Haunted Colorado
With Halloween fast approaching, we are all getting into the spooky spirit of the holiday. This year we recommend trying a more paranormal experience than the typical haunted house. Colorado is home to many “haunted” locations… the most difficult part is picking which ones to visit. We have developed a list of some of the spookiest public haunted spaces in the state that will surely send a shiver down your spine.
1. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park – No list would be complete without the infamous Stanley Hotel. Stephen King got his inspiration for his bestselling novel “The Shining” after staying with his wife in room 217 (room 237 in the book). It is said that the ghosts of the original owners still haunt the hallways. Lights flicker on and off in room 217 and clothes mysteriously pack and unpack. The fourth floor is haunted by the ghosts of children who giggle – you can hear them running through the hallway on quiet nights. A stay at the Stanley is one you have to plan well in advance as it is booked for over a year in the future. They do offer nighttime ghost tours through the hotel if you don’t want to actually rent a room in this paranormal paradise.
2. Museum of Colorado Prisons in Canon City – This museum is housed in what used to be a state women’s prison. It is two stories tall with 30 cells on the second floor. A kitchen, laundry room and isolation cells are on the lower floor. The museum still shares a wall with the men’s prison that is operational and has been since 1841. The real haunting comes from the inmates of these cells, with the most notable being a man accused of cannibalism and a 12-year-old boy accused of murder.
3. The Molly Brown House in Denver – Molly Brown is mostly known as being unsinkable; primarily because she survived the sinking of the Titanic. This house was built in 1889, but Molly Brown didn’t move in until late in 1912. Over the years the house was turned into an apartment complex for men and later a home for wayward girls. During the day the house operates as a historical monument. At night, however, the house morphs into a supernatural hotspot. Ghost hunters gather from all over the country to explore the homes mysteries hallways. Word on the street is that Molly Brown herself still haunts the property.
4. The Ghost Town of St. Elmo in Chaffee County – During the Gold and Silver rush, people flocked to the area and this town was flourishing. With the biggest mine bringing in over $60 million, St. Elmo’s became a hub of activity and had a massive train depot. In the 1920’s the gold rush ended and the railroads stopped coming to the area, quickly making the town abandoned. A few residents refused to leave; the most notorious being Tony and Annabelle, a brother and sister duo. With harsh weather and no way to get supplies, everyone left in the town became insane and were later taken to a mental institution. St. Elmo’s has been completely empty since the 1950’s, but the entire town is still standing and will take you back to the early mining days in a very eerie way.
While these are by no means the only haunted spots in Colorado, they are some of our favorites and a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. For a fun adventure as well as some excitement, check out our Halloween zipline tour “Nightmare on the Cliffside” in Idaho Springs. We have added some fun haunted attributes to our popular zipline trip to spook up your holiday. Book now!
