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Doors Open Denver Offers A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Architecture & Design

DENVER (CBS4) - Doors Open Denver is a 2-day celebration of Denver's architecture and design. The Denver Architecture Foundation hosts the event every year to give Metro Area residents the opportunity to explore the city with a focus on history, innovation, and creativity.

"The reason I think that Doors Open Denver is important every year is it's really the embodiment of our mission. Our mission is to encourage people to explore our dynamic city, experience the importance of design to our quality of life, and to envision an exceptional future for Denver," said Pauline Herrera, executive director of the Denver Architecture Foundation.

Preston Dorris
Preston Dorris (credit: Douglas County)

Over two-days, there will be 59 Insider Tours, 11 of which have never been featured before or have featured very infrequently.

"We have the Bethesda TB Sanatorium, which is now Denver Academy, an incredibly historic site over in the Observatory Park Neighborhood. That is going to be a hit," Herrera explained.

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There are also Insider Tours of the Bosler House, the brand new Prism building, and the Downtown Denver Alleyways Project Experience, among others. Many of the Insider Tours do have require registration, and there is a fee to participate. There are more than 50 sites that are open for free.

"Every year we have an opportunity to look at architecture and design through a different lens, and this year we're looking at it through the lens of place and place making; and what makes a place? what makes a neighborhood, and what makes a community," Herrera said.

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This year, Doors Open Denver is presenting five arts + culture activities in the La Alma-Lincoln Park Neighborhood. The activities are sponsored by the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, and celebrate the history and culture of one of Denver's oldest neighborhoods. Before it was home to the Auraria Campus, and the Sante Fe Arts District, La Alma-Lincoln Park was a thriving Chicano/Latino neighborhood. The activities will help to explain and celebrate that history.

"It's part of Denver's history, just like any part of our history. And I think, as a community, it's really important for us to understand our history, as we think about the future together," Herrera told CBS4.

LINK: A Full Guide to Doors Open Denver

Doors Open Denver is Saturday, September 21 and Sunday September 22 from 10 a.m. to 4p.m., hours may vary for some of the tours.

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