The 7/20 Memorial
Ascentiate
A word for rising. Eighty-three cranes, climbing the Colorado sky above the place we come to remember.
The Sculpture
Every crane here means something
In 2012, the community of O'Fallon, Missouri folded a thousand paper cranes and sent them to Aurora. Six years later, that gesture became steel. Artist Douwe Blumberg created a piece that holds more than one story. You don't have to share our connection to July 20 to find your own meaning here. Come back another day, carrying something different, and the memorial may speak to you differently too.
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83
One crane for every person the night reached. Thirteen for the lives taken, seventy for the wounded.
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13
At the center of the flight, thirteen cranes are translucent. The light goes through them and keeps going.
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Upward
The center flight stands tall — the courage of the survivors and the strength of the first responders.
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Inward
The surrounding cranes arrive from every direction at once. A statement of common unity.
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Sealed
Inside every bird is a canister of remembrances — notes and tokens placed there by survivors, first responders, loved ones, and neighbors before the sculpture was closed.
We Remember
July 20, 2012
Jonathan Thomas Blunk
Age 26
A.J. Boik
Age 18
Jesse Childress
Age 29
Gordon W. Cowden
Age 51
Jessica Nicole Ghawi
Age 24
John T. Larimer
Age 27
Matthew Robert McQuinn
Age 27
Micayla Medek
Age 23
Alex Sullivan
Age 27
Alex Teves
Age 32
Rebecca Ann Hernandez Wingo
Age 32
Seventy people were wounded that night. Many more were in the building.
Ascentiate is dedicated to the thirteen and the seventy — and to all the victims and survivors, the first responders, and their families.
Everyone is welcome here.
We could not have survived the journey without the outpouring of love, kindness and generosity that were sent after that tragic night.
The 7/20 Memorial Foundation
A Community Gathers
[July 2012] A makeshift memorial was set up across from the theater. People came to reflect, to grieve, and to leave flowers, notes, and tokens of love for those lost and those forever changed.
1,000 Cranes from O'Fallon, Missouri
[2012] In the weeks after the tragedy, the community of O'Fallon, Missouri, folded and sent 1,000 origami cranes to Aurora — love made visible. This act of compassion would eventually inspire both the Paper Crane Peace Project and the memorial's form.
A Foundation Is Born
[March 2013] The 7/20 Memorial Foundation was formed to carry out the fundraising, planning, and oversight of a permanent memorial. The makeshift memorial across from the theater could only be temporary due to planned construction.
The Artist Is Chosen
[August 26, 2017] At the annual Reflection Garden on Tap benefit, sculptor Douwe Blumberg was introduced. His vision — inspired by the origami cranes sent in 2012 — gave the community a permanent symbol of resilience.
The Memorial Takes Shape
[2017–2018] Douwe Blumberg and his team brought Ascentiate to life — 83 steel cranes rising in the Water-Wise Garden. Thirteen translucent cranes at the center honor those whose lives were taken. Each crane holds a canister filled with tokens of remembrance from survivors, first responders, community members, and loved ones.
Dedication Day
[July 27, 2018] The permanent memorial was dedicated at the Water-Wise Garden. Survivors from Columbine, Virginia Tech, San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and others gathered. San Bernardino presented their city flag. Tom and Caren Teves delivered the No Notoriety message. The board was recognized in the Congressional Record.
Cultural Heritage Site Designation
[2026] Ascentiate and the Water-Wise Garden were designated a Cultural Heritage Site — a recognition that this place serves the community beyond its physical form. The official announcement will take place at the Day of Resilience on July 25, 2026.
Visit
The gate is always open
Ascentiate stands in the Water-Wise Garden at the Aurora Municipal Center — a place of reflection, peace, and hope. The eighty-three cranes welcome all visitors, every day of the year.
Aurora Water-Wise Garden
15151 E. Alameda Parkway
Aurora, Colorado 80012
Open every day of the year. Free to all, always.
What to expect
The memorial is outdoors and open to the sky. The sculpture stands at the center of the garden. Twelve benches are set among the plantings, placed by the families, and beside them thirteen stones — one for each life taken. You can sit as long as you like.
There is no staff on site and no guided route. Most people walk the garden slowly, find a bench, and stay a while.
If you visit, and you want to, share what you saw. We read every one.
#720Rising