Golden in Jefferson County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The Golden Plunge 1928-1941

The Golden Plunge Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Leslie Eudy

1. The Golden Plunge Marker

Inscription.
In 1928, noted theatrical architect Leo A. Desjardins transformed the building into the Golden Plunge, a “ritzy” indoor swimming pool, featuring a geometric façade complete with a large neon vertical “SWIM” sign. Nils Christiansen, a Golden resident and student at the School of Mines, was the head swimming instructor at The Plunge. Nils had competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and had qualified for the 1940 Games that were cancelled as a result of the start of World War II. To this day, The Golden Plunge pool remains below the building’s sturdy floor.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Sports.

Location. 39° 45.343′ N, 105° 13.288′ W. Marker is in Golden, Colorado, in Jefferson County. It is on Washington Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The marker is to the left of the door of 1119 Washington Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1119 Washington Ave, Golden CO 80401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Colorado’s Front Range.

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It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eakers Department Store 1953-1985 (here, next to this marker); Overland Hotel (a few steps from this marker); 1115 Washington Avenue (a few steps from this marker); Jolly Rancher 1113 Washington Avenue (a few steps from this marker); Iller Block (a few steps from this marker); 1114 Washington Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Golden Arch (within shouting distance of this marker); 1120 Washington Avenue (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Golden.

Also see . . . The Story of the Buffalo Rose. This link provides details on the history of the site. (Submitted on November 3, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado.)

The Golden Plunge Marker Wide Area image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Leslie Eudy, November 1, 2025

2. The Golden Plunge Marker Wide Area

Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. This page has been viewed 66 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 3, 2025, by Leslie Eudy of Golden, Colorado. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.