Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Denver, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

Cherry Creek Shopping Center is an upscale enclosed shopping mall in the Cherry Creek neighbourhood of Denver, Colorado, on East 1st Avenue beside Cherry Creek. It is one of the city's best-known retail destinations, and its site has a more eventful past than the shop windows suggest.

The story behind it

Before there was a mall, this was low ground beside Cherry Creek, shaped by gravel digging and by the creek itself. The creek was prone to flooding, and a major flood in August 1933 hit the area hard. Flood danger eased only after Cherry Creek Dam was completed upstream in 1950.

Temple Buell, a Denver architect, developed the site as a shopping centre. The first big store opened in 1953, and the complex was later enclosed and expanded into the mall you see today, which opened in its enclosed form in 1990. The wider area has a far longer history too. It lies on land used for generations by Arapaho and Cheyenne peoples, and in November 1864 Colorado militia under Colonel John Chivington attacked a Cheyenne and Arapaho camp at Sand Creek in the southeast of the state. The Sand Creek Massacre remains one of the most painful chapters in Colorado history and shaped how the region developed.

What to look for

• Look south across 1st Avenue and notice how the large, enclosed mall sits apart from the smaller streets of Cherry Creek North around it.
• Find the line of Cherry Creek nearby, and picture how a modest stream could flood the surrounding flat ground.
• Notice the mix of national brands and independent shops and galleries in the blocks around the mall, a sign of how much the district has changed since the 1950s.
• Watch for the trail along the creek, which makes a pleasant contrast to the shopping streets.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 30 minutes if you only want to see the exterior and the nearby streets, or a few hours if you plan to shop and eat.
• Browsing is open to anyone, but check current opening hours for the mall and for individual stores before you go.
• Combine the visit with a stroll through Cherry Creek North and along the creek trail, both within easy walking distance.
• Weekday mornings are usually calmer than weekends and afternoons, especially around holidays.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Denver brings you to this spot on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Ghost Hunt in Denver suits anyone who likes the darker side of a city's past. You walk between the stops, hear the story of each one as you reach it and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Dorothy’s Quest: The Trials of Oz in Denver is a lighter way to explore. You reach the mall as part of a walk through the neighbourhood, learn about it from the app and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.