Walk down Bryant Street today and you’ll feel it. That weird, lingering energy of a place that used to hold 76,000 screaming people but now mostly holds luxury townhomes and paved parking lots. If you're looking for Mile High Stadium Bryant Street Denver CO, you're technically looking for a ghost. The original Mile High—the one with the creaky metal stands that literally shook when the "Orange Crush" defense took the field—is gone. It was scraped in 2002. But the geography? That hasn't changed. Bryant Street remains the backbone of the Sun Valley neighborhood, acting as the invisible border between what Denver was and what it's trying to become.
People get confused. They plug the address into their GPS and expect to see the towering steel of the Broncos' home. Instead, they find themselves staring at a massive parking lot or the sleek, modern curves of Empower Field at Mile High just a few hundred yards to the south. The history of this specific stretch of asphalt is basically the history of Denver's soul.
Why Bryant Street is the Real MVP of Denver Sports History
Most folks talk about the players. They talk about Elway’s "The Drive" or the 1997 Super Bowl run. But they don't talk about the logistics of Bryant Street. This road was the literal gateway. Before the massive redevelopment of the Platte Valley, Bryant was how you got into the guts of the stadium experience. It wasn't fancy. It was grit.
The original stadium started as Bears Stadium in 1948. It was a baseball park, honestly. A modest one. But as the Broncos grew into a regional religion, the stadium expanded and swallowed the surrounding blocks. By the 1970s, the intersection of 17th and Bryant was the center of the universe every Sunday.
You’ve gotta understand the physical sensation of being there. Because the original Mile High utilized a lot of steel flooring in the north stands, the fans figured out they could create a deafening "thunder" by stomping in unison. That sound didn't just stay in the stadium. It vibrated through the pavement of Bryant Street. It was a literal earthquake. Local residents in Sun Valley used to say they didn't need a TV to know when the Broncos scored; they could feel the vibration in their kitchen floors.
The Weird Transition to 1701 Bryant St
When Empower Field (originally Invesco Field) was built, they shifted the footprint. The old stadium sat right on the corner of 17th and Bryant. When it was demolished, they didn't just build over it immediately. They turned the hallowed ground into a parking lot.
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It’s kinda poetic, in a sad way.
If you go to the parking lot today—specifically Lot J—you’ll find a small, somewhat underwhelming historical marker. It marks the location of home plate from the old stadium. It's a tiny nod to the fact that this wasn't just a football field; it was the home of the Denver Bears and the first home of the Colorado Rockies. In 1993, the Rockies set an MLB opening-day record right here with over 80,000 people. On Bryant Street. For baseball. Think about that for a second.
The shift changed the neighborhood's DNA. Sun Valley, the neighborhood surrounding Bryant Street, has historically been one of Denver’s lowest-income areas. The stadium was this massive, pulsating neighbor that brought wealth and chaos eight times a year but left the area largely untouched the rest of the time. Now, the city is pumping hundreds of millions into the "Sun Valley Rising" project. They're trying to turn the area into a "Next-Gen" neighborhood.
What’s Actually There Now?
If you're heading to Mile High Stadium Bryant Street Denver CO right now, here is what you're actually going to see:
- Empower Field at Mile High: The "new" stadium (which is now over 20 years old, crazy right?) sits just south of the original site.
- The Mile High Monument: This is a miniature, scaled-down version of the old stadium. It’s located in the parking lot and seats about 300 people. It uses some of the original seats. It’s a weird, cool little shrine that most people walk right past.
- Development Creep: To the west of Bryant, you’re seeing a massive influx of "Denver Squares"—those boxy, modern townhomes that cost a million dollars.
- Meow Wolf Denver: Just a stone's throw away. The "Convergence Station" has completely changed the traffic patterns of the area, making Bryant Street a hub for art nerds just as much as football fans.
The street itself is a weird mix of industrial remnants and hyper-modern urban planning. You'll see a rusty chain-link fence on one side and a $15-a-cocktail bar on the other.
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The Logistics of Visiting (The Expert Take)
Look, if you're coming for a game, don't try to park on Bryant. Just don't. The city has some of the strictest residential parking permit (RPP) enforcement in the country around that area. You will get a ticket. Or worse, you'll get towed by a guy named Gordy who hasn't smiled since 1994.
The best way to experience the Mile High Stadium Bryant Street Denver CO area is via the Light Rail. The C, E, and W lines drop you off at the Decatur-Sun Valley station. From there, you walk north on Bryant. This walk is the best way to see the transition. You pass the subsidized housing of Sun Valley, the new construction, and then the massive, looming shadow of the stadium.
It's a journey through Denver's socioeconomic layers.
Why Does This Location Still Matter?
There was a rumor for a while that the Broncos might move to the suburbs. To Aurora or maybe out by the airport. But the 2022 sale of the team to the Walton-Penner group seems to have solidified the stadium's place in the city core. They are investing in the land. They are looking at "stadium districts" like what they have in Chicago or Green Bay.
Bryant Street is the key to that.
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It’s the artery. Without it, the stadium is just an island in a sea of asphalt. With it, the stadium is part of a neighborhood. There is a specific grit to this part of Denver that isn't found in the polished streets of Cherry Creek or the hipster bars of RiNo. It’s dusty. It’s loud. It smells like tailgate charcoal and diesel.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you want to actually "see" the history of Mile High Stadium Bryant Street Denver CO, do this:
- Find the Marker: Go to the north end of the parking lot (Lot J). Look for the home plate marker. Stand there and look south. You are standing exactly where some of the greatest athletes in history began their games.
- Visit the Monument: Check out the Mile High Monument. It’s free. It’s a great photo op, and it gives you a sense of the scale of the old "White Whale."
- Eat Locally: Don't just eat stadium nachos. Walk a few blocks into the neighborhood. Hit up the local spots that have survived the gentrification. Raices Brewing Co. is right there and offers a vibe that is authentically Denver.
- Check the Schedule: Remember that this area is a ghost town on Tuesday mornings but a war zone on Sunday afternoons. Plan accordingly. If you want to explore the history, go on an "off" day.
The reality is that Mile High Stadium isn't just a building. It's a specific coordinate on Bryant Street that represents the city's transition from a "cow town" to a major-league player. Even though the original steel is gone, the ground still feels different there. You just have to know where to look.
Go stand on the corner of 17th and Bryant. Close your eyes. Listen past the sound of the I-25 traffic. You can still hear the thunder of 70,000 people stomping on those old metal bleachers. It’s still there. It’s just buried under a little bit of progress.