Ghost Stories

Teller House was built in 1871-72 for brothers Henry and Willard Teller and was known as one of the finest hotels west of the Mississippi River. At the time, Central City, Colorado was one of the world’s largest suppliers of gold due to the local gold mines. The hotel has seen its share of famous visitors including a U.S. president. In 1873, President Ulysses S. Grant made a trip to Central City to visit with his friend Henry and see his new hotel. To impress the president, mine owners decided to lay solid silver bricks to make a path directly to the entrance of the Teller House. The purpose of this gesture was so President Grant wouldn’t have to dirty his boots upon stepping from his carriage. At the time of his visit, Congress was debating on whether gold or silver should back the dollar. Story goes, upon seeing the silver bars, the president became angry and decided to use the boardwalk instead in order not to show favoritism. The Teller House is most known for an oil painting. ...

The Stanley Hotel is infamous among the paranormal circles, but another Estes Park inn has it’s share of ghosts as well. Newlyweds Gordon and Ethel Mace visited Estes Park in 1911 on their honeymoon and fell in love with the area. So much they decided to build a homestead on the property. Initially only a small cabin was built on the land and rhubarb was planted to fulfill the requirements of the Homestead Act. To increase their income, they built several tourist cabins. With their success, the Mace Family made plans to build an inn. With financial resources being quite limited, the Mace family used what natural resources were available and constructed the inn from hand-hewn timber cut from the property and massive stone fireplaces were built to provide warmth and hot water. The Baldpate was opened in 1917 boasting such amenities as hot running water, electric lights, and indoor plumbing. Mystery novelist Earl Derr Biggers visited the inn and stated it was so similar to the "i...

A finalist in the Ghost Hunters “Great American Ghost Hunt” contest, will Briarhurst Manor live up to its reputation as one of America’s most haunted locations? Dr. William Bell was born in to a life luxury in 1840. His father was a physician to the Royals and thus provided the education for his son to follow in his footsteps. In 1867, Bell left London for St. Louis to attend lectures on the medical principles of homeopathy. This trip would change his life forever. He fell in love with chaotic “Gateway to the West” and decided to stay in America for awhile. He applied with the Kansas and Pacific Railroad for a survey and mapping expedition only to learn the position of doctor was filled but not photographer. With the purchase of equipment and a crash course in photography, he was hired by the railroad. The expedition led him to form a life-long bond with the leader of the survey General William Palmer. Together they shared a vision of building a corporate empire and business partners...

Aspen, Colorado is known for its luxurious ski resorts but one of its historic hotels is facing foreclosure. In the 1880s Jerome B. Wheeler, co-owner of Macy's Department Store, fell in love with beauty and silver boom of Aspen. He invested heavily in several mining deals but decided to bring a sense of civility by building a grand hotel. In 1889, Hotel Jerome opened its doors revolutionizing the hotel business. His hotel was a three-story terra cotta brick and sandstone structure boasting 92 guest rooms, 15 bathrooms, indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, steam heat, electricity throughout the building and the first elevator west of the Mississippi. The décor featured handmade Colorado tiles, elaborate wall coverings and Eastlake furniture. Rooms would cost you $3 or $4 per night, unheard of outside of grand European hotels. The hotels J Bar was the first watering hole in Aspen. Unfortunately, with the "silver crash" of 1893, Hotel Jerome fell on hard times. T...

Did you know that the movie Poltergeist was based on the history of a real cemetery? Located in Denver, Colorado, Cheesman Park was apart of a city government scandal. Buildings weren't built on the cemetery by mistake. How about I start from the beginning. In 1858, William Lamier set aside 320 acres of land for a new cemetery named Mount Prospect. Sites on the crest of the hill were set aside for the wealthy, paupers and criminals were buried on the far sides and the average people were buried somewhere in the middle. John Stoefel murdered his brother-in-law and was sentenced to hang from a cottonwood tree. Stoefel and his brother-in-law were buried in the same grave. More and more murder victims and those killed from accidents were buried in the lower parts of Mount Prospect. Nicknames like "Old Boneyard" or "Boot Hill" were soon given to the cemetery. In 1873, the graveyard was re-named the City Cemetery. The lack of interest and care made the cemetery ...