![]() Nearby Dinosaur Ridge will teach visitors a lot about the prehistoric activity of the region. The rocks that made this amphitheater possible are millions of years old, and some of the dinosaur fossils and footprints that have been found there date back to the Jurassic Period, including the remnants of a massive 40-foot Plesiosaur (a sea-dweller, which proves this formation was once underwater!) that was found in the area. The ambiance they create-the warm red sandstone, the views for miles, the gorgeous open skies-is unlike any other concert experience. At over 300 feet tall, Ship Rock and Creation Rock are about as tall as Big Ben and taller than Niagara Falls. They are made up of red sandstone, and their distinctive color comes from iron oxides in the rock. The two big rock formations on either side of the seating area are called Ship Rock and Creation Rock, and the one behind the stage is called, creatively, Stage Rock. With help from the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and the WPA (Workers Progress Administration), construction was completed by 1941. They wanted to build on the reputation Walker had created for music performances and use the natural architecture of the rocks to create something unbelievable. ![]() In 1927, the city of Denver purchased the area and began construction on the amphitheater in 1936. These performances by Walker were casual but unforgettable for over twenty years, so a reputation as a haven for music lovers was officially born. During these years, Walker and his cohorts changed the name from Garden of the Angels to Garden of the Titans. Walker began inviting musicians to come and perform on the platform to take advantage of the astounding acoustics created by the surrounding rocks. In the very earliest years of the 20th century, a man named John Brisben Walker built a temporary platform between Ship Rock and Creation Rock, the massive 300-foot giants that hug either side of the amphitheater today. The earliest known name of the Red Rocks rock formations was the “Garden of the Angels,” though, of course, the land was well-known and used by the Ute Indians for centuries before white settlers discovered it. ![]() From Garden of the Angels to a World-Class Venue Colorado is proud to be the home of an abundance of wonders, both natural and man-made, but perhaps the culmination of both of those parts is best seen in Red Rocks Amphitheater, also a National Historic Landmark and a name that music lovers far and wide hold close to their hearts.
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