On the hill south of the Highlands Ranch Mansion stands a stone windmill, and around it is open pasture that is still grazed. Two silos, four barns, two cottages, a bunkhouse and a blacksmith shop sit nearby. All of it has belonged to the public since the last day of April. None of it has a public opening date yet.
That gap shapes the holiday season at 9950 E. Gateway Drive. The Mansion remains the way in. Its calendar between now and mid-December is the closest most residents will get this year to the ranch property the community was promised more than four decades ago.
Public Land, Still on a Cattle Lease
On April 30, 2026, Shea Homes conveyed about 197 acres of ranchland to the Highlands Ranch Metro District. That expanded Historic Park to almost 250 acres. The grounds around the Mansion had been about 50 acres, so the park is now several times its old size.
The new acreage wraps the Mansion on the south and east. It lies roughly between E. Gateway Drive, E. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Summit View Parkway and S. Ranch Road/Sterling Drive. According to the Highlands Ranch Herald, the land holds a full set of ranch buildings:
- The historic windmill
- Two silos and four barns
- Two cottages and a bunkhouse
- A shed, a laundry and power plant building, and stables
- A blacksmith shop
The Herald also reported that Shea Homes had leased the property to Clough Cattle & Fence Company for several years. The Metro District plans to keep that lease in place until it is ready to make improvements. The district's Historic Park planning page lists the public opening as to be determined. So the acreage changed owners this spring but still works as a ranch, and the fence line between the Mansion grounds and the pasture still counts.
A Promise Written in 1979
The conveyance closed a commitment older than most of the homes in Highlands Ranch. The Herald reported that the original development guidelines Douglas County approved in 1979 called for the Mansion and the ranch property to be open for public benefit, run by an organization that could make that happen.
Jeff Kappes, a Mission Viejo and Shea Homes retiree who has watched the community grow from the start, described the April handover to the Herald as "the final and full completion of public land dedications that were required pursuant to the Highlands Ranch planning and development guide for this community."
The Mansion went first. According to the Mansion's history of its owners and families, Samuel Allen Long built the stone Rotherwood farmhouse in 1891. Waite Phillips owned the ranch from 1920 to 1926, Frank Kistler from 1926 to 1937, and Lawrence Phipps Jr. from 1937 to 1976. The Metro District took ownership of the Mansion in 2010, began renovations in 2011, and held the grand opening on June 15, 2012.
The Herald noted that the April ceremony took place nearly 16 years after district members gathered at the Mansion entrance to receive the house itself. It was the same spot with a much larger parcel.
What the District Says the Park Will Be
The district has been clear about one thing. Metro District general manager Stephanie Stanley told the Herald:
"We see this as a place that will be a passive park, land that will provide opportunity for education, speaking to the agricultural and ranching history. We don't see this as a place for sports fields."
Stanley also told the paper the district has been talking with partners including Douglas County, the Highlands Ranch Community Association, the Douglas County School District and the CSU 4-H Extension. Board chair Renee Anderson said the park "will bring history to life for future generations of visitors."
The timeline is long, and the district says so. Its planning page lays out three phases:
- Planning. Town hall meetings ran June 17, July 22 and August 17. A communitywide survey with a Historic Park section ran through October 31. A consultant will turn that feedback into a concept plan in 2027, with potential amenities, construction costs and an operating approach. Residents get a chance to comment on it.
- Design. Final design refines the details and cost estimates.
- Construction. Timing and phasing get decided once designs are complete. The district may build everything at once or add amenities over time.
The 13 outbuildings each need their own review. The Metro District says structures will be renovated "to the extent structures are safe, have a defined purpose and it is financially feasible." The Herald reported that the district expects the buildings to open to the public, with hours not yet set.
Put together, the concept plan arrives next year, construction has no date, and the barns stay behind the fence for now. The Mansion grounds, the original Historic Park, are where you can spend the holidays next to all of it.
The Mansion's Holiday Calendar
Two organizations program the Mansion this season. The Metro District runs the open hours and the December celebration. The Highlands Ranch Community Association brings in the evening concerts.
| Date | Event | Time | Cost and access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 9 | HRCA Veterans Concert | 6:30 to 8 p.m. | $30 |
| Mon., Nov. 16 | Landmark Lecture: Lost Department Stores of Denver | 5:30 to 8 p.m., talk at 6:30 | Sold out, waitlist |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Free open hours and historic tours | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Celebration at the Mansion | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Free, food and drinks for purchase |
| Tue., Dec. 15 | HRCA Classical Concert at the Mansion | 6:30 to 8 p.m. | See HRCA listing |
Two November evenings
The HRCA Veterans Concert on Monday, November 9, is the first ticketed event of the stretch. A week later, Denver historian Mark A. Barnhouse presents "Lost Department Stores of Denver" as part of the Mansion's Landmark Lectures. The event is already marked sold out, so the waitlist is the only way in.
The free weekday on December 1
The quietest way to see the Mansion this season is the free open hours on Tuesday, December 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours are volunteer-led or self-guided. Reservations are recommended and required for groups of 10 or more. This is the one date on the list with no ticket and no crowd built in. It's a good fit for showing visiting family the house without a concert schedule to work around.
The big Saturday on December 5
The Holiday Celebration at the Mansion runs Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's free, with food and drinks for purchase. The Metro District calls it an old-fashioned celebration with horse-drawn hayrides, Santa visits, school choir performances, self-guided Mansion tours, face painting, games and crafts for kids, and food trucks. It's the only district event that welcomes artisan and craft vendors, and the district's events page says those vendor spots are already full.
The district said Historic Park information and feedback opportunities would be available at its community events this year. On its published calendar, December 5 is the last Metro District event at the Mansion for 2026. A hayride on the Mansion grounds puts you about as close to the new acreage as anyone can get this year without crossing a fence.
Closing the season on December 15
The HRCA's Classical Concert at the Mansion on Tuesday, December 15, brings Colorado Symphony members in for an evening of holiday favorites from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It's the last Mansion date on this season's calendar. The next scheduled step for the land around it is the consultant's concept plan in 2027.
For more on how Highlands Ranch's public spaces and seasons fit together, visit our Highlands Ranch neighborhood page.
At Lane Lyon, we follow stories like Historic Park because they shape what a Highlands Ranch address will mean over the next decade. If you'd like to talk about how the park's planning could affect your corner of the community, request a free home valuation or consultation and we'll start there.
