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America's Haunted Road Trip
Ghosthunting Colorado
Ghosthunting Colorado Is Your One-Stop Source for Everything That Goes Bump in the Night In the 1800s, Colorado quickly became the heart and soul of the gold rush that eventually brought the territory into statehood. Thousands flocked to cities like Leadville in the hopes of finding their fortunes. Many of Colorado's most famous ghosts, such as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” have their roots in Colorado's colorful mining history. Alfred Packer, the state's sentenced cannibal, also came to Colorado for gold, but there are more than just the spirits of miners here.
The eyes of paranormal enthusiasts have long been on the Centennial State due to the fame that Stephen King's The Shining brought to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. The stories of Colorado's mountainous hotel seem to have taken on a life of their own, making the building supposedly one of the most haunted in the country. The Stanley, however, is not the only haunted hotel in Colorado. Multiple inns and hotels in Denver alone have histories as sites of brothels, suicides, and other deaths that make their victims decide to stay in their beloved rooms forever. The oldest hotel in Denver, The Oxford Hotel has ghosts aplenty and a “Murder Room” to boot. A bed-and-breakfast in Capitol Hill called The Patterson Inn used to be the mansion of Colorado's first state senator. The 14,000-square-foot building is made of red sandstone native to the Garden of the Gods area. The mansion is also the source of several urban myths, such as the tale of “Willy,” a satanic undertaker who lived in the carriage house and is said to have kidnapped and killed small boys.
Outside of Denver, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado are considered to be one of the best destinations in the country for hiking and skiing. The mountains appeal to spirits, as well, including the ghost of a woman who was supposedly murdered by her husband and who is now said to hitchhike on the roads near Pike's Peak. The world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison is not without its ghosts. Concertgoers and employees have seen the apparition of a miner in restricted areas of the venue, while the Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks terrorizes lovers in the surrounding park.
Author Kailyn Lamb looks at locations throughout the state and dives headfirst into the history behind the ghosts and what has made them stay.
The eyes of paranormal enthusiasts have long been on the Centennial State due to the fame that Stephen King's The Shining brought to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. The stories of Colorado's mountainous hotel seem to have taken on a life of their own, making the building supposedly one of the most haunted in the country. The Stanley, however, is not the only haunted hotel in Colorado. Multiple inns and hotels in Denver alone have histories as sites of brothels, suicides, and other deaths that make their victims decide to stay in their beloved rooms forever. The oldest hotel in Denver, The Oxford Hotel has ghosts aplenty and a “Murder Room” to boot. A bed-and-breakfast in Capitol Hill called The Patterson Inn used to be the mansion of Colorado's first state senator. The 14,000-square-foot building is made of red sandstone native to the Garden of the Gods area. The mansion is also the source of several urban myths, such as the tale of “Willy,” a satanic undertaker who lived in the carriage house and is said to have kidnapped and killed small boys.
Outside of Denver, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado are considered to be one of the best destinations in the country for hiking and skiing. The mountains appeal to spirits, as well, including the ghost of a woman who was supposedly murdered by her husband and who is now said to hitchhike on the roads near Pike's Peak. The world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison is not without its ghosts. Concertgoers and employees have seen the apparition of a miner in restricted areas of the venue, while the Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks terrorizes lovers in the surrounding park.
Author Kailyn Lamb looks at locations throughout the state and dives headfirst into the history behind the ghosts and what has made them stay.
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2015
4 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2022
A lot of paranormal books just tell ghost stories without bothering to offer anything in the way of real scholarship. A few others manage to be excellent scholarly works of history but don't give the ghost stories their due. This book manages to find a happy medium, focusing primarily on the ghost stories but taking care to situate each ghost story within its historic context.
If I were to nitpick, my only real complaint is that, though the book correctly divides its focus equally between the history and the ghost stories, each entry is a little shorter than I might have preferred, giving only an introductory treatment to the hauntings or the history of each location. That's probably a necessary decision the author and publisher had to make in order to include as many locations as this book mentions, though, because one of the wonderful things about the book is that it does cover most of the famous haunts, as well as a few lesser-known ones.
Another thing that I like about the book is that it strikes the correct balance between the fun of the ghost stories and the necessary skepticism regarding unproved claims. Books purely on one side or the other seems to lose either the ghost stories or the science, but both sides are important to read about. This book does an excellent job, on the whole, of letting the ghost stories speak for themselves, while also shining the light of skepticism on some of the more dubious claims.
All in all, it's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the haunted history or locations of Colorado.
If I were to nitpick, my only real complaint is that, though the book correctly divides its focus equally between the history and the ghost stories, each entry is a little shorter than I might have preferred, giving only an introductory treatment to the hauntings or the history of each location. That's probably a necessary decision the author and publisher had to make in order to include as many locations as this book mentions, though, because one of the wonderful things about the book is that it does cover most of the famous haunts, as well as a few lesser-known ones.
Another thing that I like about the book is that it strikes the correct balance between the fun of the ghost stories and the necessary skepticism regarding unproved claims. Books purely on one side or the other seems to lose either the ghost stories or the science, but both sides are important to read about. This book does an excellent job, on the whole, of letting the ghost stories speak for themselves, while also shining the light of skepticism on some of the more dubious claims.
All in all, it's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the haunted history or locations of Colorado.
June 10, 2024
Really fun little book! I read it mostly for the history of the towns and buildings in my area and less for the hauntings, but it was really fun to learn about some of the crazy people and things that happened in Colorado during the 19th century. Especially enjoyed learning about Spencer Penrose and about the red light districts of Denver.
February 5, 2022
Kept putting off finishing this, but got it read!
I enjoyed reading the ghost stories of Colorado. Some places I have been to when I lived out there. Appendix provides information on site locations for those interested in visiting.
I enjoyed reading the ghost stories of Colorado. Some places I have been to when I lived out there. Appendix provides information on site locations for those interested in visiting.
August 30, 2024
I'm ready for a trip!
March 13, 2021
Very educational and interesting!
Love the combination of history and ghostly
history. I've been to many haunted places in
Colorado and it was enjoyable reading about
then again. I loved in Denver and Colorado
Springs for some years and remember going
to these places on ghost tours. Would love to
move back to Colorado, but she and finances
don't see it through. I do love to read about it,
though!!!!
Love the combination of history and ghostly
history. I've been to many haunted places in
Colorado and it was enjoyable reading about
then again. I loved in Denver and Colorado
Springs for some years and remember going
to these places on ghost tours. Would love to
move back to Colorado, but she and finances
don't see it through. I do love to read about it,
though!!!!
January 18, 2017
Really neat little book of local lore and legend. Learned a lot about the towns I live in, near, and visit. Makes me really want to explore all the corners of Colorado.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews