Colorado's haunted past: Tales from 13 of the state's spookiest landmarks

October doesn't just bring a chill in the air; for many in Colorado, it also brings a chill down their spines. Throughout the state's long history, eerie encounters have become urban legends that captured the imagination. These 13 historical sites, cemeteries and more carry some of the most famous haunted histories in Colorado.

Rochester Hotel in Durango

Durango's historic Rochester Hotel is famous for its supernatural legends, having been featured on an episode of the popular series "Ghostbusters" and "Frontier Tastes and Tales." Originally named the "Peeples Hotel," it was built in 1892 during the area's silver boom and catered to miners, salesmen and tourists. A woman named Mary Finn owned the hotel after E.T. Peeples and named it The Rochester in 1905.

Room 204, known as the John Wayne Room, is said to be haunted by a woman wearing Victorian-era bedclothes. Guests have also reported seeing a woman in white who stands at the top of the stairwell and the spirit of a little boy roaming the second floor. Both guests and employees say they can smell her rose-scented perfume as she passes. Some believe Mrs. Finn may be the "Lady in White."

Colorado Grande Casino and Hotel in Cripple Creek

The historic Colorado Grande Casino is located in the old mining town of Cripple Creek. With a long history of mining accidents, violent labor disputes and lawlessness, the town is believed to be among the most haunted locations in the United States.

The old Fairly-Lampman Building was the home of many businesses throughout its history, including a drug store, millinery, lawyer's office and more, before becoming the casino we know today. Locals are familiar with the tales of the playful spirits, Maggie and Lily, who are said to haunt the casino and hotel.

Maggie is the better known of the two, and the casino owners say she loves to appear on the floor with a companion near the slot machines. Staff claim to hear her heels clicking as she walks down the hallways or smell her rose scented perfume. Others claim they've heard her singing and seen her dancing in the old ballroom.

Guests and staff say she's often seen on the top two floors dressed in a turn-of-the-century style shirtwaist, long cotton skirt, and high-heeled boots, with her red hair piled atop her head. However, she's also rumored to appear as a ghostly blue light.

Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs

People have been attracted to the luxurious Hotel Colorado since it opened for business in 1893, but there are those who claim that many guests never left. The hotel included a European-style spa, a Victorian garden, a bird sanctuary and impressive water features, who wouldn't want to stay forever?

According to hotel staff, that's just what several former owners and managers did. Walter Devereaux, the hotel's founder, is rumored to roam the halls and lobby during the evening, trailing the smell of cigar smoke in his wake.

The hotel says that the most notoriously haunted location on the grounds is the basement, which reportedly served as a morgue when the hotel was requisitioned as a naval hospital during World War II. A well known ghost named Bobbie, a nurse at the hospital at that time, is said to haunt the main floor of the hotel. Stories say she was killed by a jealous lover, and guests have often reported smelling her gardenia perfume in the dining room.

Many guests have also claimed to have seen a woman in a floral dress in room number 661, the larger of the two tower suites. Others claim to have experienced doors locking and unlocking on their own, or the sound of someone knocking when no one is there. Flickering lights, swinging chandeliers and pockets of cold air are also among the strange experiences guests have reported.

Stanley Hotel in Estes Park

Speaking of famously haunted hotels, the Stanley may be one of the most recognizable in the country. This horror icon, nestled in Estes Park, inspired Stephen King to write his bestseller "The Shining." In 2025, the hotel broke ground on the Stanley Exhibit Center and Blumhouse Space, celebrating the art and icons of horror.

Freelan Oscar Stanley built what was originally a summer residence for him and his beloved wife, Flora, in 1904, and the two often invited guests to spend time there. They opened the grand Stanley Hotel nearby in 1909, which became a playground for the rich and famous of the time. Stanley himself is said to often be seen in the lobby and in his favorite room, the Pinion and Billiard Rooms, to this day. Flora loved music, and employees and guests say they still hear her playing her piano. Some say she'll close the piano on your hands if you touch it.

The most famous spirit of the Stanley Hotel is the former head chambermaid, Elizabeth Wilson. According to the hotel staff, Wilson was completely dedicated to her work. Even after a gas explosion in suite 217 sent her crashing down to the 1st floor in 1911, she returned to her position. In 1951, staff say she showed up to work and did her duties one morning and disappeared by the afternoon. When they went to search for her, they discovered Wilson had died in her cabin the day before. Wilson's famous habit of unpacking bags for favored guests and packing up the belongings of guests she doesn't like inspired King during his stay in suite 217.

But Wilson isn't the only former employee said to haunt the grounds. A groundskeeper passed away outside of the concert building while shoveling snow in 2005, and his spirit is rumored to remain in the building, shooing people out if it's too late at night. Sweet little Cassie, the golden retriever, who is buried on the west end of the property, used to deliver papers to guests, and some say they still hear her pawing at their doors.

Many of the stories come from rooms on the 4th floor, which is said to be haunted by the ghosts of children who love to play and laugh.

Walrus Ice Cream in Fort Collins

Old Charlie Dinnebeck's Café was a mainstay of the Fort Collins community for decades, known for its quick service and cool atmosphere. Dinnebeck was often seen greeting guests and was a well-known figure in the community. He opened the cafe with a partner in 1919 and continued to operate it until he died in 1940.

Now, Walrus Ice Cream occupies the space, and so too does Charlie, according to owner Lisa Paugh. Paugh has reported pranks on her and the staff, such as someone unseen pulling the lever of root beer kegs or knocking things off of walls, that she attributes to Dinnebeck.

But he's not the only former owner rumored to haunt the grounds. Mrs. Orlando "Mary" Flower and Mable Alexander Rogers ran the Flowers Millinery Shop at the location before it was purchased by Dinnebeck. Paugh has said one of the women has appeared in a group photo, and she's seen a red feather, like the type used in the women's hats, fall from nowhere.

One ghost said to haunt the grounds dates back farther. French fur trappers worked in the area in the early 1800s, and Fort Collins Tours said the spirit of one lingers on the premises, looking for his lost daughter. The company has a recording of a man's voice stating, "Ce n'est pas ma fille" (That's not my daughter), which they said was recorded during one of their tours. The ghost is rumored to pull on women's hair when they go down into the basement.

Union Station in Denver

One of the favorite stops on the Dark Side of Denver Ghost Tours is Union Station. The original building was constructed by the Union Depot and Railroad Company in 1881 and, at the time, held the distinction of being the tallest building in the West. However, the central hall and iconic clock tower were destroyed in an electrical fire in 1894. With the growing number of settlers heading west, it wasn't long until a new structure was needed, and the carved granite building standing today was opened in 1914.

It was only one year later that Locomotive Engineer George M. Lewis was fatally struck by a passenger train while walking along the railroad tracks in the train yard. His mangled body was found later that morning. Lewis, fearing being placed in a sanitarium for treatment of a "nervous disorder," had run away from his son-in-law and spent the night wandering the yards.

Multiple spirits are rumored to haunt the old building, including a man who met an unfortunate end when he fell asleep on a nearby bench. Stories say he either drunkenly stumbled or rolled onto the tracks and died when he was struck by a train. Visitors have also claimed to see the spirit of another man, believed to be a passenger who died waiting for his train to arrive, as he wanders the Great Hall at night.

Ashcroft Ghost Town

Mining towns in Colorado went almost as quickly as they came during the gold and silver rush era, as settlers moved in search of their fortunes. One such place, the former town of Ashcroft, now stands as a testament to its history.

The area was once the hunting grounds of the Ute Indian Tribe before they were forced from their land when silver was discovered in the headwaters of Castle Creek in 1880. The boom town was once a transportation hub that rivaled Aspen with a population of around 2,000, but the silver ran out in only five years. The site is now home to a museum, including about a dozen restored historic buildings.

But Ashcroft is known for being more than an abandoned mining town; some believe the town is haunted by the souls of those who once lived there. Many visitors have claimed to see spirits in an old two-story structure. Some believe it may have been the "Bird House" hotel, built by Nellie Bird, while others argue it may have been built by Davis H. Waite to house his newspaper, "The Ashcroft Journal." Others claim to have spotted restless spirits of deceased miners traveling the trails around Ashcroft.

Fort Garland

The historic Fort Garland is now a museum, but during the 1800s, it served as a U.S. Army outpost. Troops there were tasked with protecting western settlers and enforcing treaties made with the Ute Tribes that forced them to surrender much of their land and mineral rights in the San Luis Valley. The fort was decommissioned in 1883, but it is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a Union soldier who never left.

Five of the original 22 buildings were rescued and restored, including an old barracks building. Many visitors have told museum staff that they've seen someone or felt a presence inside.

Former museum curator Josephine "Josie" Lobato told the Valley Courier that she may have solved the mystery after she received records from the archives in Santa Fe written by Captain J.C. Davidson, who was the commanding officer of the fort at the time of the murder. According to those documents, New Mexico infantry volunteers Manuel Lujan and Honobono Carbajal received their pay one night in 1863, began to drink whiskey and got into an argument. Lujan was released back to the barracks around 2 a.m. Three hours later, they released Carbajal, who returned to the barracks and shot the sleeping Lujan in the back of the head, killing him.

Buckskin Joe Ghost Town near Cañon City

The legend of Silver Heels has been told since the 1800s, when the famed performer visited the remote mining town around 10 miles west of Cañon City. Her name has been lost to history, but the dancer was most commonly known as Silver Heels due to the color of the shoes she wore when she performed. Tragically, not long after her arrival, smallpox struck the town.

As the disease devastated the community, Silver Heels jumped in to help, nursing the sick, caring for families and burying the dead. But several months later, she vanished. Stories say no one saw her leave the town, and her cabin was still clean. Some believe the epidemic may have claimed her life as well, but with the number of residents killed, no one was sure.

It's said that residents began to see the spirit of a veiled woman dressed in black standing in the cemetery a few years later.

In the 1950s, the original buildings were moved east of Cañon City, and the town became an Old West theme park. In 2011, billionaire William Koch purchased and moved most of the buildings onto his private ranch near Gunnison.

Phantom Canyon Road in the Pikes Peak area

Considered one of the most beautiful drives in Colorado, Phantom Canyon Road follows the route of the old Florence and Cripple Creek Railroad. On its first day of service, a train allegedly derailed and killed a man.

Multiple mining towns, which have long since been abandoned, used to dot the area, and some visitors have claimed to see the spirits of former miners and railroad workers still lingering along the narrow, unpaved road.

According to urban legend, train passengers in the 1890s spotted the spirit of an inmate walking along the tracks who had recently been executed at the Colorado State Penitentiary.

Cheesman Park in Denver

Numerous restless spirits are said to roam the grounds of one of Denver's most notoriously haunted locations, Cheesman Park. Around 2,000 gravesites are estimated to remain underneath the tranquil park grounds.

Mount Prospect Cemetery opened at the 160-acre site in 1865, on what was technically federal land. Over time, separate sections were designated for the specific use of the Catholic and Jewish communities. When the City of Denver purchased the land from the federal government, it became known as the Denver City Cemetery.

The cemetery fell into disrepair, and the city wanted to use the land as a park. City officials pleaded with Congress to allow them to change the land's status. They hired undertaker E. P. McGovern to move the 5,000 graves located there, but it's said that a scandal ensued when he was accused of dismembering corpses and placing bodies in child-sized coffins. The work was left undone, and the park was completed in 1907 without moving the remaining bodies.

Remains in the Catholic Mount Calvary Cemetery were eventually relocated, and the land is now the location of the Denver Botanic Gardens. The graves in the Hebrew burial ground were also eventually relocated, and the site now serves as the reservoir in Congress Park.

People have reported ghostly sightings, being touched by unseen spirits and whispering voices where the graves remain. Some rumors say neighbors have experienced knocking on their doors and windows, and visitors to the park say they sometimes witness the outlines of the old graves.

Central City Cemetery in Black Hawk

The Central City Cemetery is made up of 26 smaller gravesites, which serve as the final resting place for early settlers from mining towns across the area. In the late 1800's a gold vein was discovered in Gregory Gulch, and thousands of people flocked to the area to find their fortune. The cemetery was in use from 1884 until 1913.

Residents of Central City and the surrounding areas have long said the cemetery is haunted by a woman they call the "Lady in Black." Rumor says the young woman appears on Nov. 1 every year and lays flowers on the grave of her lover, John Edward Cameron. Visitors have reported other unsettling experiences like floating orbs of light, moving shadows and strange sounds. Some people have reported seeing a green mist that hovers over a woman's grave, and the spirit of a woman with no face wandering the area.

The Red Onion Restaurant and Bar in Aspen

The city's oldest watering hole was a staple of the community since its construction in the late 1800s. Tom Latta opened the bar as the "New Brick" saloon and gambling hall, but it eventually came to be known as the "Red Onion." The original back bar was restored in 1947, and it contains a bullet hole of unknown origin.

Multiple spirits are rumored to haunt the premises, including the madame of the brothel that once operated on the second floor. A former chef, Billy Joe Richards, allegedly haunts the kitchens. Richards was fatally stabbed in the alley behind the restaurant during an argument with fellow chef William Doyle Dean in the 1970s.

The restaurant and bar changed hands many times over the decades. Sadly, the former Red Onion was one of many businesses shuttered in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.