This Former Airport Tower in Colorado is Now A Cool Bar + Hangout
Buildings come and go here in Colorado, but this former airport tower in Denver has been repurposed and is now ready to welcome visitors.
Flyteco Tower has found its home at the location of the former Stapleton airport control tower in Denver, Colorado, and recently opened its doors to the public on August 13, 2022.
The History of the Stapleton Airport Tower in Denver
The Flyteco Tower was formerly known as the Stapleton Airport Tower which was a part of the Stapleton International Airport located in Denver, Colorado.
Before the Denver International Airport was opened on February 28, 1995, Stapleton Airport was Denver's go-to for flights. Stapleton airport opened in 1929 and was initially called Denver Municipal Airport.
In 1944, the airport was renamed the Stapleton airport after Denver's former mayor, Benjamin F. Stapleton. The airport grew quickly over the years and eventually began to receive complaints from residents who were disgruntled about the noise the airport produced. The Stapleton airport also faced issues with its runaways and lacked the space it needed to add other airlines. The airport eventually closed on February 27, 1995.
Punch Bowl Social Restores Building, Creates Restaurant
For decades the former airport tower sat abandoned until Punch Bowl Social opened a restaurant and bar on the first two stories of the office building on the site in 2017. The airport tower was not opened to the public, but the owners had plans to potentially allow the public in to view it in the future.
Unfortunately, those plans never came to fruition as Punch Bowl Social was forced to close its doors in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flyteco Tower Makes Former Airport Tower New Home
Fast-forward to the present and the Stapleton Airport Tower has once again found new owners with Morgan O’Sullivan, Eric Serani, and head brewer Jason Slingsby.
The trio is also responsible for FlyteCo Brewing in the Berkeley neighborhood of Denver, and they jumped at the chance to expand their business with a piece of real aviation history here in Colorado. All three have a passion for aviation, and two of the owners actually have their pilot's license.
Punch Bowl Social left behind putting greens used for mini-golf which Flyteco happily included in their new designs. The space is now divided into two levels, the first is geared toward families while the second is aimed more towards adults.
Attractions at Flyteco include:
- 6 bowling lanes,
- 18-hole mini golf,
- pinballs,
- pool tables,
- darts,
- arcade games,
- air hockey
- and more!
The actual airport tower still remains closed to the public, but the owners are working on bringing it up to code so that it can be opened as a bar area that would boast amazing views.