Cheesman Park - old, well established, and also newly renovated, that is, if parks can be renovated. There are now cement paths that run through and around the park, which are great for those of us that need a smoother, more even place to walk. The park is very well maintained, and highly used. I love that it sits up against The Denver Botanic Gardens, which also a great place to visit too (but that's another review). BIG, beautiful, and spacious enough to just be, even when there are lots of people there, you feel as those you and your companions (furry and not), are the only ones there. The view - gorgeous! It's nice to be in the park, and know the city is right there too! Walking trails/paths, are maintained, and it's just nice to "be" there. The city is also implementing "no drive days," where cars aren't allowed in the park. Kudos to the city for doing this every so often. Thank you to the city for updating the park, and not letting it go. We love our Cheesman Park! Go, enjoy, and "be" at Cheesman Park. read more

Last Monday a ragtag group of us attempted to convincingly play a round of croquet here. Although we often "modified" the rules to fit our situations it was a blast. And no one judged us or even invaded our space. Often on nice days there you'll find a plethora of people playing frisbee and hackey- sack, sunbathing, doing photo shoots and looking to meet the man of their dreams among other fair-weathered activities. As for me, I love all the unique people in Cheesman. I love all the grass. I love swinging on the playground swings. I love that I can walk there. I love that pavilion thing that one of my friends wants to get married on. I even love the ghost stories. I guess I just love Cheesman. read more

Cheesman Park - Parks Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The one park where I felt a deep connection with people as soon as the sun was setting. This park was once a cemetery and a old, infamous one for negligence of deceased bodies that left loved ones torn apart. This park, I consider very beautiful, romantic, and overall a good place to play soccer. I came in on Halloween of 2014 and remember the friendly neighbor faces that were engaging in conversation with us at 2 a.m. I believe this park will always be my favorite and I hope you guys can check it out and let me know if you enjoyed it too, thanks :) read more

This was such a great park to relax and just chill on a sunny day in Denver. You'll find lots of people hanging out, picnic-ing, jogging, biking, etc. The fields are huge and you'll find people BBQ-ing or playing volleyball. The park is huge and although bathrooms are limited, there are plenty of parking spots around. read more

On a recent beautiful Sunday, some friends and I put up a volleyball net and spent of an afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather. There were a ton of people taking similar advantage of the park, but it didn't feel crowded. Parking around the perimeter of the park is limited, but drive a few blocks in any direction and you shouldn't have trouble finding parking. Cheeseman is just 3 or so blocks from King Soopers, making it easy to grab snacks and water before posting up at your spot. The park have a ton of open space but plenty of trees to provide shade on the hotter days. read more

Such a beautiful park! My husband and I were visiting Denver and wanted to let our dogs get a little exercise and this was the perfect place! In the mornings there are a lot of dog owners who let their dogs run in the open field so my dogs loved the socializing! This park is perfect for jogging, meditation, biking and people watching! read more

Cheesman park is beautiful. I live right down the street and I can truly say it's my favorite park. It's got tons of grass area so even when there are tons of people there, you feel spread out. The grass is always green and it's right in the heart of cap hill. Whether you want to hang out with friends, play lawn games, lay out or work out, it's a great spot! Dogs are welcome on leash. read more

Cheesman Park - Parks Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Went for a run here with a group of friends the other day. It's located right by the Botanical Gardens, and is a very pretty park overall. I'm told it used to be a cemetery and there are still bodies underneath it, which is pretty creepy, but kind of cool too. The day I was there I saw plenty of runners, a couple sunbathers, a couple homeless guys napping, a group playing flag football, mothers walking with strollers, and plenty of people just out walking their dogs. Pretty popular area, and nice to be in, so pretty heavily used. It would also make a great location for photo shoots with the columns and rose bushes in the middle of the park. read more

My friends and I woke up with no morning destination. The Denver streets were humming with stoners coming to life like The Walking Dead. We came to Cheesman Park to kill time. A group of squirrels approached us. Then we were surrounded. These were the most friendly squirrels I have ever met. It was alarming how close they come to touching their human friends. The stoners must be feeding them edibles. Pro tip: eat marijuana edibles and act out a play on the Greek inspired stage! read more

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My favorite park in Denver! Great views and no goose poop! The botanic gardens is right on the park. With a membership you can access the back gate. It also has a great running trail. A little more than a mile all the way around. read more

Never have I ventured to this park until yesterday. weird huh? With Yelp being a sponsor in the Aids Walk 2010 yesterday, I had the pleasure of setting up shop in this cute park :) I was happy to find the following things: 1.HUGE trees that not only provided shade but made the park feel lush along with the green grass. guess the carpet really does match the drapes. haha. 2. Wiiiddeee open spaces to play football, soccer and volleyball and a nice running path :) 3. High rise buildings all around, making me slightly jealous that I don't live in a nearby apartment with this view. 4. Decent parking. that's it :) All equals a GREAT area to spend the day :) don't you worry Cheesman Park, i will be back to enjoy more of you! read more

Best park in Denver!!! Lucky to live next to .The park is always clean. Beautiful old trees next to walking path, romantic Rose garden and colorful flowers in the summertime ! Great place to take a peaceful walk in anytime of the day Watch out for squirrels, lol read more

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Our Airbnb place was located just a block South from this beautiful park and our host strongly encouraged us to go check it out and I'm so glad I did! It's a beautiful oasis of greenery, with plenty of benches to sit, and surrounded by some amazing architectural buildings, which really harmonized well with the green space. I did like the general-mix -use space, but found the downside to be when folks with dogs didn't pick-up their poo, and so walking on the grass barefoot isn't something I would recommend. There's also a real cool bunch of trees where I saw someone putting up a hammock. Near to the Romanesque building located in the center of the park, it was awesome to suddenly come across a Rose Garden. The heavenly smell of the roses was in full bloom and I really liked this garden's circular pathway arrangement which had lots of benches for wanderers to sit and admire the rose varieties planted here. Definitely come and check it out if you are in the neighborhood! Note: #115 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016 read more

Cheesman Park - Beautiful sunset - Parks Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Big wide open park on the southeast side of Denver provides plenty of space for what ever your little heart desires. Biking, running, jogging, or just out and about. The trail that runs along the outer edge of the park is quite popular. Also the interior of the park is great for organized games such as flag football or a quick setup of volleyball. Nice, clean and very well maintained. read more

Yassss, nature! Cheesman is one of my favorite places in Denver. I live pretty close by and run here all the time, plus it's great for picnics and people watching. The loop around Cheesman is pretty short (about a mile and a half) and is made of dirt. You can hop into the surrounding neighborhoods to make your run a little longer, which I love to do to gawk at the historic old houses. This park is kept in really great shape--the walking trail and surrounding grass is always well manicured and everything is really clean. I don't actually know if there are bathrooms or water fountains here--if so, I haven't seen them. Cheesman attracts a ton of people on summer weekends--hanging out, walking their dogs, indulging in Denver-y types of recreation. And while booze isn't *technically* allowed onsite (only 3.2 cans of beer), I may or may not have been drinking canned wine here last weekend. If you feel like diving down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, I highly suggest googling Cheesman Park. I had NO idea this place was a cemetery in the 1800s, and the story about how it transitioned from a cemetery to a park is even more interesting. Some say the park is haunted, and while I'm not really one to buy into ghost stories, I do think this would be a fun place for a touristy ghost tour. Staycation, anyone? read more

This is a nice park but it's really hard to find parking. It gets really busy on the weekends, if you're not a people person this might not be the best park for you. There are many good things about this park though, including a ton of open bike trails and it's very pet friendly. It's actually one of the most haunted places in America too if you're into that type of thing! The park is close to a lot of great restaurants as well. read more

Perhaps my favorite park, no... yes... undoubtedly my favorite park in Denver. Nowhere near the congestion of people you will encounter at Wash Park and I don't know what to think of City Park. Regardless, this is such a clean park and I feel like I have it to myself most times. read more

Unsure how to rate a park. It is always pretty. Unless. Fertilizer. Perfect for dogs. How. Ever. Warning: keep away from park police. You can get in trouble for playing fetch with your dog and dog off the leash. Even though everyone pretty much does this, so be safe.. I am not condoning anything. Running around the park provides uphill and downhill parts. Stay on the designated path bc there are signs you should not pass bc or vegetation. Paths can get muddy due to weather. Great for Pokémongo. Oh also! It used to be a cemetery!!! I forget the story or if it's just a rumor. Either way.. I love THAT feel. Be careful at night. Homeless tend to be there and basically any Denver park. read more

Here is what you need to know about Cheesman Park: 1. Unless you are looking for public sex with another man, do not, I repeat DO NOT loiter (neither on foot nor in a vehicle) around the north end of the park. 2. Bringing your dog here will increase your chances of meeting your next future ex-boyfriend/girlfriend by at least 500%. 3. If going for a picnic on a summer day, you had best stake out your spot by at least 1000 AM or you will be relegated to the east side of the park where there is no grass and lots of dirt. 4. Never turn down an offer to join a pickup game of frisbee, volleyball or flag football. If you do, you are more than likely a terrorist. You can thank me later. read more

A gruesome history gives this pleasant park its fifth star. Originally belonging to the Arapahos, the land was designated as a cemetery by General Larimer in 1858. By 1890, however, the city was expanding to the east and the cemetery was not being used, so the powers that were decided it should be a park instead. They asked people to move their family members' remains, but many were not claimed. So the city hired an undertaker named McGovern to move the remaining bodies, paying him per box. As an enterprising fellow he somehow found it necessary to use three boxes for each body. The ensuing carnage resulted in a media frenzy, and McGovern was fired. No one was ever hired to finish the job. As you can imagine, ghost stories and tales of hauntings abound. read more

One awesome thing about Cheesman Park is that it's kind of hidden. Only one of its borders faces a street so the rest of the park is lined by apartment towers or old mansions. It's alluring green space, glanced at from the end of a block, surprising you with it's existence. I live only 10 blocks from Cheesman and it is one of my favorite parks in Denver. Cheesman is surprisingly big and has all these little nooks for various activities. Want to play some frisbee? Kickball? Have a picnic? Play a didgeridoo at a classical Greek pavilion? Cheesman Park has room for all of that and more. And yet it's not a desolate park. There are always people there enjoying the glorious outside the park provides. I enjoy running around the gravel path at the park's perimeter and just watching the people I encounter along the way. The path is also a convenient mile around the park, so it's easy to measure the distance of your run. From inside Cheesman Park, the city sort of slips away. You see the buildings around of course, but in some areas, the grass, and the trees, and the mountains behind them, give an appearance that you are in some rural idyll. The park was designed by Reinhardt Schuetze, a master of German landscape design. The Germans were all about creating the illusion of the country within the city. Cheesman Park is a masterpiece of that ideal. read more

I have an "It's Complicated" relationship with Cheesman. I mean, I love the park. It's close to my house, and I make heavy use of the 1.5 mile jogging path through the pines. The fountain is beautiful and a rally point for Denver Cruisers rides. The unofficial off-leash dog party that happens almost every day, though, discourages the heck outta me. Cheesman is not a dog park. People who are scared of or uncomfortable around dogs should get to use the park without having to worry. And now that there's a dog park less than four blocks away by Josephine & Colfax, there's really no excuse for it. read more

Come on, who doesn't love Chessman?! I lived walking distance away from this park for 4 years and thoroughly enjoyed having it in my backyard. It's way less crowded than Wash Park, so we were always able to get a volleyball net up or go for a jog without trampling over others. If you're looking for a park that's a little less busy, consider Chessman the place to go! read more

I love Cheesman Park! The park of course was named for Walter Cheesman. See Mr. Cheesman was the president of the Denver Union Water Company. He had a bad reputation for supplying the city with expensive, dirty water and for generally being a corrupt business man. So in 1907, the widowed Mrs. Cheesman's decided to purchase the park / cemetery from Denver mayor, Mr. Speer. The $100,000 that Mrs. Cheesman paid to the city was used to build the acropolis / pavilion and the park was then renamed Cheeman Park. The "donation" was an attempt to improve Walter Cheesman's reputation posthumously. Another interesting story about Cheesman is that Russell Hunter based many of the elements of his play (that later became a movie) "The Changeling" on his experiences while living in a large house at 1739 East 13th Avenue on the northern edge of Cheesman Park. The name of the house in the movie is called the Chessman House which is supposed to be a nod to the park. Back to the park current day: There is an approximate one mile running loop around the park that is unpaved as well as a paved walking path. There is construction going on right now in the park to make more foot paths and improve the water system within the park that was approved by the voters a few years ago. The acropolis is the perfect place to watch the sun set over the mountains. There are so many trees, benches, and lawn space to enjoy a picnic or a walk with a friend or friends. read more

This is a lovely, old downtown park that hides a dark, ugly secret; scores and scores of unmarked, 19th Century graves right below the surface. The unscrupulous undertaker that was hired to move the bodies when the Prospect Hill Cemetery was converted to a park was chopping up the corpses and cramming them 2 and 3 at a time into child sized coffins to cut corners and save money. When he was finally caught, part way through the job, all work was halted and for whatever reason it was never properly finished. Just like in the movie Poltergeist, they moved all the headstones (and not all of these graves were even marked to begin with) and left the rest of the bodies in place. It's both eerie and serene. I arrived here to a beautiful coating of fresh snow....just as I desperately needed a bathroom, awful timing really. But as luck would have it there were two J-Johns not far from the white marble terrace at the end of the park so I scurried over there. I slipped into one and the first thing that assaulted me was the smell of old, crystalized pee. It was a olfactory assault of a special kind. The second thing that that assaulted me was the mind-blowingly vile messages written all over the inside of the bathrooms of people looking for anonymous sex, or of people who've pissed someone off so badly that now they are now unwittingly advertising for illicit, gay sex on a port-a-potty wall in downtown Denver. Either way it was some pretty enlightening reading... Did you know that Carl swallows and Fred likes big, black D? I didn't know that either! Anyway, back to the park, it is lovely and serene and a tiny bit spooky. I suggest you check it out if you have the chance. And avoid the porta pottys, unless you too like big black D. ;) read more

I am laughing so hard after reading the reviews for Cheesman Park. I was all ready to write up a really nice review of why I liked Cheesman Park. How I like to take my kid there. How everyone is friendly. How I like to take out of town guests there. Then...... I read all your reviews and it hits me. This is why I don't fit in with the other moms at the PTA. There is clearly something very wrong with me. I have never seen naked man sex here. I like the colorful people. I never notice the difference between a dog on a leash and one off. Did your dog just knock my kid down? That's okay! Our dog is 70lbs! She knocks my kid down everyday! And this is my favorite thing about Cheesman Park and I knew about it long before I ever moved to Denver. You know that movie "The Changeling"? No, not that POS Angelina Jolie movie (actually I've never seen it, I'm just assuming). I mean the awesome 80's George C Scott movie where his family dies and he rents a creepy house in Seattle that is super haunted by a dead kid. It has an awesome spooky child sized wheel chair in it. Well, that movie is based on events that transpired* in Cheesman Park. So when I sit in Cheesman Park I can tell whoever I'm with all about that movie and blah, blah, blah, spooky wheel chair kid. And that's why I've probably never noticed the naked man sex. I will look for that next time. (I'm still checking that this park is good for kids) *supposedly transpired read more

Cheesman Park, you were one of the first places I planted my pretty little feet when I was searching for a place to live on Capitol Hill. I instantly fell in love. That huge open area is perfection. I love to let the sun kiss my skin and the grass tickle my toes on your lawn. I attended a hula-hoop party on the lawn one year~Freakness!! I love the view from Cheesman. The mountains look so majestic from here. I often take out of town visitors to that huge, beautiful, marble fixture to impress, and it always does. I also enjoy lingering around on the trails along the parameter of the park. The trails are nice and shaded. Although, I don't know what's up with all the new concrete going on here. I'm pretty sure the construction is all done and will have to check it out soon, or next summer, since unfortunately, we never found a pad on the Hill. Yea, ok, some shady things go down here, but it's a park on Capitol Hill. I don't expect any less. I have never felt that I wasn't safe here. And honestly, this can make for some very interesting people watching! read more

I LOVE Cheeseman Park! I love it so much I moved to the area just to be near it. I'd read about Cheeseman Park while researching Denver (I moved here from San Diego in Jan '08) and was immediately enthralled. The scandal! The ghosts! My then-boyfriend surprised me one night in late winter by taking me here at night. And what a night! We'd been walking through the snow exploring the park when he pulled me in for a kiss ... and then it started snowing (yes, cue cheesy music), and then BAM! THUNDER! It was the night of the infamous thundersnow! Thunder, lightning, and SNOW all at the same time ... and all in Cheeseman Park. Cheeseman Park has the soul Wash Park lacks. I run Wash Park for exercise, but I save Cheeseman for romantic strolls and bike rides. Cheeseman doesn't feel as safe to me because there is a bit of a gritty element at times. And yes, it is definitely the "gay park," which is fabulous. Cheeseman is just magical and romantic -- it's romantical! My favorite nights in Denver have been warm summer evenings, walking through the park, admiring the fountain and watching people ballroom dance in the pavillion. Cheeseman is very special to me. It's my favorite place in Denver, hands down. read more

Dear Cheesman Park, I know that we just moved in next to one another, but I wanted you to be the first to know that I won't set my expectations *too* high...although I'm anticipating wonderful picnics, long jogs, occasional drunken kickball matches, naps under the trees, and sometimes long talks about nothing under the gazebo. Does that freak you out? I'm kind of puzzled about your weird sidewalks because I love walking across all that grass, but I'll forgive you. PS Will you tell the hipster wearing my grandpa's jacket and skinny jeans that my dog-niece wants another play date? xoxoxo, Laura read more

This is a wonderful park in the middle of the city!! I love the different parts of the park when you walk around the walking paths. The views of the botanical gardens you can sneak thru the fences, the fabulous and amazing houses the surround the park, the roses, the structures, the history! I love taking a jaunt around park! Go there, take a walk, enjoy it! Lots of people walking, running, people with dogs It's a well traveled and used park! read more

You know, everyone raves about Washington Park. I used to live down there and yeah, that park is pretty fun but when we moved closer to Cheesman we were so psyched! Our dog loved that park and we met a bunch of nice, responsible dog owners with friendly dogs that actually liked playing with our hyperactive rat terrier. Sure, not all the owners are that way, but the regulars are. I have seen worse owner behavior at off-leash, fenced in parks (note to these persons: the fences do not do your job for you. please pick up your dog crap). We walked here daily, if not two or three times a day (often en route to Liks...) and yes, the dog cops are around but you find ways around this. It's the perfect park for a neighborhood full of young, active people and many of my favorite memories come from playing frisbee in the park on a warm day with a ton of other people our age doing similar things. I agree with other reviewers that this probably isn't the best family park in town, but then again, I never did see a crap ton of kids - they are always up in Wash where all the parents live. Cap Hill is still full of young adults and the park reflects the population. read more

This place used to be a cemetery! Peaceful souls are chilling here at Cheeseman! I came here for an AIDS race and thought this place was beautiful. It's perfect for a run, picnic or photoshoot as the grass here is always green. There are no ponds, lakes or hills but there is a cool Greek looking pavilion. read more

Oh, Cheesman, you're so big! This park is a prime example of why I love living in Denver. I live in the heart of a bustling city, yet I'm only 10 blocks away from a sprawling piece of land with lush green grass and big, shady trees. A place where I can walk my dog, have a picnic, grill with friends or even see a movie in the park! This beautiful park is pretty well-maintained and even has a bus stop on both sides of the park. Is it not the best place to go after dark? Sure. But find an unlit expanse of land in a city that isn't dangerous after dark, so I don't really think that should count against this place. I'd write more, but it's time for me to go take a walk! read more

This is a good park. Nice trees. Nice grass. Not too many bums. Its a good place to feed the birds or eat a sandwich.

It is a park. Lots of open space, people. Do not let dogs off leash, there are always rangers looking to write parking tix

I frequent this park with a wild and crazy red-haired dog. We both love it. Lots of other friendly dogs, people - and squirrels to chase. But for the love of god, this is not a park for children. I know there's a playground in there, but about 10 yards away are men basking in their underwear. read more

I've only been to one work related gathering here and or the amount of people that were in our group we chose a really odd space. I also learned got a tour of this park when I first moved to Colorado. My ex-roommate taught me about the different categories of the park and described what sort of people hand out in which spots. Totally interesting and hilarious (in a good way)! As many people know this is where a lot of gay men hang out and I really heart gay men. They just don't love me back! Other than that I basically used this park when I didn't want to drive on Colfax or 6th Street. read more

I'm glad to see most of the reviews are positive, I whole heartily agree. It gets a negative rep, which seems both outdated and undeserved. In reality, its laid back, less crowded than the swarm of volleyball nets at Wash Park and with more shade. Wash Park might be the place to be seen, City Park is great for families and festivals, but Cheeseman is the spot for a casual afternoon of frisbee, slack line, or just a nice book to read in the sun. read more

For the most part, I really love this park. It is close to my apartment in Cap Hill, and it is basically just a large lawn - and being from a small town in a small state back East - I really appreciate some grass under my feet. The views are beautiful and if you delve deep enough into the park, you can see the mountains while missing the skyline, which can be nice sometimes. The park is relatively not crowded, which is nice when you want to relax with an iced coffee, a book, and the sun. I am a huge dog lover, and really enjoy watching all the dogs run around. I do feel that owners take advantage of the space, however, and have seen dogs illegally off leash that disrupt unsuspecting patrons. I've even watched a woman watch her dog poop and not clean it up - although I think that is rare as I never see lawn bombs popping up. I've read reviews and heard stories about the bad rep this park gets, but I have yet to witness any of it. Overall, I find it a great place to relax during the day without the foot/bike/kid traffic of Washington Park. I've spent hours alone with my book and some chilled java, and have been utterly content. read more

We absolutely adore this park as it is close to home, downtown, has a great mountain viewpoint, is full of interesting people and offers trails and playground equipment. The ONE THING that is a disadvantage is there are no public restrooms. This is challenging with little kids and port-a-potties are unpredictable as to whether they'll be there or not. I think this is because it is over an old grave site and the city doesn't want to dig up old bones? read more