Meetup



Haunted Locations in Colorado A-Z by area

Please note, private properties should always be treated with respect to the current owners.

Alma, “Buckskin Joe cemetery”. There used to be a boomtown called Buckskin Joe  that has a legend of a young beautiful dancehall girl known as “Silverheels”. The town emptied out during a smallpox epidemic, but Silverheels stayed to nurse the sick miners. The grateful miners scraped together a small fortune of donations of $4000 but were never able to find her to give it to her as she mysteriously disappeared.  Mount Silverheels is named for her.  Shortly after she vanished, reports of a ghost of a woman wearing veils over her face (possibly to cover pockmarks?) in the local cemetery circulated. (Strange p. 48)

Bailey, Platte Canyon High School.  Strange footprints and moaning from a storage room are thought to be linked to a teacher who assaulted a freshman girl and then hung himself in the building. ()

Big Sandy Creek or/ Sand Creek Massacre “Others arriving at the bend in the creek claimed to have heard dogs barking and children shouting when neither dogs nor children were present” (GSOC p. 137)

Boulder, Mackey Auditorium UCB 285 80309 . Elaura Jaquette was brutally raped and murdered on July 6, 1966 in an isolated organ recital room in the west tower. People report hearing organ music and seeing blood stains appear on the walls there. (Weird p.209) However, her family maintains she would never haunt the place.

Boulder,  Odd Fellow’s Lodge Boulder Lodge No. 09. People restoring the lodge reported hearing footsteps and the smack of billiard balls when nobody was playing. (Weird p. 217)

Broomfield, Old Possum Books Bookstore 7155 W. 119th Pl  reports that your hair will stand up on the back of your neck, and books being moved from one aisle to another overnight, and books falling off shelves with no possible explanation. But, the phenomena seems to have ceased in recent years (GSORM2 p. 211)

Brown’s Park, Northwestern Colorado

Brown’s Park was the scene of rancher feuds and range wars. Blood was spilled and it became known as dangerous country (Ghosts of the Old West p.129) A writer claims he touched the doorframe of a rotting old cabin in the valley and was possessed by the spirit of an old cowboy temporarily.

Canon City, Holy Cross Abbey 3011 Highway 50  Recently closed but there may be a winery open still. Debatable whether haunted unable to confirm.

Canon City,  Museum of Colorado Prisons “Colorado State Penitentiary” 201 N. 1st St. Employees of the museum report decorations and ribbon barriers to cells being removed without anyone being in the building. Fellow prisoners would complain about noises coming from empty cell #17 that sounded like silverware being thrown against the walls. Phantom blood from a knifing in the kitchen repeatedly appeared despite being cleaned. (COGS p.57)“I’ve heard my name whispered twice when I was alone…spooky. If I have to go downstairs, I yell, Hello! I’ll even sing or whistle”  The cash register has been known to slam shut by itself too. “We’ve heard the EVP’s…one was “Release me” repeated three times…and another was someone saying “The Cops came and got me” (Weird p.165-6)

Carbondale, Redstone Inn Castle 82 Redstone Blvd. Built in 1902 Curators report smelling cigar smoke often and suspect it is the builder John Cleveland Osgood. A housekeeper reported seeing a figure in a mirror in the Lady Bountiful’s room, and some smell lilacs during the winter.  “Housekeepers report seeing people reflected in mirrors in empty rooms and of footprints on clean floors.” (Castle p.139)

Central City, Hilltop Cemetery. The tombstone for John Edward Cameron, died Nov. 1 1887 is said to be visited annually by a beautiful woman in Victorian black on the anniversary of his death. “Because the image has also been seen hovering about the marker on April 5, some people speculate that the ghost is the spirit of (his) fiancé, and that April 5 was to have been their wedding day. (GSORM p. 195)

Colorado Springs The Hiking Trail through “Dead Man’s Canyon”  (10 miles south of Colorado springs- I was unable to confirm location) In 1863 a local sawmill owner named William Harkins was murdered by religious fanatics who put an axe through his skull (GSORM 111) he has since been spotted on the trail with the axe still in his head.

Colorado Springs, Miramont Castle 

“There is also a little girl on the fourth floor, but who she is remains a mystery, although one psychic thought she might have been a patient who died there” (Castle p. 85) Most experiences are auditory and sensory and not sightings.

 

Colorado Springs, Pioneer Museum formerly the El Paso Country Courthouse Built 1903. 215 S. Tejon St. A large, dark shadowy figure of a man whose footsteps sound like he is walking on small gravel has been spotted. A curator was reaching for a donated item for a display and heard “Don’t touch that! I’ll hit you!” The curator took the item anyway and felt eyes on her as she wheeled the cart, and was struck in the back of the legs hard enough to almost knock her down. A different worker saw a doll had fallen off a display behind glass, and after unlocking the glass saw that three dolls were “weirdly arranged in a strange circle!” (COGS p.75) Purportedly harbors the specter of Eddie Ray Beals, who was shot upon exiting a courthouse elevator in 1959 by a coworker, Willy Butler.  “We do have some strange things that go on,” says Gretchen Arnold, museum receptionist, bookkeeper and tour coordinator. Besides the sounds of footsteps, motion alarms that go off unexplained and other strange happenings, the elevator goes up and down with nobody in it. ()

Crested Butte area, Schofield Pass. A white-knuckle adventure for even esperienced four-wheeling drivers…in 1970 a driver parked his vehicle full of passengers on a slope and left it to take a picture…the vehicle rolled into deep, icy water more than one hundred feet b elow, killing nin people, including a young boy whose body has never been found. At least five other known fatalities have also occurred on this pass. (Weird p.192) No activity reported but might be worth a hunt for experienced hikers.

Cripple Creek- Dunn Building (I was unable to find cross-streets) Previously a funeral home run by Thomas Dunn…then a boarding house. “Some boarders left the Dunn Building in the middle of the night, babbling hysterically about how they were woken by a terrible suffocating feeling” (GSOC p.83). An assistant undertaker came forward after the numerous supernatural reports with a story that a supposed dead miner came woke up (he wasn’t dead) during his embalming. The assistant claimed that Thomas Dunn killed the miner with an overdose of morphine. (GSOC p.86)

Cripple Creek, Colorado Grande Casino. A security guard reported seeing a couple in period costume laughing by the slot machines after hours. (spookyco p.70)

Cripple Creek, Palace Hotel . A woman named Kitty Chambers is rumored to haunt Room 3 where she[pic] died in 1908 (GSORM p. 167)

Delta, Delta Municipal Cemetery 1055 E. 3rd St. Three full apparitions spotted walking around and through headstones as if following each other, then “falling” to the side as they vanished. (COGS p. 100)

Denver, Asbury Elementary School 1320 East Asbury Avenue  “Psychically gifted observers claim to see a woman in her 50’s with long, unkempt, graying black hari wandering in the region late at night near Asbury School.” (GUP p.122)

Denver, The Buckhorn Exchange  1000 Osage  at 10th Some of the reported activity includes voices, laughter, snatches of music, invisible footsteps, elusive faces in mirrors, lights going on and off by themselves, and sometimes the tables move without visible assistance and rather suddenly. (Weird p.223)

Denver, 1410 High Street- It’s unclear if the original building still stands at this address. Can anybody confirm? This Mansion had “crosses a (d Masonic symbols on most of the doors, along with hidden passageways and a supposed tunnel from the house to the garage” (Seemy Side p. 153) Neighbors reported seeing flickers in the windows after the house was abandoned, as if somebody was lighting candles. The author Meredith Nicholson lived there from 1899 to 1904, and claimed that his 1905 novel “House of the Thousand Candles” was not fiction but documentation of the haunting he witnessed there.

Denver, an empty lot at 2100 S. Milwaukee Street.  The owners of this property destroyed the haunted Victorian house that used to stand here. But you may catch an orb at the property? The house was supposedly haunted by Ammi Hyde who was a professor at the University of Denver until his death March 23, 1921.

Denver, Former Cathedral School – now artist studios- Corner of 19th Ave and Grant St. Purported to be haunted by a nun who used to torment her students.

Denver, apartments at 13th and Williams. These apartments (I was unclear exactly which ones. If you know let me know please) were built over the remains of the Henry Treat Rogers Mansion that was located at 1739 13th Ave. This mansion was the basis of the movie “The Changeling”. The “facts” of the haunting are wildly disputed, but since they knocked it down we’ll never know. It gave us a kick ass movie though!! Here is some background: (film)#Film_inspiration

Denver, The Botanic Gardens 1007 York Street. Once the catholic area of the cemetery replaced by Cheesman Park. The “Waring House” on the northwest corner of 9th and York houses the gardens administrative offices. “Following very infrequent stair openings, the house will be beset by numerous strange sounds, things moving without anyone being there and other disturbing poltergeistesque activity” (HEART p.41)

Denver, The Brown Palace Hotel 321 17th Street One murder that took place there was  on Sept. 30, 1946.[pic] Ronald F.Smith, a 23 yr old marine in town for a physical, got drunk and opened fire in the bar leaving one dead and two wounded. (Seemy Side p. 173). Recent sightings by hotel employees have also involved a spirit in uniform. He has been seen outside the Brown

Palace Club dressed in his conductor’s uniform. The hotel originally housed the ticket office for the Rock Island Railroad, so it seems plausible that a mortal conductor might have once walked these halls. When sighted,this spirit merely disappears through the wall . Room 831 has a resident spirit who likes to sit upon the couch and cause doorstops to fly out from beneath the

door jam. Room 904 is said to be haunted by the ghost of the Mrs.

Crawford Hill (Louise), who was the undisputed queen of Denver society, and who died in the room of natural causes. ()

Denver, Castle Marne 1572 Race St. In the spring of 1989, with the renovation of the Castle Marne in full[pic] swing, four construction workers were relaxing in the sun during their lunch break in the front yard. The large front door was standing open, offering a view through the foyer, up the main staircase. They were amazed to see a beautiful young girl dressed in her finest turn-of the century party attire coming down the staircase of the empty house. She stopped to admire herself in the mantel mirror, then skipped down the front porch stairs, swirling past the stunned workers. They watched dumbstruck as she got into a horse-drawn carriage that was waiting for her at the curb. The construction workers turned to look at each other with astonishment, and then back to the curb. The carriage and the little girl had disappeared into thin air. Could she be the same little girl whom guests have said knocks lightly on their door late at night, then enters through the door itself, disappearing into a mist? ()

Denver, Chamberlin Observatory 2930 East Warren Avenue 80210 Students have reported the telescope seems to move of its own volition to the correct setting while the answer to confusing calculations becomes clear (GUP p.27)

Denver, Charline Place Condominiums. 1419 Pennsylvania St. Tenants hear voices in the hallways “The strange thing is that the tones are kind of enticing, like the voices are trying to lure me somewhere. I’ve never been brave enough to follow them, because I have always been afraid of what might happen” (HEART p.47)

Denver, Charles Boettcher Jr. House 777  Washington St. Aka “ The House of Darkness”. Teen girls explored the abandoned house in the 1960s before it was torn down. ”Behind them a piercing burst of laughter transfixed them. As one, they turned to find a pasty figure at the top of the stairs…his mouth askey, issuing forth a grotesque laugh his eyes bulging outward …his voice high and fluting, as if carried on racing winds said “Did you enjoy your stay?”- I’ve never forgotten his appearance: very tall, very thin, pronounced widow’s peak and his eyes leering at us” (HEART p.59)

 

Denver, El Chapultepec  Restaurant/Jazz Bar 1962 Market St. This popular Denver hangout stands on the spot of one of the most notorious brothels of the prohibition wars. Rumors of ghosts and haunting persist in the establishment. (Seemy Side p.47)

Denver, Cheeseman Park. This park used to be Denver City Cemetery. In 1893 most of the graves were moved but it is estimated that about two to three thousand bodies remain in the park today. Sometimes pedestrians feel “cold spots” and others have reported hearing panting sounds. A rumor circulates that during an eclipse of the full moon people standing on the pavilion will suddenly see the grave filled cemetery. (Ghosts of Cap p.287)“I am a security officer there and I have almost two years of tenure…I have experience multitude of things during that time…mists of human figures…hearing my name being whispered. Hearing screaming in my ear…a chair rolled cross the room…something grabbed my friend’s necklace which had a moon crystal where the pendant would normally be. It lifted it, looked at it for a second, then dropped it back on her chest” (Weird p. 208)

Denver, 1930 8th Ave Mazzulla House.  A past tenant who lived in the house after Mazzulla’s death in 1981 claimed that the domicile was haunted, complete with the ghost of a man covered with gauze in the master bedroom. Another former renter found what he believed were ill-gotten photos and burnt them in an attempt to exorcise and angry ghost. (Ghosts of Cap p.322)

Denver, 1460 Clayton St. This place is said to be haunted by a man named Oscar who was lynched near the southeast corner of Colfax and Clayton St. He’s said to have a long flowing white beard and unkempt hair. Rocking chairs move by themselves, and a five-gallon paint bucket was tipped over and in the middle of the paint-soaked floor was the outline of a body. (Ghosts of Cap p.325)

Denver, Cresswell House 1244 Grant Street. “Between the first-floor windows, the face that causes much of the consternation (might be Pan, green man, horned god)…while many folks on my tours have thought that it is this face that draws in the negative energy that bedevils the place…”(HEART p.22) From a worker “we have the hardest time keeping tanats in here. People feel as if they are constantly being watched…intent on malevolence” (Heart p.24)

Denver, Croke Patterson Campbell House corner of 11th Ave and Pennsylvania St. This site has a little stuff and a photo they say shows a figure in the window (I personally don’t see it)  There was a story that a crib death led to a grieving mother’s suicide who would then wildly swing and shake cribs. Also, the  spirit of a tired old man was said to be seen wearily trudging between the carriage house and the mansion (Ghosts of Cap p. 109)During the mansion’s renovation, workers complained of tools being displaced, and 3 dogs that were left to guard the renovation site at night allegedly killed themselves by leaping out the third floor window. (Ghosts of Cap. P. 109) A tour group got access while it was for sale but the house was very hot and not being cooled as it was vacant. When the tour group endered the third-floor corner room all of the people in the group felt a cold spot. (HEART p.34) A former owner also claimed his cats died in the house under mysterious circumstances (HEART p.35)

Denver, Cullen House 350 Humboldt Street. During the 20’s there were rumors of unusual deaths, suicides, and sex scandals there. (Ghosts of Cap p.370)

Denver, David Doget House/home of Joesph Gilluly. Southwest corner of 12th and Penn. Two mansions that have been joined together- in the 1930s to create a hospital- now “Pennborough”. “I am not sure where the ghosts in this building come from, but I suspect they date from the time of Dr. John Tilden, a quack who did not believe in..(germs)..but Toxema” (HEART p.36) Tenants hear ghostly footsteps and one reported her fridge door propping itself open (HEART 37)

Denver, Dennis Sheedy Mansion 11th Ave and 1115 Grant St. Sightings include a woman in a red dress who glides up the main staircase around midnight. (Ghosts of Cap intro) An event in the foyer behind the covered entryway on the northern side of the building is shared: “People will, on occasion, see a woman in the foyer dressed in the garb of a Victorian lady…the woman’s face is one of intense alarm, her mouth moving rapidly. She gesticulates toward a door clearly pleading for assistance” (HEART p.29)

Denver, Dunnin-Benedict Mansion, northeast corner of 12th and Penn. Walter Cheeseman died in this house while he was waiting for another mansion to be constructed. “I have been invited in numerous times, but none of the folks I have spoken to within has experienced anything (supernatural)” (HEART p.37) 

Denver, Eisenhower Park, South Colorado Blvd. and East Dartmouth Avenue. Lawrence Manzanares , a lawyer facing prosecution for stealing a laptop, shot himself to death under the bridge over the High Line Canal on June 22, 2007. Ghost hunters have reported activity there on occasion.

Denver (?) Eyrie Castle a private residence located in the “ foothills” possibly near Idaho Springs. Unable to pinpoint location. Built 1870s. Some guests of the present owner saw a ghost who said her name was Mary. (Castle 109)

 

Denver, Fairview Apartments 3233 Vallejo St.  These condominiums used to be the Old Temple Orphanage for neglected, abused, and mildly handicapped children. (GUP p218) No reports of activity but might be a fun place for a séance.

Denver, Flossie McGrew’s 1824 S Broadway 80210 Employees report cold spots, shadowy figures, and problems with cell phones, radios, and the copy machine turning themselves on and off. (Weird p.204)

Denver, Frank Smith Mansion 19801 York St. In 1901 Frank claimed he’d been attacked by a ghost who chased him through the house and then stabbed him with a pen knife. (??) (Ghosts of Cap p. 214) True or not, the place changed owners frequently and had long periods of vacancy.

Denver, George W. Bailey House 16th Ave and Ogden Street People who work in the building report hearing footsteps walking up behind them and some painters claimed a spook popped open their paint cans after they had quit for the night. (Ghosts of Cap p. 158)

Denver, Grant-Humphrey Mansion- 770 Pennsylvania St. This Mansion was built on top of a cemetery that was moved in a less than respectful way (Poltergeist anyone?)- [pic]but it was also the site of a suicide that was more likely a murder. On May 8th, 1927 Humphries was shot in the head. It was ruled an accident or possible suicide…but family and friends claimed the religious man would never have taken his life, and he had been around guns all his life and wouldn’t have made a mistake in cleaning them for his upcoming trip. Muddying the waters was the fact that Humphries was supposed to testify in the Teapot Dome Scandal, and his personal nurse disappeared in the wake of the shooting. Brides getting married at the mansion have reported seeing his ghost in the mirrors, and lights have turned themselves on after midnight. (Seemy Side p.152) Visit this site for more on the history of the haunted mansion

Denver, Harvard Gulch Park, located at South Logan Street & East Iliff Avenue This park lies on the old grounds of an orphanage called “The Home” where a 15 yr old orphan was stabbed to death by another orphan in 1942, and in 1943 Russell Forsyth killed his brother. In July 1951 teenage girls sent an anonymous message to Gov. Dan Thornton on a grocery bag discussing the terrible beatings and abuse the children were subjected to. (GUP p. 228) No activity reported but might be promising for a hunt.

Denver, Iliff School of Theology 2201 S. University Blvd.  80210 Workers and students have seen various apparitions, often describing the same phenomena. One is of an ernest young theologian, cloaked in the garb of the 1890’s, who is frantically searching for his class…another is the image of an elderly woman dressed in mourning as if she were attending a funeral…a third tells of a gray, shadowy figure in a suit dating from WWI who has been known to tip his hat to the cleaning woman. (GUP p. 33)

Denver, Kram-Coe Mansion northwest corner of Colfax and Marion St. Rumors claim that Kram was a mining king who married a woman 40 years younger than him. When he lost his money he discovered that his wife had never loved him, had only married him for his money, and had a younger boyfriend. Kram hanged himself and allegedly his ghost resides in the mansion (Ghosts of Cap p. 167) A german shepherd howled at a door that was nailed shut with a sealed room behind it. The dog’s owner pried open the door and discovered wet paw prints of a huge dog on the carpet. There was no sign of tampering with the window that led outside. It took months for the prints to disappear. (Ghosts of Cap p.167)

Denver, Intersection of Lawrence and 26th. 500 people turned out to witness “ a ghostly figure of an old woman in a white dress…hovering near the intersection”. Rumored to be the ghost of Mattie Silks, a madame from Market Street. (Seemy Side p.45)

Denver, The Lumber Baron Inn 2555 West 37th Avenue 80211. Two young girls Marianne Weaver and Cara Lee Knoche were murdered there on Oct 12, 1970 when it was a series of apartments. The case was never solved. The owner and some guests report cold spots, footsteps, and smelling women’s toilet powder (Weird p.221)

Denver, “Market Street”.  From the 1890’s to the 1910’s Market Street in Denver was a thriving sex trade for the miners and railroad workers passing through. The “crib” brothels were horrible places for the whores, and many died there within 5 years of starting to “work” there.  Sometimes the whores killed a man for his money, and sometimes a whore was killed by an over-zealous John. Poison was the choice of suicide for most of the women, and the local papers would report two or three suicides per week around Christmas. The misery and death of this era permeates many of the buildings now on Market Street- many of whom claim to have witnessed hauntings. (Seemy Side p. 30)

Denver, Matties House of Mirrors 1946A Market St Has occasional paranormal activity reported like a piano playing by itself (Weird p.75). A ghost hunt conducted in 2000 is documented here: and reports the elevator moving without cause. Shares space with “LODO’s Bar and Grill” In 1894 3 prostitutes were murdered by “Jack the Strangler” on this “block of ill repute”. A bouncer said the locked doors rattled violently several times and each time he checked nobody was there. (HEART p.98)

Denver, Milheim also listed as Melheim Mansion 1515 Race St. While promoted on this site as “one of Capitol Hill’s famous haunted homes” () I found little folklore about specifics. If anybody has information about this location please use “contact us” email and we’ll add it to the site.

Denver, Molly Brown House 1340 Pennsylvania St. There have been reports of Molly’s late husband haunting the house- smoking tobacco is frequently reported to be in the air, and his rocking chair has been reported to move. (Ghosts of Cap p. 102) “There are also frequent reports of the scent of rosewater, Maggie’s favorite fragrance” (GSORM p. 73) Also, during the mid-90’s at Christmas a museum volunteer unlocked the house to discover a set of toy soldiers  “lined up, one to a step, ascending the staircase. Thinking a child visiting the house was responsible the volunteer collected the soldiers and put them back where they belonged (or so she thought)-under the tree….the next morning there, as though marching up the stairs, were the toy soldiers…”(GSORM p.75) “Though no one has been allowed to smoke in this house for decades, and it has been very well cleaned, there are many instances when people will report smelling cigar smoke in J.J.’s study” (HEART p.45)

Denver, Morey Middle School 14th Ave and Clarkson St. in October 1961, a student brought a gun to school to shoot the assistant principal who suspended him for fighting. Instead, he shot the friend of the guy he was fighting with. The boy lived, but the bullet passed through the victim, ricocheted off a locker and hit and murdered a 14-year old girl who had been uninvolved in the dispute. Her ghost is said to haunt the hallway (Ghosts of Cap p. 128)

Denver, The Museum of Western Art. 1727 Tremont Place. The fine museum stands on the site of a nostorious homicide.In 1977, 84 year old James Dikeou was beaten to death with a copper pipe by 15 year old prostitute Debra Griego in his apartment for $20. He managed to crawl into the hallway before dying. (Seemy Side p. 66)

Denver, The Oxford Hotel- corner of 17th and Wazee streets. A buckskin clad ghost has been sighted in the basement  men’s room, and a woman in Victorian dress has been seen gliding down the main staircase.  [pic]Maids have also reported hearing a child crying on one of the floors. (Seemy Side p. 164) Another comes from a caterer who was setting up for a ballroom banquet. The caterer walked by the ballroom and saw 4 men playing cards and smoking cigars. He backed up to have another look… and they were gone. () Another tale of the Oxford alleges that a young woman was murdered by her husband in room 320 when he caught her there with her lover. In this room visitors are said to have sometimes see the faint image of a woman standing in the room, as well as others who have captured on film what appears to be a woman’s face()

The ladies restroom in the basement used to be the hotel’s barbershop. A male ghost has been spotted occassionally “his face is ruddy, covered in a grizzled beard, his hair abundant and bristly in tight curls, the whold of him, right down to his filthy fingernails, really in need of a bath” (HEART p.72) Paranormal researchers have caught EVP’s in the Oxford’s attic. Staff say nothing much happens in Room 320…when something does happen, it happens when it is a man in teh room by himself…awakened in the middle of the night by a man standing at the end of his bed, cussing him out…and telling him to get out…or he feels someone lie down on the bed” (HEART p.75-76)

Denver, Richthofen Castle 7020 E. 12th Ave built 1887. Lights were seen in the tower one night with no evidence of anyone having entered…no footprints in the snow at the entrance and the dust was undisturbed inside the tower (Castle p.45) Yes, the Richthofen Castle is indeed haunted; according to the book, “Denver’s Richthofen Castle” by O.J. Seiden (1980, Stonehenge Books/Enkidu Press).O.J. Seiden was a previous resident of the castle. In this book, he mentions friendly spirits in the old castle.He and his family experienced many unexplainable events in that house. They always heard footsteps on the 2nd floor– when there was no one there. Their dogs refused to go up on the second floor for a day or two after the sound of footsteps was heard

 

Denver, South Broadway Christian Church 23 Lincoln St. Built 1892 A spirit is reported to play the organ when the church is dark and the organ is shut up “Once a member was vacuuming, with the chord coiled at his feet when the vacuum stopped. He turned to find the plug on the floor. Puzzled, he plugged it back in and again started vacuuming when it quit again. This time, the plug was on the floor and four feet from the outlet, and it was obvious that tension had not caused the cord to pull out. (Castle p.53)

Denver, Stoiberhof Mansion 1022 Humboldt Street. I was very fortunate to meet and marry my husband at Stoiberhof in 1972. While we were in residence here at 1022 Humboldt, there was a female headless ghost who sat on the end of the 20 foot long dining room table. She was extremely distressed and pleaded with anyone who would listen to help her find her missing head. As we all know, this could indeed be true as many “body parts” were left behind when they moved the bodies from the city cemetery to build what we now know as Cheesman Park. (Sonja Leonard Leonard ) Others, during receptions at the mansion, would sometimes be approached by a waiter, asking if he could take their drink. However, no sooner did they place their glass on the tray would the glass crash to the floor as the waiter disappeared. (Ghosts of Cap p. 314)

Denver, University of Denver. Margery Reed performing arts Hall Department of Theatre, DU 2199 S. University Blvd. 80208 . A rumor has grown that Margery Reed did not die of an unusual jungle illness, but that her husband used an exotic poison to kill her. Students and teachers alike heard strange whispering in the theater, especially when something was amiss during performances. (GUP p.50)

Denver, University of Denver. Renaissance Room of the Penrose Library of the Univeristy of Denver 2150 East Evans Avenue 80208. DU benefactress Mary Reed willed her personal library to DU and stipulated the school hang her portrait there. It hangs above the fireplace in the “Ren Room” and visitors have insisted they have seen movement in the portrait. (GUP p.52)

Denver, University of Denver Penrose Library Elevator. 2150 E. Evans Ave 80208. Individuals riding alone in the library’s elevator have felt they have some sort of unseen company in the cramped, creaky, ancient conveyance. In the 1990’s a librarian pulling storage volumes observed the shade of a young man float through a wall in the library’s lower storage. (GUP p.52)

Denver, Walter Dunning Mansion 1200 Pennsylvania St. Reports circulate that the second and third floors [pic]are haunted by a male and female couple who are “guardians” of the building (Ghosts of Cap 103)

Denver, Whitehead Mansion 1128 Grant St. As a response to numerous reports of flickering lights and disconnected servants’ bells ringing, the owners invited psychics and mediums there during the 1970’s. All reported many spirits residing there.  The most famous ghost is Ella or Eloise, who is said to be a young bride who  died either of a broken heart or hanging herself (Ghosts of Cap p.79) “One ghost hunter told me that is was the most haunted structure he had ever entered” (HEART p.27) from somebody that works there “My colleague and I have frequently seen a ghost toddler walking around…He’s so young that it’s always more of a sad thing to see him than a scary thing” (HEART p.27)     

Empire, Clear Creek County The Old Pratt Hotel

“Stories of a mysterious little girl abound and they cannot be denied. Often guests will appear at the check-in counter and report a little girl on one of the floors who had just approached them to ask if they have seen her mommy….on one occasion a woman in tears was helped down the stairs by her husband. She reported having seen a small girl lying at the foot of the third floor stairway, who then vanished before her eyes” ( Ghosts of the Old West p.90) The legend is that Millie Pratt, the daughter of William Ludley Pratt who built the hotel, died after falling. Several hotel maids report a cold spot that follows them as they do their daily rounds. Another spirit seen by guests is a man in an old cavalry uniform (Ghosts of the Old West p.92)

Estes Park, The Baldpate Inn 4900 S. Hwy 7 Ethel Mace (the original owner’s wife) is said to be seen in her rocking chair reading her bible. She doesn’t like smoking and some smokers have reported having repeated trouble lighting up. (Northern Colo..p. 14) Built in 1917.  Gordon Mace is rumored to haunt his establishment: “It’s evident that his disapproval of both smoking and drinking have survived his death, for he has taken people’s drinks and either stolen or smashed his cigarettes. (GSORM p. 164)

Estes Park, The Elkhorn Lodge 600 W. Elkhorn Ave.  This was built in 1847 and Teddy Roosevelt stayed there often. Room 7 is said to be haunted by the ghost of Eleanor James-Hondius and when they tried to remove a rocking chair items were thrown around the room. (Northern Colo…p. 17)

Estes Park, Mary’s Lake Lodge 2625 Mary’s Lake Road. One staff member reported a man watching her walk to her car on a snowy night, and when she backed out he was gone with no footprints in the snow. Also, there was a fire on July 6, 1978, and a photo of the blaze is said to show a figure of a girl by the railing. A medium has claimed a girl drowned in a tub but there is no evidence of that. The photo hangs in the dining room. (Northern Colo… p. 20) The bartender recently reported that after closing up alone, closing all the doors and turning out lights and music the music came on full blast and the lights and doors were all open again! (Northern Colo…p.21)

Estes Park, The Park Theater 130 Moraine Ave. Built in 1913. The tower was added in the 1920’s by a man named Ralph Gwynn as a monument to the love of his life after she left him stranded at the wedding altar. He is rumored to still haunt the building. (Northern Colo…p. 28)

Estes Park, The Stanley Hotel  333 Wonderview The Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining”. There are no publicly recorded deaths at the hotel, so it’s very likely that these are the spirits of people who, in life, visited the Stanley…and have chosen to return for the occasional afterlife visit (Ghost in My p.32) The builder Freelan Oscar Stanley’s ghost has been seen frequently in the billiard room. Many guests claimed to have played a game with him only to find out later that they were playing a ghost! Staff have also experienced hearing the piano playing at night only to find the music room is empty. Many guests[pic] have reported the sounds of children playing in the hallways in the middle of the night, and this has occurred when there were no children staying there. The fourth floor has been reported to be the most haunted location, with room 418 being the most haunted (according to the staff) (Ghost in My p.33) Opened in 1909. Nobody has been murdered at the Stanley Hotel and the few deaths recorded have been of natural causes. (Stanley p.vii) –(yes I know this conflicts with the other source)

On December 30, 1970 housekeeper Arty Roberts was to clean the dance floor in the MacGregor Room and saw people dressed in period dress. She turned around and walked to the night clerk to ask her what was going on. The clerk appeared to not only not notice Arty but to not notice any of the noise emanating from the room. Arty returned to her business and said she did not feel threatened. (Stanley p. 6) The story behind room 217. In the early years gas lamps were used to light the rooms. A maid turned on the gas, and then realized she didn’t have any matches. She went to get some and left the gas on. When she struck a match the accumulated gas exploded, driving her through the floor to the dining room below. She broke both legs and suffered other injuries but stayed working there for many years. Some guests claim she still works in that room. One untidy guest says he went to sleep with his clothes strewn around and when he awoke they were in neat folded piles and his shoes lined up in a row. ( Northern Colo..p.6)

Another version of room 217. June 1911 Elizabeth Wilson sparked the gass line and she was hurled into the dining room below sustaining two broken ankles. Four waiters were also injured. Her medical bills were paid for and she returned to her job after she healed. Stories abound of bags being packed while people are at breakfast the day they are to depart. (Stanley p.16)

Evergreen, Brook Forest Inn and Spa 8136 S. Brook Forest Rd 80439. The management gladly shares a number of ghost encounters reported by guests and occasionally offers paranormal lecture tours. (Weird p. 225)

Fort Collins, The Avery House 328 West Mountain. While the current owners claim there is no paranormal activity there, it was the scene of a murder. Newton Crose was a lawyer who was shot to death by his client William Ryan on August 14th, 1914. There were also accusations of a death by poisoning of William Avery by his wife. Employees who worked there in the 80’s when it was offices claimed to see a male ghost walking the halls at night, and a realtor reported seeing an orange and white cat appear and vanish. (Northern Colo…p.75)

Fort Collins, Centennial High School 330 E. Laurel St. Said to be haunted by a young girl who fell to her death on the large wooden staircase that runs down the center of the building. Students report hearing a girl’s voice and sensing somebody is watching them. (Northern Colo…p. 67)

Fort Collins, The Children’s Mercantile 111 N. College Several incidents have been reported including a gallon of paint being yanked away during a renovation. (Northern Colo. ..p.69)

Fort Collins, The Crown Pub 134 S. College. Employees report a bottle of wine flying from a wine rack, and an apparition walking to the kitchen as well as numerous instances of slamming doors. (Northern Colo…p. 72)

Fort Collins, The Walnut Street Gallery 217 Linden St. Loud footsteps running up the stairs, frame samples attached by Velcro would fly off the wall, a cloaked figure…and many others are reported by employees. (Northern Colo..p. 83)

Georgetown- around town? A german immigrant was lynched without a trial after being accused of shooting his boss. “countless sightings of an emaciated young man were reported around town, appearing on moment and gone the next” (GSOC p.69) Robert Schamle’s death was greeted with a general elation. For most of the next day his body was left to hand in Albert Selak’s pigpen, where it was visited by nearly everyone in Georgetown” (GSOC p.66)

 

Glen Haven, The Inn of Glen Haven 7468 Country Rd. 43. A guest looked high and low for her nightgown as she packed to leave, and finally asked an employee to help her, after they returned to the room the nightgown was laid out flat on the bed. Nobody has reported unpleasant vibes, but an employee heard children singing “London Bridge” when no children were staying there. (Northern Colo p.96)

Glenwood Springs, Colorado Hotel 526 Pine Street. Built 1891. A concierge mentioned that a lover’s triangle resulted in a guest being thrown to his death out of one of the windows. Cigar smoke, footsteps and doors opening by themselves are common. In 1974 a guest reports a girl on the third floor asking her to play ball with her, “her little eyes lost their innocence, as they began to turn a solid dark color. They became two discs of black!” (CO ghost stories p. 189) In 1982, the hotel was being renovated and new wallpaper was being applied to the walls of room 551. The next morning, all of the wallpaper that had been applied was rolled neatly on the floor. The wallpaper was replaced, but again found on the floor in the morning. After two or three attempts, several wallpaper samples were placed on the bed in 551. The next morning, all but one of the samples was on the floor. The sample that was left on the bed was applied to the walls and remains there today. () In 1994 a manager reported his tv started flipping channels and a strong smell of cigar smoke filled his office (GSORM2 p. 155) A female spirit named “Bobbie” also brings phantom smells of perfume and is accused of making heavy chandeliers swing in the lobby (GSORM2 p. 158)

Greeley, County Courthouse In another investigation, the ghost hunters staked out the nine-decade-old county courthouse in Greeley, the site of numerous puzzling incidents. A loud breathing sound came from courtroom benches; a “shadow man” roamed; and an official meeting tape was interrupted by 30 seconds of indistinct voices, bumps and footsteps. While there, the team’s microphones picked up reverberations of what seemed to be an old-fashioned telephone bell. Perplexed, the ghost hunters dialed all known phone and fax numbers in the building but were unable to replicate the ringing.  ()

Idledale, Dunafon Castle 24020 Hwy 74 built 1941  

Guests staying in the lower bedrooms adjacent to the hall have reported footsteps. A ghost dog whose nails click n the terrazzo floor has also been spotted. (Castles p.23)

La Caverna Del Oro- located at 11, 500 ft on the side of a ravine in Marble Mountiain in the Sangre De Cristo Range.  Legends of gold in this cave have circulated since the 1500’s…but in 1932 and explorative party discovered “a skeleton with a metal strap around its neck. It appeared that some poor individual had been chained by the neck to the wall of the cave and left to die” (Colorado’s Strangest p.3) His angry spirit is said to haunt the cave, and brings terrible luck to all who have tried to explore its depths.

La Junta, Bent’s Fort 35110 Highway 194 E. Built 1840’s. A teacher taking his class there reports that his students were sent to sketch rooms and sketched the same man in two areas at the same time. The teacher assumed he has to be an employee, but the students said they had said “hello” and he had just stared at them. There was no employee matching his description that day. (CO ghost stories p. 218)

Lafayette Municipal Cemetery “Vampire’s Grave”. A hand-etched gravestone written in a foreign language with “Transylvania” on it has inspired lots of interesting stories and sightings- disembodied voices, strange lights and apparitions hovering by the tombstone. According to records 2 immigrants are buried there after dying on different days in Dec. 1918. One is Theodore Glava from Austria who died from the flu, and John Trandifir from Transylvania who died of pneumonia (Weird p.23)

Lake City, Colorado : Alferd Packer’s campground. Packer’s story changed several times and he was on the lamb for 9 years after escaping from prison…but was brought back to Lake City to stand trial for killing and eating his 5 traveling companions. While his conviction was debated tourists flocked to see the cannibal in jail and to buy pieces of his hair from him. After several legal battles Packer was paroled and he took to his death bed at the Cash Ranch in Deer Creek Canyon about 18 miles SW of Englewood CO. and died declaring his innocence. He’s buried in Littleton Cemetery where his tombstone is mis-spelled “Alfred Packer”. A scientific study to the 5 victim’s bodies (minus one missing head) was done in 1989 and the forensic evidence supported murder by a weapon, and the scraping of flesh off the bones .  (Colorado’s Strangest p. 54)

Laporte, The Bingham Hill Cemetery. During a historical walking tour of the cemetery, a man saw a slender woman in a very fine leather dress, with dark hair pulled back and no jewelry walk past him and then vanish. (Northern Colo…p.98)

Leadville, Margaret J. Pitts Elementary School 315 West 6th St. Employees report the sounds of children playing after hours, balls bouncing, and in an empty corner of the room a little girl said “hi”: “My eyes scanned the room as I kept looking in the direction of the empty corner. Soon, once again I heard the voice say “Hi”. What really scared me was when two of the babies that were sitting in their small chairs, together, visibly turned their heads in the direction of the voice.” (COGS p.227)

Littleton, “Town Hall Arts Center” 2450 W. Main St.  built 1919 Muffled music, laughter and conversation echo when no explanation is possible. A fundraiser who worked there said the items on her desk were often rearranged., and the elevators will turn on by themselves (GSORM2 p. 199)

Longmont, The Callahan House 312 Terry Street. Built in 1938. Rumors of hauntings prompted a tv crew to tape some mediums investigating it…but all they got were many drained batteries. A common occurrence where spirits are around.

Longmont, The Imperial Hotel Northwest corner of Third and Main (unable to confirm still there?). This sounds like it may be apartments now. The story is the owners of an apartment on the second floor kept hearing a child’s voice and asked a medium to come and check it out. The medium saw twin beds with a little girl curled up on one bed crying, and a dead girl stretched out on the other bed. (Northern Colo…p.36)

Longmont, St. Stephens Church 470 Main St. Built in 1881, a figure of a ghostly priest has been spotted walking around the church property. (Northern Col. p.43)

Loveland , Juan’s Mexican Food and Cantina 128 E. 4th Street. The spirits haunting this place shatter glasses, flicker lights, unplug the ice machine and a strong scent of perfume is also reported. (Northern Colo…p.59)

Loveland, The Rialto Theater 228 E. 4th St. Built in 1919. There are legends of a worker falling to his death during construction, and a vaudeville actress dying in her dressing room, but they are unsubstantiated. The staff has reported feeling somebody brush by them or behind them on the stairs, and have heard voices in an empty auditorium. One sound technician said they heard a voice on the system say “fairy tales do come true” when nobody else was in the building. (Northern Colo….p. 52)

Manitou Springs, Red Crags Inn 302 El Paso Blvd  Built 1874. Doors slamming, a dog that kept barking and barking at a spot on the wall, the sound of laughter “a very content and overjoyed adult and child”. A vision of a woman’s floating head was caught in the photograph in the Pikes Peak Room (COGS p.250)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manitou Springs, Onaledge Bed & Breakfast 336 El Paso Boulevard 

“There have been numerous ghost investigators, film and radio crews who have both broadcasted and captured on film , many examples of spirit activity.” (Colorado Ghost Stories p.252) Spirits of a man and child have been spotted in the inglenook area of the living room, and two spirits have been repeatedly spotted by a gazebo in the back yard. “The Carriage House room is definitely filled with spiritual activity” (p. 254).

 

Montrose, Ute Indian Museum 17253  Chipeta Dr. The spirit of the wife of chief Ouray, named Chipeta, has been regularly spotted on the grounds around the museum. In the far rear exhibit room “ what is commonly heard is the ghostly sounds of the beating of a drum, the ceremonial drum that is kept under glass in that room. (p.267)

 

Morrison, “Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks”. The summit of the high ridge defining Morrison’s northern edge features a long row of sharp, uneven stones, like witches teeth.Up there somewhere, the Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks bides her wicked time, waiting to take an ax to disobedient children who meander near her foul cave. According to local myth, she is naked when she dismembers her misbehaving prey, proving that folklore can satisfy every taste.() Many baby boomers who grew up attending concerts at Red Rocks have heard of the Headless Hatchet Lady. Rumors have it that this ghoul delights in disrupting amorous young couples on the grounds of the famous amphitheater, said Denver historian Tom Noel. A concessionaire told Noel that some believe the apparition is the ghost of Mrs. Johnson of the Johnson clan who homesteaded the area that now is Red Rocks. Keeping her daughters’ reputations clean apparently was a priority, so she pulled her coat over her head to appear headless and swung a hatchet to scare away suitors.My wife, a Denver native, recalls that she and her friends would visit a cemetery near the amphitheater after dark to scare themselves into thinking that they could hear the Hatchet Lady’s screams.

 

Morrison, Tony Rigatoni’s Italian Kitchen People sitting at the bar have seen the figure of a little girl  descending the stairs dressed like she was from the 1800s. She doesn’t seem to like men. The male chefs have had frying pans tossed at ‘em…just the men. (Weird p. 212)

 

Ouray, Beaumont Hotel 505 Main St. built 1886

The ghost of Eller Day, a young girl who had been murdered on the property, is said to be on the spirits haunting the hotel. “These people described her spirit as having the distinct image of fog, or mist….knocking and banging noises…footsteps (in the bookstore) “I’ve seen books ‘fly’ off the shelves on their own, and land several feet away!” (p.275)

 

Poncha Springs, Jackson Hotel 6340 US Hwy 285  built 1878

An employee saw a man in the second story window of an empty room while cleaning up the grounds “I happened to look up at a second story window and spotted a man in a top hat looking at me…he stood stiffly in place, not acknowledging my greeting…that’s when I noticed his strange manner of dress. “ (300) Cold spots, cold rushes of air and the sight of an orb by the naked eye have also been reported.

 

Pueblo, “The McIntyre House” Coyote Gulch somewhere by the old “Twenty Mile House’. I was unable to confirm where this was or if the house still stands. Built by McIntrye and his two sons Jack and Jim  in 1871. The three of them murdered a lost traveler but only Jim was hanged for the crime as the others fled. The house is said to be “possessed” and the sounds of screaming echoed around the gulch. (GSOC p.55-9)

 

Rosita, a “ghost town” in Colorado in Custer County Colonel Graham was gunned down in the middle of street. Graham a claim jumper and criminal has been spotted: “For dozens of years people reported seeing the translucent figure of Colonel Graham wandering near the spot where he was gunned down” (GSORM2 p. 107)

 

Salida, see article here:

Silver Cliff, The Silver Cliff Cemetery Mill Street 81252

One mile south of the little town of Silver Cliff, CO sits an old graveyard that has become on of America’s greatest sites for unexplained phenomena. “Ghost Lights” have been reported…”Tiny dim lights that flashed on and off, popped up and then vanished. Sometimes they’d be little more than a twinkle, and other times they’d move about horizontally. ” (WEIRD p.207) One romantic theory is that the lights are the lanterns on the heads of the many miner’s buried in the plots.

Silverton, The Wyman Hotel & Inn 1371 Greene St built 1902

Objects disappear only to resurface in the same spot later. Room #11 “Molas Room” “One day I heard music coming from the second floor. I walked up the stairs, and using my key, I entered the locked and empty room. When I opened the door I noticed the radio had been turned on. The button was set to “off”, but the music was strangely playing” p.337) Guests also report the spirit of a woman in room #5, and one guest reported the bed moving.

 

 

Silverton, The Grand Imperial Hotel 1219 Greene St. built 1882. The front desk personnel will not think it strange if you ask to stay in one of the haunted rooms. A doctor committed suicide in room 314 in 1893, and guests report seeing him walking the halls and sometimes leaning over a bed as if doctoring somebody (p.342) “Room 301 has also been another room where guests have reported seeing a man lying on the bed , who appears to be dead. Bent over his lifeless body is a woman wearing a Victorian period hat and dress.” (p. 342)

 

Telluride, New Sheridan Hotel 231 W. Colorado Avenue built 1891, destroyed in a fire 1894 and rebuilt in 1895.

An elderly man was seen walking through a locked door out into the second floor hallway by housekeeping. Another maid reported hearing singing “Rosemarie, why don’t you dance with me Rosemarie” on a couple of occassions. (p. 363).

 

Trinidad, the site of the Ludlow Massacre of 1914.  The site of this tragedy has yielded orb pictures and occassional ghost sounds.



   

Bibliography/Sources Cited

(GUP) Ghosts of University Park, Platt Park and Beyond by Phil Goodstein pub. New Social Publications c. 2010

(Weird) Weird Colorado: Your Travel Guide to Colorado’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets by Charmaine Ortega Getz pub. Sterling c. 2010

Castles of Colorado: Scandals, Hauntings and Tales of the Past by Ann Westerberg pub. Johnson Books c. 2008

This site does reviews of haunted house exhibits in the Denver Area. It is unclear how recent their information is though.

(COGS) Colorado Ghost Stories by Anotnio R. Garcez Red Rabbit Press c.2008

Northern Colorado Ghost Stories: True Ghost Stories from Estes Park, Fort Collins, Livermore, Longmont & Loveland by Nancy Hansford Indian Hills Bookworks c.2005

Stanley Ghost Stories by Susan S. Davis The Stanley Museum c. 2005

Colorado’s Strangest: A legacy of bizarre events and eccentric people by Kenneth Jessen c. 2005 J V Publications

Ghost in My Suitcase: A Guide to Haunted Travel in America by Mitchel Washington C. 2005 Atriad Press

Ghosts of Capitol Hill by Phil Goodstein C. 2006 (4th ed) New Social Publications

Seemy Side of Denver by Phil Goodstein C. 2002 New Social  Publications

Strange but True , Colorado: Weird tales of the Wild West by John Hafnor c. 2005 Lone Pine Productions

American Indian Ghost Stories of the Southwest by Antonio R. Garcez  c2000 Red Rabbit Press

Bizarre Colorado : A legacy of unusual events and people by Kenneth Jessen C. 1994 J V Publications

Indian legends from the Northern Rockies by Ella E. Clark c. 1966 Univ. of Oklahoma Press

Ghost Stories of Colorado by Dan Asfar pub.Lone Pine International c.2006

(GSORM2)Ghost Stories of the Rocky Mountains Volume II by Barbara Smith Lone Pine Publishing c. 2003

Ghost Stories of the Rocky Mountains by Barbara Smith Pub. Lone Pine Publishing c. 1999 





Ghosts of the Old West by Earl Murray c.1998 Tom Doherty Associates  

(HEART) Haunted Heart of Denver by Kevin Pharris pub. The History Press c. 2011

Weird Encounters: True Tales of Haunted Places by Joanne M. Austin, Sterling c.2010

Spooky Colorado by S.E. Schlosser pub Guilford c.2011

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