After five years of searching, in 1887 John and Mary purchased the 16-acre Chilcott farm in the town of
Highland, just West of downtown Denver. Although the farm was intended to supply their restaurant with fresh produce, in 1888 John and Mary sold the restaurant and decided to follow a dream to transform the land into a cultural resort with a zoo, plants, flowers, musicians, and a theater for his entertainment friends. Three years later, they opened the gates to
Elitch's Zoological Gardens on May 1, 1890. Many famous friends of John Elitch were in attendance on opening day including
P.T. Barnum, Denver mayor
Wolfe Londoner.
Elitch Gardens was a huge success that John and Mary poured their hearts and souls into. After the gates closed for the first season, the work began for the next year. For the winter, John Elitch formed the Elitch, Schilling and Goodyear Minstrels, and toured Colorado and the west coast with a vaudeville act. Upon reaching San Francisco, John Elitch caught pneumonia and died on March 10, 1891, with Mary at his side. She decided to return to
Denver, CO alone and opened the gates to
Elitch Gardens, continuing a tradition, in memory of Elitch. In 1897, his widow had Elitch's remains moved from California to Denver, and on September 17, Elitch was buried at
Fairmount Cemetery, where Mary would later be buried beside him. The Historic
Elitch Theatre is the only standing building left from opening day. Many of John Elitch's friends came to perform at the
Elitch Theatre including James O'Neill, Charles Goodyear, and
Sarah Bernhardt after his death. Although the park changed owners, an agreement still stands that it always keep the Elitch name.
Mary Elitch Long was allowed to live in her home in the gardens until her death. The original Elitch Gardens closed in 1994 and reopened in its current downtown location in 1995. == References ==