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When Denver’s first airport opened in 1929, humans were still unsure if planes could safely take off and land at the city’s mile-high elevation. Built seven miles northeast of downtown, Denver Municipal Airport started with just three airlines; more mail and packages took flight than passengers. Within the decade, though, it had skyrocketed into the region’s premier hub for air travel.
Today, the Central Park site is still a hub—but instead of jet-setters, a 25,000-square-foot eatertainment concept called FlyteCo Tower draws families meeting up for afternoon brews and pub grub, pals getting together for friendly games of darts or pingpong, and couples enjoying playful bowling dates. Its last day as an airport was in 1995, but it wasn’t until 2017 that the abandoned building was overhauled by eatertainment company Punch Bowl Social.
After the pandemic forced Punch Bowl to close the location in 2020, the team behind FlyteCo Brewing bought the venue, launching its new concept in August 2022. Throughout the enormous outdoor patio, three levels of games, and multiple bars, the aviation theme is clear—starting with the name and ending with the inclusion of preserved or repurposed elements from the airport, such as blue taxiway lights and signage from the runways and a scale model of an old Frontier Airlines DC-3 airplane.
But as of this year, the tie-ins to the history of the site go even deeper and higher, thanks largely to one man: Sean Henson, FlyteCo Tower’s tour manager and citizen historian. A lifelong airplane enthusiast and former flight attendant, Henson first climbed the tower in late 2024, back when tours were offered only sporadically. (Punch Bowl had not opened the tower to the public.)
“I had been wanting to go to the top of the tower since the first time I saw it,” Henson says, and he soon began envisioning how the educational experience could be expanded if someone were to dedicate themselves to the history of the site. So, he reached out to FlyteCo’s management to express interest in leading regular guided tours of the 164-foot-high air traffic control tower.
By January 2025, Henson had taken over FlyteCo’s Tower Tours, which now generally run five days a week for $12 per person (10 and older only). Most are at sunset, although there are daytime options most Saturdays and Sundays. “I redesigned the experience from the ground up, with a focus on history, and FlyteCo continues to be very supportive of my vision,” Henson says. “I saw so much potential for history to be brought to life there. It’s part of the character of the city.”
To prepare for his new gig, Henson, who says he’s been obsessed with airplanes since he could breathe, visited libraries and combed through old books and photographs. He also connected with experts, including former air traffic controllers and pilots who have personal memories of the site’s history.
Tours begin at the downstairs bar, where guests 21 and older receive a free five-ounce beer or soft drink to take along for a toast at the top—if they’re willing to carry it up 11 stories. Maps, photographs, postcards, and brochures people have brought Henson line the concrete walls throughout the ascent. He stops every couple of flights to share anecdotes or take questions.
Henson sees himself as the curator of a community-sourced museum. “It takes a village to keep important historic buildings like this preserved and to keep their stories alive,” says Henson, who encourages anyone in possession of artifacts that could enhance his tour to contact him and meet up over a beer.
At the top, in addition to 360-degree views from the mountains to the plains, guests will find signs that give the distance to landmarks like the Colorado State Capitol (5.2 miles) and Red Rocks Amphitheatre (17.9 miles). They’re also rewarded for their efforts with an audio recording of the air traffic control team’s farewell to the final flight that departed from the original airport back in 1995.
“My goal is to get everybody up there who wants to go,” Henson says. “I want people to come into this tower and [see themselves] as I see myself in this tower, [thinking] I contributed, and this was my story being told.”
If you go: Book your tour ($12 per person; open to those 10 years of age or older) in advance online. There is no working elevator in the tower, so guests must be prepared to climb up and down 11 flights of stairs.
