For nearly three decades, the very top of the air traffic control tower at Denver's old airport in Central Park has remained closed to the public.
But starting Wednesday, Nov. 15, FlyteCo, the Brewery set up inside the building, will open the tower to tours. The $10 tours will run from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and people can sign up online.
The tower is 164 feet tall, and with no elevator, requires climbing 11 flights of stairs and attendees will have to sign waivers. Tour guides will provide aviation facts and history. The first tour appears to be sold out with only an option to join a waitlist.
"Once you reach the pinnacle of the tower, you'll be treated to unparalleled 360-degree views of the airport grounds, the surrounding cityscape, and the majestic Rocky Mountains in the distance," FlyteCo wrote. "This vantage point offers fantastic photo opportunities for aviation enthusiasts and nature lovers alike."
After years out of operation, Punch Bowl Social opened part of the tower with putt-putt greens and games in 2017, before closing during the pandemic. In 2022, the site reopened as FlyteCo Brewing, an aviation themed brewpub, full of airport history.
But the top of the tower has remained closed. It's a part of Denver history, a relic of the old airport that opened in 1929 under former Mayor Benjamin Stapleton. The tower was built in the 1960s.
A lot has changed since then: Denver has a completely new airport, which will reach 100 million passengers in the coming years. The neighborhood is now full of new houses and apartments, with ongoing development. And after the 2020 racial justice protests, the area is no longer called Stapleton, named after the mayor who was a Ku Klux Klan member. It's now called Central Park.
As for the remaining airport history, FlyteCo owners told Denverite in 2022 that they would like to open the upper part of the tower into a bar, with expansive views of the area. Denverite has reached out to FlyteCo for comment and more information. We'll update when we hear back.
