Cowboy in PajamasSean O'Meallie's 20-foot painted bronze on Champa Street
Cowboy in Pajamas, also called Cowboy Pajamas, is a 20-foot painted bronze by Sean O'Meallie. His site describes an abstract cowboy with its guns drawn, in downtown Denver. Place listings and a 2021 visitor account put it outside the Residence Inn at 1725 Champa St. A June 8, 2008 Colorado Springs Gazette story said it would be installed that month.
What you'll see
Sean O'Meallie's site calls Cowboy Pajamas a 20-foot painted bronze of an abstract cowboy with its guns drawn, in downtown Denver. The Colorado College Fine Arts Center describes the same piece as a 20-foot playfully abstracted cowboy in downtown Denver.
The June 8, 2008 Gazette profile is the installation record. It says the sculpture was 20 feet tall and over 3 tons, would be installed that month on private land downtown, and was cast in China because an American foundry quote would have stopped the project. O'Meallie said the first time he would see it assembled and painted was at the installation. He based the enlargement on an earlier Cowboy Pajamas sculpture.
The Gazette said an anonymous donor asked for a work that would be on public view. It does not describe the piece as city-owned public art. A July 30, 2021 visitor account says it has stood outside the Residence Inn since 2008.
Visiting tips
- Look from the sidewalk: The Gazette said the land was private and the view was public. Treat it as a sidewalk stop, not a museum gallery.
- The address source: 1725 Champa St is the Residence Inn Denver City Center. The artist site does not print that street address. Place listings and the 2021 account do.
- What to photograph: A painted, stylized cowboy in pajamas, with guns drawn, at 20 feet. The Gazette called the twist humorous and sometimes intellectual.
- Time needed: A few minutes from the sidewalk. There is no ticket and no published viewing schedule.
Cowboy in Pajamas FAQ
Where is the Cowboy in Pajamas sculpture?
Place listings and a July 30, 2021 visitor account put it outside the Residence Inn Denver City Center at 1725 Champa St, Denver, CO 80202. Sean O'Meallie's site says the sculpture is in downtown Denver and does not give a street address.
Who made Cowboy in Pajamas, and how big is it?
Sean O'Meallie. His site calls it a 20-foot painted bronze of an abstract cowboy with its guns drawn. The Colorado Springs Gazette reported on June 8, 2008 that it was 20 feet tall and over 3 tons.
When was Cowboy in Pajamas installed?
The Gazette story of June 8, 2008 said it would be installed in downtown Denver that month. The 2021 account says it has been outside the Residence Inn since 2008.
Is Cowboy in Pajamas free, and who owns the land?
There is no admission fee to look at it from the sidewalk. The Gazette said an anonymous donor commissioned it for private land that would be on public view. The fabrication cost was not published.
Why is the cowboy in pajamas?
That is the artist's title. The Gazette said O'Meallie enlarged an earlier Cowboy Pajamas sculpture and described the stylized figure as a humorous, sometimes intellectual twist. His site describes an abstract cowboy with its guns drawn.
Sources: seanomeallie.com; Colorado Springs Gazette, June 8, 2008; Colorado College Fine Arts Center artist note; place listings and a July 30, 2021 visitor account for 1725 Champa St. GPS is the geocode for that address. Last checked October 2026.