War Memorial Rose Garden

I do not have a green thumb. To be completely honest, it is hard to make things grow in Colorado, even if you're an expert in that sort of stuff. Needless to say, I need to step outside of my own yard if I want to admire flowers. Luckily, there are all sorts of spots around the metro area to do just that. One is located just east of downtown Littleton at the War Memorial Rose Garden.

The land purchased by the city of Littleton in 1964 was once known as Knob Hill. The park is now dedicated to veterans who served in any US war. Today it features over 1800 roses of all types.

At the south end of the garden there is a sundial that was purchased by the city of Littleton in 1969 for $4,000. There is also a gazebo just north of the sundial.

In the center of the rose garden is the Orian Sterne Fountain. Orian was the daughter of WC "Billy "Sterne, one of early influential residents of Littleton. Sterne Parkway and Sterne Park (right across the street from the Rose Garden) are named for him. Orian Sterne passed away at the age of 19, on December 31st 1923. A few months later, on what would've been her 20th birthday, the family erected a memorial fountain in front of the Carnegie Library, which is now the Melting Pot restaurant at the west end of Main Street in downtown Littleton. The fountain went into storage at the Littleton Historical Museum when the intersection of Santa Fe and Bowles needed to be expanded. It was moved to the rose garden in 1988.

The War Memorial Rose Garden is located at 5804 S Bemis St in Littleton. 

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.