Cold War Horse

The Rocky Flats Cold War Horse is a public monument installed along Highway 72 on the southern perimeter of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. The sculpture was created in response to the fading public memory and limited acknowledgment of the site’s nuclear legacy.

Shortly after its initial installation, the sculpture was severely vandalized. Rather than silencing the work, the act drew widespread attention to both the monument and the unresolved legacy of Rocky Flats. The Cold War Horse was later reconstructed, permanently reinstalled, and formally dedicated on the tenth anniversary of the plant’s closure in 2015. Since then, it has been featured in major publications, recognized as one of “America’s most fascinating roadside monuments,” and has continued to provoke strong public response and ongoing dialogue about Rocky Flats.

The Cold War Horse remains in place today, standing as a lasting reminder that the legacy of Rocky Flats still inhabits the land, the surrounding communities, and the ongoing story of the nuclear age.

The stone inscription that accompanies the monument reads:

This memorial was created to acknowledge the history of Rocky Flats, its workers, and the surrounding community.

Rocky Flats was a nuclear weapons production facility that had a huge influence during the Cold War. For nearly forty years, the plant manufactured the plutonium triggers of nearly every nuclear weapon in the United States arsenal. It’s estimated that 70,000 plutonium triggers were produced at this plant. Plutonium is a highly toxic and radioactive substance, and special precautions had to be taken. Routine operations and accidents contaminated the soil, water, and air in surrounding areas with radioactive and toxic material.

After a second major plutonium fire in 1969, the second largest plutonium fire at the facility, citizen protests gained momentum and urged Rocky Flats to cease operations. In 1989, the FBI in conjunction with the EPA raided the complex in the first ever

On the dedication of this memorial, 10 years after the “cleanup” of Rocky Flats, safety concerns still exist due to remaining contamination and questions of risk. Nonetheless, the history of this important national and international site, and the workers who sacrificed so much, have yet to be acknowledged by Federal, State or Local governments. This memorial stands as a reminder of a history that we must not forget.