Grade 2: Discovering Denver Through New Field Trips

At the Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower, Denver’s first skyscraper, completed in 1911, students learned how the tower once stood as the tallest building in the city for nearly half a century. They discovered the building’s origins as part of the Daniels & Fisher Department Store and saw behind the tower’s impressive 10-foot clock faces. Students who climbed to the upper floors enjoyed an even higher vantage point and a closer look at the tower’s historic architecture.

The walking tour brought Denver’s early history to life. Led by Historic Denver educators, students explored significant sites near Larimer Square and 16th Street. Highlights included 15th and Larimer, the historic location where Denver was originally founded, historic storefronts such as the Granite Building, murals featuring figures like Chief Hosa and Annie Oakley, statues preserved from the city’s mining past, the site of Denver’s first post office, and historic buildings that remain part of Denver today.

By visiting these locations, students were able to connect classroom learning about Denver’s past with the real places where the city began. The experience helped deepen their understanding of the people, decisions, and events that shaped Denver into the city they know today.

These field trips offered second graders a meaningful and memorable way to explore Denver’s history, right in the heart of the city itself.