Monday, May 25, 2026

The Colorado Governor's Residence at Boettcher Mansion


After attending the Rotary Club of Denver Metro South's meeting in April for "Operation Pollination" -- last week's blog post on this link--we were able to take a tour of the Colorado Governor's Residence at Boettcher Mansion in Denver, Colorado.

Designed and built for the Cheeseman family in 1908, and later purchased by the Boettcher family, this mansion was deeded to the state in 1959. The Georgian Revival residence became the Governor's Mansion in 1960.

More about the home's history can be read on this link.



This was not the first time I visited the Governor's Residence. Twice before, my husband and I visited during open houses when the residence was professionally decorated for the Christmas season. You can see those posts here and here.



On this visit, I was looking forward to seeing the home without decorations and with fewer visitors. There were multiple docent tour guides from History Colorado to break up our group into smaller groups to take us on a guided tour.


The entrance door and hall.


The three-story staircase leads to the private quarters. The upstairs portion is 7,000 square feet with six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

The present Governor of Colorado is Jared Polis, and he and his partner do not live in the residence, as they decided to remain in their home in Boulder, Colorado, because their young children attend school there.


The Library

The library shelves contain the complete works of Thomas Jefferson, a signed copy of A King’s Story: The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor, and several first editions.


The Library features a rare French Louis XIV-style tulip wood cylinder desk.


The Library carpet depicts Colorado wildflowers, and window shelves looking into the Palm Room display Boettcher era collectibles.




The Drawing Room



 The Waterford cut crystal chandelier, which graces the Governor’s Residence drawing room, hung in the White House ballroom in 1876, when President Grant presided over America’s centennial celebration—the same year Colorado became a state.


More views of the Drawing Room.

After its completion in 1908, the first big event held inside this room was the wedding of John Evans II and Gladys Cheesman, the daughter of Walter and Alice Cheesman. Our Docent told us that the childhood sweethearts wed in front of the fireplace, with Gladys walking down the staircase to meet her groom instead of walking down an aisle.



The Drawing Room features a 1914 Steinway grand piano played by notables such as Liberace and John Denver.


Claude Boettcher and his wife Edna expanded the residence with the addition of the glass and marble Palm Room and furnished the home with the art and treasures they found on their travels throughout Europe and Asia. The room looks out to the SouthTerrace Garden.

On our visit, a portion of the room was filled with a table and chairs set up for a meeting.

The Dining Rooms and Kitchen


Colorado State China on display. The smallest dish had an imprint of the Rocky Mountain Columbine, our state flower.


The Bar Room

The last room we visited was the Bar Room, as our tour of the first floor of the mansion came to an end.
Mr. Boettcher's model ship, the “Cutty Sark,” is on display on the bar.


One wall had portraits of all the past and present Colorado Governors.

More views of the Bar Room.

Situated atop Logan Hill, the magnificent Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion, and its one-acre grounds, has entered its second century of helping to create Colorado history. 
Known as "Colorado's Home," the Residence has played host to national and world heads of state and dignitaries.

It was a pleasure to revisit it, and I hope you also enjoyed my photo tour.

I can also be found on




 

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