Cheesman Park, Denver Park
Historic urban park with memorials and open lawns
East of downtown Denver, Cheesman Park offers open lawns, mature trees and paved paths; locals and visitors use it for jogging, dog walking, picnics and people-watching near the civic core.
Cheesman Park, Denver at a Glance#
Address: Cheesman Park, Denver (near 8th Ave Pkwy and Cheesman Pl)
Hours: Park open daily (hours variable); municipal parks generally accessible dawn-dusk
About Cheesman Park, Denver#
Cheesman Park is a public park in Denver, Colorado, within the Cheesman Park neighborhood and part of the city’s park system. The site is a long-established urban green space used for recreation and relaxation.
The park offers broad open lawns framed by mature shade trees and paths used for walking, running and informal recreation. It is frequently paired with a visit to the adjacent Denver Botanic Gardens and the surrounding residential streetscape of the Cheesman Park neighborhood.
The site was converted from Prospect Hill Cemetery into a public park in the early 20th century and was named for Walter Cheesman, a Denver businessman and philanthropist. Landscape and grading work in that period reshaped the terrain into the park seen today.
Cheesman Park lies just east of central Denver, within the city’s near-downtown grid and immediately adjacent to the Denver Botanic Gardens, making it easily reachable from the downtown area.
- Nearby attraction: Directly adjacent to the Denver Botanic Gardens, making it easy to combine a park visit with the gardens.
- Best times and uses: Popular at dawn and dusk for skyline views and for walking, jogging and dog-walking on the broad lawn areas.
How to Get to Cheesman Park, Denver#
Cheesman Park is three miles east of downtown Denver, bounded by E 8th Ave Pkwy and surrounding residential streets. It’s accessible by car, bike, and city bus routes; limited on-street parking is available nearby.
Tips for Visiting Cheesman Park, Denver#
- Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens' Greek Theater or other nearby attractions on the same day for a full cultural outing.
- Early morning photographers can capture long shadows and low-contrast images of Cheesman Park's pavilion and urns.
- Be aware the park was a former cemetery; some visitors are interested in the site's controversial transformation in the early 20th century.
Best Time to Visit Cheesman Park, Denver#
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons for visiting; winter can be very cold and snowy, while summers are warm.
Weather & Climate near Cheesman Park, Denver#
Cheesman Park, Denver's climate is classified as Cold Semi-Arid - Cold Semi-Arid climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -8°C to 32°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | - | -8° - 7° | -4° | 14 mm | - | - | 3.4 m/s | - | - |
| February | - | -6° - 9° | -2° | 14 mm | - | - | 3.5 m/s | - | - |
| March | - | -3° - 12° | 2° | 36 mm | - | - | 4.0 m/s | - | - |
| April | - | 1° - 16° | 6° | 50 mm | - | - | 4.3 m/s | - | - |
| May | - | 6° - 22° | 14° | 65 mm | - | - | 4.0 m/s | - | - |
| June | - | 12° - 28° | 20° | 45 mm | - | - | 3.8 m/s | - | - |
| July | - | 15° - 32° | 23° | 51 mm | - | - | 3.4 m/s | - | - |
| August | - | 14° - 30° | 22° | 43 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
| September | - | 9° - 25° | 17° | 35 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
| October | - | 3° - 19° | 11° | 28 mm | - | - | 3.4 m/s | - | - |
| November | - | -4° - 11° | 1° | 27 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
| December | - | -7° - 8° | -3° | 18 mm | - | - | 3.3 m/s | - | - |
