Patterson Inn
"The Castle Project" is a documentary about the haunted history of the Patterson Inn in Capitol Hill, formerly known as the Croke Patterson Mansion. Filmmaker Brian Higgins documents workers as they transform the 124-year-old mansion into a modern bed and breakfast. Most of the workers are initially skeptical of ghosts, but after encountering apparitions, whispering voices and peculiar odors, they quickly realize they may not be alone in the house.
Built in 1890 by Thomas B. Croke, the red sandstone mansion is 14,000 square feet of elegant beauty. It is also said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Denver. Croke only owned the mansion for two years, after which he sold it to Thomas M. Patterson. Despite the mansion's long history, it wasn't until the 1970s that people began to experience strange occurrences. During renovations to the property, construction crews began to notice the work they had done the day prior was always in disarray when they returned. Thinking this was the work of vandals, they left a pair of guard dogs to monitor the property overnight. When the workers returned the following day, both dogs were found dead on the sidewalk, having jumped from the third-floor window.
Today, the mansion has been transformed into an exquisite bed and breakfast with modern luxuries and amenities. But the presence of paranormal activity may still remain within the walls of the old mansion, and guests may want to think twice before taking a tour of the cellar, as some say that the spirit that haunts the old mansion is that of a little girl who is buried deep in the basement floor. Sleep tight!
The Lumber Baron Inn & Gardens
Shortly after the current owner of the Lumber Baron purchased the rundown mansion, he described it as a "haunted house on a movie set." Known around the neighborhood as the "haunted castle," the Queen Anne-style mansion in the Highland neighborhood was the site of a 1970 murder of two young women. Paranormal activity is a weekly occurrence at the Lumber Baron, with reports of strange voices, furniture moved in rooms, windows closing and cold spots throughout the property. Visions have been reported of a woman in a flapper-style dress holding champagne, followed by a rush of cold air. The pyramid-shaped roof atop the third floor was supposedly built as a portal to another dimension. Guests can tap into the great beyond during the inn's Magical Tea, a traditional high tea that also includes Victorian card reading, divination, spell candles and crystal prescriptions.
Ghosts like to hang around Boulder, too, and what better place than Hotel Boulderado? Built in 1907, the five-story brick building drew inspiration from the Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival styles and features an open court like the Brown Palace Hotel. The name, cleverly, comes from combining the words Boulder and Colorado so guests won't forget it. One guest, Beautrice "Honey Bee" Lennartz, who died in 1998, definitely didn't forget it. She was a beloved local music teacher and a regular in the hotel dining room. She bequeathed a life-size portrait of herself, painted in 1930, to the hotel. It still hangs on the fifth floor. According to the City of Boulder, she's said to still walk the halls, along with numerous other ghosts. Rooms 302 and 304 are also rumored to be haunted, with free entertainment in the form of electrical disturbances, voices and visions of a woman in white, according to the city.
