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.
