Downtown Denver History Quiz

Downtown Denver History Trivia

Test your knowledge of the Mile High City!

1. What was the original name of the settlement that became Denver?

St. Charles Auraria Highland Cherry Creek

2. The Brown Palace Hotel, opened in 1892, was designed by which architect?

Frank Edbrooke Robert Roeschlaub Frederick Olmsted Daniel Burnham

3. What year did the Great Fire of Denver destroy much of the downtown area?

1863 1876 1882 1889

4. The iconic Union Station was designed in which architectural style?

Art Deco Beaux-Arts Classical Victorian Gothic Prairie School

5. Which mining magnate built the famous Tabor Grand Opera House in 1881?

David Moffat Henry Wolcott Horace Tabor William Loveland

6. What was the primary reason for Denver’s rapid growth in the 1870s-1880s?

Gold discovery in the area Railroad connections and silver boom Oil discoveries Cattle ranching expansion

7. The Daniels & Fisher Tower was modeled after which famous European landmark?

Big Ben in London Campanile di San Marco in Venice Eiffel Tower in Paris Giotto’s Campanile in Florence

8. Which street was historically known as Denver’s “Wall Street” due to its concentration of banks?

16th Street 17th Street Larimer Street Curtis Street

9. What was the nickname for the area that is now LoDo (Lower Downtown) in the early 1900s?

The Bottoms Skid Row The Warehouse District Market Square

10. The Colorado State Capitol building’s dome is covered with what material?

Colorado gold leaf Copper sheeting Silver plating Zinc coating

📚 Answer Key

1. Auraria – The original settlement founded by William Green Russell
2. Frank Edbrooke – Famous Denver architect who designed many landmark buildings
3. 1863 – The Great Fire destroyed 70 buildings in downtown Denver
4. Beaux-Arts Classical – Union Station’s grand architectural style
5. Horace Tabor – The “Silver King” who built the Tabor Grand Opera House
6. Railroad connections and silver boom – Denver became the regional hub
7. Campanile di San Marco in Venice – The tower’s Italian inspiration
8. 17th Street – Known as Denver’s financial district
9. The Bottoms – LoDo’s nickname due to its low elevation
10. Colorado gold leaf – Added in 1908 to honor Colorado’s gold rush heritage

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