Welcome to Riverside
Riverside Cemetery, founded in 1876, is Denver’s oldest operating cemetery and is designated as a national historic district. Located just two miles north of downtown in the center of an industrial area, Riverside is truly a unique cultural treasure that has been widely ignored for many years.
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Many of Colorado’s most famous pioneers found their final resting place at Riverside, including Augusta Tabor, Barney and Julia Ford, Silas Soule, three territorial governors – John Evans, Samuel Elbert, and John Routt – and numerous mayors, entrepreneurs, and civic figures.
A wide range of cultures are represented at Riverside, including Russian Orthodox, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and African American. Riverside also hosts an official military cemetery, and is the permanent home of over 1,000 veterans from the civil war through the first gulf war. Three civil war Medal of Honor recipients are among those buried in the military cemetery.
The statuary at Riverside is a document of 130 years of Colorado history; the imagery above the ground is every bit as compelling as the history under the ground. For instance, the Drake Cabin (pictured below) is the limestone monument to Blackhawk Pioneer Lester Drake.
Riverside Cemetery has been owned and operated by the Fairmount Cemetery Company since 1900. Although plot sales were ended in 2005, the cemetery is still operating and remains an extraordinary frontier burial ground. Colorado Preservation, Inc., identified Riverside as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places in 2008.
Visit Riverside:
Riverside Cemetery is located just a half mile north of I-70 at 5201 Brighton Boulevard. You can find more information on our visit Riverside page.
Find Out More
The Friends of Historic Riverside Cemetery is a non-profit volunteer-run organization dedicated to supporting awareness and preservation of Denver’s Oldest Cemetery. Our members represent a broad spectrum of the community, including local historians, family members, artists, and neighbors. Find out more.
Get Involved:
Have an interest in cool places with great stories that need some attention? Visit our get involved page to become a member, make a donation, or find out about volunteer opportunities.