City Cast Denver logo
January 5, 2023

The Mystery of Downtown’s Lost Tunnels

City Cast Denver

The Mystery of Downtown’s Lost Tunnels

00:00:00
View all City Cast Denver episodes

Next time you find yourself in LoDo or wandering around near Union Station, look down. Just below the streets of downtown, there’s a maze of old, out-of-commission tunnels that used to connect our hotels, restaurants, and stores of yore. Glimpses of these alternative pathways still exist at street level, if you know where to look. Today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Tracy Beach, author of “The Tunnels Under Our Feet: Colorado’s Forgotten Hollow Sidewalks,” about this turn-of-the-last-century phenomenon. Beach explains what the tunnels were used for, who used them, and how to spot the remnants of these lost transit spaces today. 


Bree mentioned our tour last year of the Pueblo-themed Fuel & Iron Bar (which has since rebranded as Honor Farm), the racist anti-Chinese riot of 1880 (which she discussed with Dr. William Wei in 2021), and her interview with Coffee at the Point owner Ryan Cobbins from last year. 


Check out the Hey Denver newsletter for even more news, Denver history, and fun stuff to do! https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/


We are on Twitter: @citycastdenver


Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬


Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:



Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Denver

Stay connected to City Cast Denver and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
September 15

Downtown's Ups and Downs, Liquor License Losers, and Mesa Verde's Massive Repatriation

Thirty-six years after the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Mesa Verde National Park is returning m...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 14

Will Denverites Move Downtown For This Developer's Utopian Dream?

While office vacancies remain high downtown, one developer thinks this excess of commercial real estate could be better used as housing....

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 13

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Las Vegas Is Handling Record-Breaking Heat — Presented By City Cast Denver

It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Denver, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already sizzl...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 11

Anti-Trans Hysteria Coming to Your Ballots, Victor Marx's AI Fail, and No Comedy Fest This Year

Ballots will be in the mail in less than a month, and there are a lot of initiatives for voters to consider – including Proposition 134,...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 10

Who's Ready for Another Mayor's Race? Plus, a DPS Phone Ban Mega-Mailbag

Mayor Mike Johnston officially rolled out his campaign for reelection earlier this week with a big party at Town Hall Collaborative and a...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 9

10 Years in Prison for Manipulating More Than a Thousand DNA Investigations

After pleading guilty to four felonies in June, a Jefferson County judge sentenced former Colorado Bureau of Investigation scientist Yvon...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 8

The Aurora Report: New Data Center Regulations, a Massive 'Teen Takeover,' and City Council Hijinx

What’s up in Aurora lately? Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has been taking a new and low-key approach to homelessness; data center regulations...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 6

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Nashville Is Beating Flock — Presented By City Cast Denver

Do you know what kind of surveillance technology is being used in Denver? In Nashville, the city government has blocked numerous measures...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 4

De-Gooping Sloan's Lake, Going Viral in Denver, and Water Narcs: Data Center Edition

Denver is finally getting serious about saving Sloan’s Lake, with Mayor Johnston announcing Wednesday a new $50 million proposal to dredg...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art
September 3

Previewing Friday’s Anti-ICE Walkout, a Creepy New Meme, and 'Governor for a Day'

With school starting and phone bans going in effect, kids in Colorado already have a lot on their plates this fall. Over 160 schools acro...

City Cast Denver podcast episode art