DENVER, Colorado — This week in Colorado History, Denver's 16th Street Mall celebrates its 37th birthday.
About 200,000 people rang in the grand opening on Oct. 4, 1982.
16th street had been a popular Denver thoroughfare well before the opening of architect I.M. Pei's Diamondback rattlesnake inspired pedestrian mall.
In the 1870's, Denver's first streetcars lined the road, carrying travelers from Union Station to the State Capitol.
Department stores, restaurants and theaters called it home.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a downturn hit the economic hub along with the rest of the country.
Denver's planning office looked to the Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis as an example of what could be.
The idea was to close the street to cars and focus on the pedestrian walkway between Broadway and Market.
It took crews two years to install trees, lights, and granite pavers.
Once the project was complete, only those traveling by foot or free shuttle were welcome.
It is now not only one of the most lucrative pedestrian malls in the nation but also a top destination among tourists visiting Colorado.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | More Storytellers