1887, John and Mary Elitch purchased the 16-acre Chilcott Farm (at what would later be 38th Ave and Tennyson.) The farm was lush with vegetables, fruit and shade trees and they used the produce for their Elitch’s Palace Dining Room in downtown Denver. On May 1, 1890, the Elitches opened their Zoological Gardens and Grand Pavilion Theatre, which would later be known as Elitch Gardens. While the amusement park would later be relocated to downtown Denver, the Elitch Theatre remains at the original site today and is one of Denver's oldest historic buildings.