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Some people love a good scare, no matter the season, and Colorado is the perfect place to send shivers down your spine all year long. After all, we have over 1,000 ghost towns sprinkled throughout the state (some spookier than others), but if you’re looking for a full night of fright, you have to book a stay at one of our infamously haunted hotels… if you dare. Here are five of the most haunted hotels in Colorado that will make your stay a nightmare:
Now, you know we could not begin a list of the most haunted places to stay around Colorado without the iconic Stanley Hotel! Opened in 1909, the Stanley Hotel is what inspired Stephen King's timeless horror movie "The Shining," which was based upon Room 217 and all of the paranormal occurrences teeming from a 1911 mishap in which a hotel maid was electrocuted whilst cleaning. When you visit the Stanley, you may see flickering lights, objects moving on their own, and the eerie sound of children playing in empty hallways.
You may know Hotel Colorado as being the place where the Teddy Bear was allegedly invented (as the story goes, this childhood favorite was created by hotel maids who pieced together scrap material as a gift for President Roosevelt's stay), but did you know that it can also be super scary? When you visit the hotel, keep your eyes peeled for a ghostly female standing over sleeping male guests; your ears open for the sounds of a woman's blood-curdling scream; and your mind open for a little Victorian girl playing around the hotel with her ball.
The second-oldest operating hotel in Denver is plagued by the paranormal... who would have thought?! Opened in 1892 (and never closed a day since), guests of the Brown Palace have reported strange voices when no one is around, eerie phone calls from vacant rooms, and even sightings of an old train conductor.
Fair warning: If you check-in to the Hotel Jerome, you may never check out. Why do I say that? Legend has it that several guests have met an unfortunate demise at the historic hotel, including death by drowning, pranks turned deadly, and a woman who died of a broken heart. Think these folks are no longer with us? Think again, as their spirits can be seen roaming the halls and even swimming in the pool.
Last but not least is one of Colorado's most historic of accommodations: the Hand Hotel Bed & Breakfast. Opened in 1931, the otherwise friendly and beautiful Hand Hotel is said to have a different spirit tied to each of its 11 rooms, including the persnickety old Grandma Head and other unnamed children and adults who roam the premise of the historic inn.
Are you brave enough to stay the night in one of these haunted hotels? Better yet, have you already had a paranormal experience in any of these spooky spots? If so, we’d love to hear your ghost stories in the comments below!
