The Belleview Park "Airplane"

Englewood's Belleview Park is a spacious park containing ballfields, playgrounds, a train ride, and the Pirate's Cove Water Park. But for many the most memorable feature of the park is the park's "airplane" that is easy for folks to spot as they drive down Belleview.

It's actually not an airplane, rather a Mace Tactical Missile. It was donated to the city of Englewood in the 60's by the Martin Company to be used as playground equipment. Lockheed Martin has been a fixture of the south Denver suburbs for a long time, with their large facility south of Chatfield State Park.

I have heard stories from folks who remember the days when the "airplane" was at ground level and kids were welcome to climb all over it. Thing is, those stories usually involved reports of burned skin, as the metal surface tended to get quite hot in the Colorado sun. The Mace Missile now perches atop two large poles. 

You can visit the "airplane" yourself at Belleview Park, 5001 S Inca Dr in Englewood.

The State of Colorado Fountain

There are many things to do and see in Denver's City Park. Most notably, it is home of the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. You'll also find plenty of room to stretch out and relax, as well as a few sights worth paying a visit to. One of those sights is the State of Colorado Fountain, located on the southwest side of the park.

The fountain is often referred to as the Thatcher Memorial Fountain, as it was donated to the city by the founder of the Denver National Bank, Joseph Addison Thatcher. His impressive crypt can be found in Denver's Fairmont Cemetery.

The fountain has resided in City Park since 1918. It features four bronze sculptures created by artist Lorado Taft. The center figure, a woman dressed in robes, represents the State of Colorado. Surrounding her are three more sculptures representing the virtues of the state of Colorado: Love, Loyalty, and Learning.

I've never actually been able to visit the fountain during the warmer months when the water is flowing. However, this means that on my recent visit I was able to get some nice close-up photos without getting my feet wet.

City Park is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd in Denver, However, the fountain is in the southwest corner of the park, near the intersection of 17th Ave and York St.