When you live in Denver, you often hear muffled voices whispering about dirty secrets kept underground – of tunnels and brothels, bunkers and politicians, boozing and gambling. Tales are muttered under breath of lascivious acts that took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s, that include the entanglement of prostitutes, public officials, and staunch defenders of Prohibition. More recently, rumors again swirled of underground happenings also involving government agencies, unexplained passageways, and illicit activities. Whether you’re a bonafide conspiracy theorist or a tried and true devil’s advocate, read on to see what lies beneath the streets of Denver that is shockingly twisted yet incredibly intriguing.
...opened its doors in 1892 and has remained a lively hub of downtown Denver ever since. This grand, historic landmark has provided rest and recreation for many celebrities, politicians, and dignitaries over the years, including the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, the Beatles, Bill Clinton, Al Capone, and the notorious Denver mob boss Jefferson "Soapy" Smith.
...was built in 1880 and served as a school for girls (ironically, as you'll soon see) until the owner's death in 1889, when it became Hotel Richlieu. The new establishment soon gained a reputation for nefarious activities that included gambling, over imbibing, and ladies of the night. Years later, the building was lost in a card game and renamed, The Navarre, but it remained a popular haunt for drinking, dining, sporting, and prostitution.
(I'm sure the Navarre was a much classier bordello, but for some reason images of the infamous Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone keep flitting through my mind.)
Legend has it that when the Navarre's wine cellar was built in 1892, a secret underground passageway was constructed leading to the Brown Palace Hotel across the street, allowing guests diplomatic, easy access to the famed cathouse. According to reliable sources, patrons and prostitutes were allowed to come and go as they pleased, until at least the 1920s.
Supposedly the tunnels also connect to the Oxford Hotel, Hotel Teatro, and all the way to the Capitol Building. They'll tell you the tunnels were built for the heating systems in the late 1800s so that unsightly coal ore carts wouldn't be seen delivering coal or removing ash. They'll tell you...a lot of things. (Pictured is a sealed entryway beneath the Blake Street Vault, built in 1863.)
...raised a lot of speculation during its construction in the 1990s, as many regarded the already established Stapleton International Airport to be sufficient. But the sprawling, 53-square-mile complex that is now DIA was ultimately erected and has remained at the center of the rumor mill for years.
Conspiracy theorists claim that there's a massive military facility (maybe even city) beneath the Denver Airport which could be used by government officials should the security of Washington D.C. (and subsequently the country) ever be compromised.
I'm not saying that I believe the accusations, but the strangely apocalyptic murals at DIA, coupled with the fact that in 2014 an insider blew the whistle about the existence of the underground facilities, has my curiosity piqued.
Okay, we want to hear it! What are your thoughts about these wild accusations? True or false? Let us know what you think lies beneath the streets of Denver in the comments below.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
