In 1904, Speer proposed a series of civic improvements based on the City Beautiful Ideas shown to him at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Robinson proposed extending 16th Street to the Colorado State Capitol and to group other municipal buildings around a central park area.

[6] Undaunted, Speer gathered business leaders who brought in new ideas for the Civic Center including the creation of an east-west axial between the Colorado State Capitol, and swinging the north and south borders of the park into the city grid system.

Bennett combined the ideas of all of the previous plans, adding the Greek amphitheater, the Colonnade, the seal pond, and the realignment of Colfax Avenue and 14th Ave., around the park.

[8] Civic Center has long been the government, arts, history, and learning nexus of both the state of Colorado and the Denver Metropolitan Area.

The Denver Mint lies immediately west of the Civic Center Park across the street from the City and County Building.

Former presidential candidate and Denver native John Kerry made a 2004 campaign stop at Civic Center, and 2008 Democratic nominee Barack Obama gave a speech there on October 26, 2008 to an estimated 100,000 supporters.

[10] On October 11, 2019, a School strike for climate protest was held in Civic Center Park with Greta Thunberg.