Garden of the Gods Foundation Letter – 2021

During the second year of COVID the Visitor & Nature Center continued to see increased visitation as people were anxious to travel closer to home and be outdoors. After being open for 26 years and averaging over 1 million visitors a year, our maintenance costs continue to rise.

Over the past year, the Visitor Center has developed several new programs to educate guests about the Park.  We’ve had a lot of interest in the programming including the use of one of the rooms at the Visitor Center to display artwork from local artists on a rotating basis. 

Although visitation is up, we still have one hurdle to get over before business can return to a more normal routine. In November 2021, the city began working to improve traffic flow to the Park on 30^th Street to include a roundabout at 30^th Street and Gateway Road.  For the first half of the project, the Visitor Center’s north entrance will be closed but visitors will still be able to visit us and the Park through our south entrance which will remain open. The city is estimating this will be an 18-month project. We all have high hopes that once the project is completed it will be easier than ever for visitors to enjoy the Visitor & Nature Center and the Park.  

It is through our partnership with the Visitor & Nature Center that we raise funds to fulfill our mission.  Once a year we count on you, our supporters, to help us achieve our goals and to provide as many resources as possible to help maintain the Park we all love and enjoy.

The Foundation is proud of our mission to improve the quality of the Garden of the Gods Park by gathering resources and providing grants that enhance and protect this National Natural Landmark.  Over our 26 years together we have donated more than $4.8 million to the city for the Park. 

Thank you for your support of the Garden of the Gods Foundation in the past and please consider continuing your support this year.

Your contribution makes a difference.

Sincerely,

Jan Martin

The Garden of the Gods Foundation Board of Trustees:

Scott Campbell                  Mina Liebert                    Susan Pattee

Ann Fetsch                          Dave Kast                        David Siegel

Scott Hente                        David Kunstle                    Lyda Hill – Consulting Partner

Jax Hilaire                            Jan Martin                        Nancy Lewis – Trustee in Memoriam      

                                                                                           Don Hare – Visitor Center Manager