The Horror Living near Denver, Colorado

If you love horror movies, stores, and legends, Denver is the place to be according to an article posted by CBS Denver. They describe the horror living in Denver and some of the most haunted places throughout the Denver area.  Continue if you dare, lol

Stanley Hotel

I will start with the Stanley Hotel as we have been there a couple of times and I had my own eerie experience,  so I definitely believe. One time Gene and I took a tour and we were down in the broiler room when I thought a women’s purse hit me by accident. There was no woman or purse near me. The tour guide said he thought it was the spirit of a young kid that liked to play and hide down there. Very strange. Another couple on our tour, who were actually staying at the hotel, said he woke up with a plane ticket in his pants pocket that wasn’t there the night before. Twilight Zone stuff people, lol Enjoy the article, and feel free to share your experiences.

According to the article posted by CBS Denver, the Stanley Hotel was so frightening and so haunted it inspired Stephen King to write his famous novel, “The Shining.” The Stanley Hotel was opened in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley, known of course for the Stanley Steamer. Stanley was ordered by his doctor to go west because he had tuberculosis and the mountain air was said to be good for his health. He was so impressed with the beauty of Estes Park that he built the hotel. One of the best around, the Stanley Hotel was known for catering to only the very wealthy and famous. Today, it is believed that Freelan Stanley and his wife both haunt the famous hotel. Stanley’s wife was a piano player and there are many reports of the piano in the ballroom playing by itself. Guests have reported seeing apparitions in their rooms, only to disappear moments later. There are also several reports of guests’ jewelry, watches, and luggage mysteriously disappearing. In fact, “The Shining” is so famous for its ghosts that it even holds ghost tours that take you through the history of the hotel, Stephen King’s inspiration in room 217, and many of the haunted rooms, places, and the underground tunnel.

Lumber Baron Inn

In 1890, lumber baron John Mouat built his mansion. Mouat built more than 200 buildings that helped form the city of Denver but his personal mansion was the highlight of his craft. Over the years, the mansion passed through many hands, eventually lying empty in the early 1970s. Reportedly, a 17-year-old runaway girl living in the abandoned mansion was brutally murdered. Just a short while after, an 18-year-old friend was searching for the girl and she was also murdered. Both murders remain unsolved, which may explain some of the horror and odd activity in the well-known house. Today, the Lumber Baron Inn has been restored to its original beauty and serves as a delightful bed and breakfast. However, footsteps are often heard and many paranormal groups have received unexplainable electronic voice phenomena in the home.

The Buckhorn Exchange

The Buckhorn Exchange is Denver’s oldest restaurant, dating back more than 100 years to 1893. It was originally opened as a trading post and actually holds liquor license Number One in the State of Colorado. The restaurant catered to all of the miners, railroad builders and other men that came west and it became one of the most well-known and loved stops in the area. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt ate there in 1905 and was said to have gone hunting the following day. Today, it is said that the ghosts of the many traders, miners, and cowboys that died nearby make the Buckhorn Exchange their haunted home. There are countless reports of voices and footsteps, and many have seen tables moving on their own. Will the horror of past miners, cowboys, etc keep you away from this place for lunch?

Croke-Patterson Mansion

Perhaps the most haunted mansion in Denver, the Croke-Patterson Mansion has some very mysterious beginnings. Originally built by Thomas Croke in 1890, it’s rumored he entered the building only once. He was so terrified by “something” in the home that he never returned. Two years later, the mansion was sold to Thomas Patterson, publisher of the Rocky Mountain News. The building itself has gone through many changes over the years, but perhaps the most disturbing story came from the 1970s when a pair of Doberman Pinschers were left alone for the night to guard the home. The next day, both dogs were found dead on the sidewalk, having jumped from the third-floor window. So just who is haunting this beautiful mansion? It is said that the body of a little girl is buried in the cellar. An excavation of the cellar was conducted and while a hidden chamber was found, there wasn’t a body recovered. Yet, there are many reports of a child figure sliding up and down the stairway and countless reports of voices and footsteps. It is also said that Thomas Patterson himself has been seen in the courtyard.

Brown Palace

The Brown Palace has been around for a long time and has had its share of horror stories of hauntings. One employee states he encountered the apparition of a man dressed in an old-fashioned train conductor’s uniform.  Appearing for just a moment, he then disappeared through the wall.  The spirit was seen at the current location of the airline ticket office, which once housed the railroad ticket office. Other reports include the frequent sighting of a uniformed waiter who is spied in the service elevator, cheerful children who are known to gallop in the hallways, and a baby’s cries often heard in the boiler room.

There you have it. Some of the places in the Denver area that horror movies are made of, lol. As I said earlier, I have been to the Stanley a few times as well as the Brown Palace, but have never been to any of the others on this list. I will have to make a point to check them out now that I know they are so close. Hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about these places.