The permanent memorial took eight years to design, fund and construct. It was dedicated September 21, 2007, with a heartbreaking ceremony that had me in tears.

It is free and open to the public.

About the memorial

• Official website

• Volunteer

• Location

The memorial sits along the south edge of Clement park, several hundred yards west of the school. Clement Park begins at the southeast corner of W. Bowles Ave and Pierce St. (It's not actually in Littleton, but use this mapquest/GPS address for the park: 7306 W. Bowles Ave., Littleton, Colorado.) It's about 30 minutes southwest of downtown Denver.

My photos

There are several groups of photos below:

• The Columbine Memorial in 2009.
• The dedication ceremony in 2007.
• A smaller, private memorial at Olinger Cemetery.

Columbine Memorial in 2009

These are screen captures from the Columbine intro video shot for my book by filmmaker Andrew Kemler just before sunset, on a blustery day, March 6, 2009. Andrew is quite talented, and I thought the pictures were beautiful, so I'd like to share them here. Some include me, as he was trying to capture me and the memorial, so I only have a few angles without me.

The first two might appear air-brushed, or retouched, but they are not.

The passage I'm reading in that last frame is the epigraph of the book. President Bill Clinton recited the line at the ground-breaking ceremony for the memorial in 2006, dedicating it to "these magnificent Columbine families." I tear up every time I remember:

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.

— Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

 

 

 

 

 

The Columbine Memorial dedication ceremony in 2007

I took these two photos during the ceremony, immediately after two hundred doves were released. (First thirteen were released, symbolizing the twelve students and one teacher Eric and Dylan killed. Then two hundred were released, an arbitrary number to symbolize everyone.)

I'm not much of a photographer, and it took me by surprise, so this is what I happened to catch. It means a great deal to me. I have never shared these before.

 

 

 

A memorial at Olinger Cemetery

These came from the same video as above, filmed earlier the same morning. Some of the victims are buried at this cemetery. Beautiful crosses were erected there to each of the thirteen.

I wish I had more photos, without me in them, but this is all I have. I thought people who could not make it to Colorado might appreciate them. People continue to leave flowers, flags, etc., as you can see. This was an ordinary day in early March.