Observatory Park

Observatory Park homes surround one of Denver’s oldest planned parks and the 1890s Chamberlin Observatory at its center. This guide explains where Observatory Park is, how the area grew with the University of Denver, the houses and lots you will find, the zoning and historic district rules that apply, and what to check when you buy or sell. For current inventory and pricing, use the live numbers at the top of this page.

Where is Observatory Park?

Observatory Park is inside the City and County of Denver, in the south central part of the city. It is not one of the city’s official statistical neighborhoods. The name refers to the residential streets around Observatory Park, the park itself, which sits along East Warren Avenue between South Milwaukee and South Fillmore streets. Those streets fall within the statistical neighborhood Denver calls University Park, which runs from the Interstate 25 and rail corridor on the north to East Yale Avenue on the south, between South University Boulevard and South Colorado Boulevard.

The University of Denver campus is to the west. The area sits between downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center, with Interstate 25 along its northern edge and Colorado Boulevard on the east.

How was Observatory Park built?

The area began as University Park, a colony founded in 1885 when Rufus “Potato” Clark donated land for a new University of Denver campus southeast of the city limits, on the condition that a town site be platted beside it. The planned streets ran from South Race Street east to Colorado Boulevard and from Jewell Avenue south to just past Iliff Avenue. Several were named for figures tied to the university and the Methodist church, including Bishops Asbury and Warren and John Wesley Iliff. A small railway made trips to downtown. Observatory Park was one of four park areas in the original plan, and Warren Avenue now crosses it.

Ground was broken for Chamberlin Observatory in 1888, after Denver real estate investor Humphrey B. Chamberlin pledged money to build and equip it. The cornerstone was set in 1890, and the telescope was operating by 1894. The building, at 2930 East Warren Avenue, was designed by the Denver architect Robert S. Roeschlaub in red sandstone in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Its 20 inch lens was made by Alvan Clark and Sons, and the mount was built by George N. Saegmuller. The observatory is owned by the University of Denver, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and became a Denver landmark in 1994.

Houses followed in stages. Fitzroy Place at 2160 South Cook Street, built in 1891 and 1892 and tied to the university benefactor Elizabeth Iliff Warren, and the Ormleigh House at 2145 South Adams Street, built in 1899, date from the first wave. Buchtel Boulevard opened to traffic in 1926 and helped shape the neighborhood’s growth before World War II. Many of the blocks around the park filled in with brick Tudors and ranches in the middle of the century, and a long run of rebuilding has added newer homes since.

What do Observatory Park homes look like?

The area is almost entirely detached single unit houses. Near the campus and in the northwest blocks you will find the oldest houses, including Victorian era homes, Denver Squares, bungalows and Tudors. Around and south of the park, midcentury brick homes and ranches are common, and many of them have been replaced by larger contemporary houses. Residents began researching the area’s history around 2019 as older homes were being torn down, work that led to the 2024 historic district described below. A few townhome projects have also been built at the edges, such as Observatory Row, a group of 20 townhomes in five buildings that was under construction in 2018.

The single unit zoning near the park sets minimum lots of 5,500 or 6,000 square feet, but the age, size and condition of the house on each lot vary widely from one address to the next. Two neighboring houses can be a century apart in age.

What rules shape what you can build in Observatory Park?

Using the city’s official zoning map, most residential blocks near the park are zoned U-SU-C (Urban context, Single Unit, 5,500 square foot minimum zone lot) or E-SU-D (Urban Edge context, Single Unit, 6,000 square foot minimum). Toward the southeast, S-SU-D appears. Blocks along Evans Avenue, Colorado Boulevard and the campus carry mixed use, multi unit and campus districts. The Denver Zoning Code zone descriptions page explains them.

On April 15, 2024, Denver City Council approved the University Park Historic District. It is discontiguous: about 19 properties spread across the neighborhood, including Observatory Park, Chamberlin Observatory, Fitzroy Place, the Holland House and the Buchtel Bungalow, rather than a solid block of streets. Owners could choose whether to be included. For a designated property, exterior changes that need a building permit, such as a roof replacement, go through the city’s landmark design review, while work such as repainting does not. If a house is not in the district or individually designated, zoning alone governs most remodels and rebuilds. Confirm the status of any address with Denver Community Planning and Development before you plan a change.

Streets, parks and getting around

Observatory Park holds the observatory grounds, open lawns and tennis courts. To the south, Robert H. McWilliams Park sits on the East Harvard Gulch Trail, which runs about five miles. The University of Denver light rail station is at South Buchtel Boulevard and South High Street, northwest of the area, and Colorado station is just east of Colorado Boulevard near Evans Avenue.

What should you check when buying in Observatory Park?

The age of the houses here ranges by more than a century, so the inspection should match the house. We suggest:

• A camera scope of the sewer line to the street on any older home, since clay lines and tree roots are common.
• A foundation and basement review, particularly in early 1900s houses and in ranches with later additions.
• A check for knob and tube wiring and outdated panels in the oldest houses.
• A radon test, which applies to homes across Colorado, new construction included.
• For newer homes, permit history and any builder warranty documents.

Also check whether the address is a designated landmark or part of the 2024 historic district, since that affects future exterior work. Blocks closer to the campus, Evans Avenue or Colorado Boulevard have different zoning and more nearby activity than the blocks facing the park.

What should you know when selling in Observatory Park?

Buyers here often weigh three kinds of houses against each other: an original home in good condition, an older home on a lot suited to a rebuild, and a newer house already built. We usually advise sellers to be clear about which of those their home is and to have the permit history, recent inspections, sewer and radon records ready. Pricing should rest on recent sales of similar homes on comparable blocks, adjusted for lot and condition. Nobody can promise where prices go, and we explain each adjustment.

How does Observatory Park compare with nearby neighborhoods?

Washington Park lies to the north around its own large park. Bonnie Brae, also north of Interstate 25, has curving 1920s streets and Tudor revival cottages, and Belcaro has larger lots and many brick ranches. All of our area guides are on the neighborhoods page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Observatory Park an official Denver neighborhood?

Not as a statistical neighborhood. Denver includes the area in its University Park statistical neighborhood, which runs from the Interstate 25 corridor south to East Yale Avenue between University and Colorado boulevards.

Who designed Chamberlin Observatory?

Denver architect Robert S. Roeschlaub designed it in red sandstone in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The cornerstone was set in 1890 and the telescope was working by 1894. It stands at 2930 East Warren Avenue.

Is my Observatory Park house in a historic district?

Probably not. The University Park Historic District approved in 2024 covers about 19 specific properties, not whole blocks. Check the address with Denver Community Planning and Development to be sure.

Which light rail stations serve Observatory Park?

The University of Denver station at South Buchtel Boulevard and South High Street, and Colorado station near Colorado Boulevard and Evans Avenue.

If you own a home in Observatory Park, you can request a home value estimate, or schedule a private consultation about a purchase, a sale or a rebuild.