Dark Side of Denver

Ghost tours in Union Station and around Denver reveal Denver’s secrets.
Illustration: Max Lopez · The Sentry

For those interested in the darker history of LoDo, Dark of Side of Denver Ghost Tours opens the door to the paranormal world. Seasoned storytellers dedicate every weekend to leading people around Denver. Much of the tour occurs inside Union Station and other iconic buildings, all in a few blocks of walking. For two hours, the audience becomes immersed in chilling tales of questionable authenticity against the backdrop of a vibrant city at night with origins in the Wild West.

Denver is rife with sinister tales. While many neighborhoods have been marred by development, the past endures through historic architecture and landmarks. Union Station has been a hub for people coming to Colorado since 1881. Countless amounts of people have passed through Union Station, with some never leaving at all. In the basement, the guide describes how a group of 23 prisoners were temporarily confined. A pipe burst overnight and tragically every inmate drowned. Currently, that area serves to host events, and staff working there claim to have terrifying experiences, like knives being thrown by unseen forces in the nearby kitchen.

LoDo also had a nightlife in the late 1800s, holding a number of brothels for people coming in from Union Station. At the Oxford Hotel there is the story of a man who would stop by a certain lady of the night named Florence Montague when visiting Denver. One evening, they stayed at the Oxford Hotel and never left. According to the story, an argument broke out when he refused to leave his wife. Heartbroken, she took out a gun and shot him in the head and then killed herself in room 320. According to the story, the man came out of the room screaming and died in the hallway. What a spectacle that must have been, preserved in the floor and the walls forever. Visitors and hotel staff continue to encounter the spirit of Florence – if the stories told are true.

While many people in Denver might be aware of the supposed Illuminati headquarters under Denver International Airport, there is a real and mysterious underground world beneath the streets of LoDo. From concealing illicit activity to helping The Beatles escape massive crowds when they arrived at Union Station in1964, the tunnels certainly have a history. In the basement of the Wynkoop Brewing Company rests one of the original entrances, bricked over decades ago to block access. This location holds the tale of one spirit who moves through the tunnels to several locations in the neighborhood. At the blocked entrance, the guide turns out the lights and recounts the tale of a young girl named Sarah left to die in the tunnels by her mother, leaving her spirit to haunt the present.

Dark Side of Denver takes people to locations they otherwise would never be able to go and hear stories only the staff of these locations could experience. Dedicated guides spend time building relationships with each location to give the audience a quality performance.