The Grove, Colorado AIDS Memorial, Commons Park

Dedicated on August 12, 2000, the Grove is a memorial to Colorado victims of AIDS. The memorial not only remembers those lost in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, but all those lost to the disease The memorial is located between the Platte River and Little Rave Street near 15th Street in Commons Park. It was dedicated as part of the wishes of Doug McNeil, a Denver realtor who died of AIDS in 1993. McNeil wanted a place in Denver where people could go and meditate on those lost, a quiet place. McNeil’s idea was inspired by “The Grove” National AIDS memorial in San Francisco. His wishes were realized seven years after his death due to laborious efforts of a group of McNeil’s friends and supporters. The memorial was designed to be a space of reflection, and a quiet spot as McNeil originally envisioned. In an effort to raise awareness of this space and its meaning. The Grove was re-dedicated in 2016 but many are still unaware of its existence or history.