing trees, which they needed to work around, but only one tree was removed, Altreuter said (and that’s because it was dead). Seeing squirrels, falcons, foxes, and bunnies frequent the construction site reassured workers at ECI Site Construction that they hadn’t disrupted the habitat — at least not too much.
“There’s a lot of thoughtfulness and artistry inside the space,” Altreuter said, noting that the Loveland artist known as Chainsaw Mama created custom wooden benches for the project. “We want to connect the museum and its mission to the park, and this brings together so many ways to do that.”
Originally Published:
True to form, Jacobs pushed to practice but said team doctors told him to chill and be smart about it. The goal is to reduce the inflammation as much as possible to increase his chances of playing.
In his pre-practice news conference on Thursday, Head Coach Matt LaFleur praised Jacobs for “doing everything in his power to get ready to go.” From his perspective, Jacobs said he feels more relief than frustration.
“I’ve been in this league a long time, and it’s not too much that really gets me discouraged or anything like that,” Jacobs said.
“We still know what’s ahead of us. Now, if we were having this going into the playoffs, it would be a little weird, but at that point I wouldn’t care because it’s either do or don’t. But for me, I know my body, there’s nothing structurally wrong, so I don’t feel like it’s something I have to overly think about.”
If Jacobs can’t go Sunday, Wilson would be in line to make his second NFL start against the team with whom he broke into the league back in 2023.
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of NCAA Division II Fort Valley State (Ga.), Wilson spent just three days with the Broncos before he was released. Ten days later, he signed with the Packers and later made the team’s 53-man roster.
The 5-foot-10, 226-pound Wilson has since rushed for 938 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries (4.6 yards per carry) in 37 games, highlighted by a gratifying career day against Minnesota a few weeks ago.
“I still got that mentality to go out there and do it again,” Wilson said. “If (Jacobs) is going, he’s going. If I get my opportunity once again, I’m going to take advantage of it.”
Whoever starts against Denver understands the challenge its defense presents. In addition to the Broncos pacing the NFL with 55 sacks, they also boast a No. 2-ranked run defense that’s allowing just 89.0 yards per game.
Denver hasn’t allowed a running back to gain more than 100 yards since Jonathan Taylor’s 165-yard effort powered Indianapolis to a 29-28 victory in Week 2.
As much as Jacobs enjoys practicing, he doesn’t feel it’s a requirement in order for him to play in Denver. It all comes down to how his body is feeling and whether the team doctors give him the green light on Sunday afternoon.
“I always plan to play,” Jacobs said. “They gotta kinda tell me I can’t play for me not to play. For me, that’s where my head is at, but I’m also realistically just day-to-day right now.”
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Where: Fight Club – 1959 16th St Mall Denver
Cost: Price varies
The Lowdown:
Guests have the option of $39 bottomless flatbreads, which includes the price of their oche reservation for Social Darts®. The bottomless flatbread menu features Smoked Salmon Flatbread, Four Cheese Flatbread, Breakfast Flatbread, or Garden Vegetable Flatbread. Guests can also order off the á la carte menu, which includes a fresh-cut fruit plate, breakfast sliders,, avocado toast, and Flight Club’s famous churros.
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