Welcome To Durango Ghosts
The Wild West was marked by blazing shootouts and bloody wars that left many dead, so it’s not shocking that the screams of men, women, and children still linger in this mountain city. Today, Durango is filled with spooky saloons, haunted hotels, and terrifying train tracks that lead straight into the dark side.
The Terror Tree
At least six men were illegally executed at the Hanging Tree in downtown Durango, and some of them were clearly not ready to die. Join Durango Ghosts to uncover what really happened when vigilante justice was served by a mob with plenty of rope.
Learn about the outlaws strung up by their necks up on winter nights and left to hang in freezing winds until their bodies turned hard and blue. Travel back in time and listen for their desperate gasps pleading for a mercy they’d never receive.
Look closely as many believe the souls of those lynched during those rough-and-tumble days of Durango appear as floating gold orbs, drifting around the block where they met their fate. Perhaps these spirits just want forgiveness. Maybe they want vengeance.
What Will I See?
Visit Durango’s Most Haunted Locations, Including:
- The Rochester Hotel – Spirits of benevolent old ladies and mischievous little boys are said to still wander the hallways of the Rochester, and it seems they’re eager for more guests.
- The Strater Hotel – An unexplained red light shines out from the fourth floor on the dark winter evenings, and some have seen a headless woman mysteriously appear in photographs taken there.
- El Rancho Tavern – Beneath this historic tavern, a complex series of tunnels were built to transport coal as well as prostitutes, alcohol, and weapons during prohibition, and now there are numerous sightings of floating orbs.
Room for one More
Delve into the most haunted hotel in the Centennial State with Durango Ghosts. Originally constructed in 1892, this hotel is registered on the “100 most haunted hotels in America” and sports shocking spirits of disgruntled men, crying children, and weeping women. Listen for their tormented wails and mad giggling even if no one is around.
Many believe that Mary Finn, who owned and operated the hotel into the 1920s, is still a guest. There have been sightings of Mary in the hotel’s staff areas such as the kitchen and the ice room.
Of course the most famous ghost at the Rochester is the legendary lady in white. This spirit has been seen standing at the top of the staircase while adorned in white silk with her hair in a bun. Guests have stated not only experienced a loss of breath at the top of the stairs but also smelling a rose scented perfume. No one knows what she wants other than to greet people with a chill.
Why is Durango so Haunted?
Cowboys and Indians and Ghosts
Originally founded by the Durango and Rio Grande Railroad, this city saw numerous pistol duels, scalpings, and tragedies that have been embedded into the city’s psyche. Take in the legends of the Ute, the Indigenous people who endured the Meeker and the Milk Creek Massacres, and would see their water in the Animas River polluted with sewage following Durango’s establishment.
The Utes often came to Durango to receive government allotments and to trade goods with various miners, railroad workers, and mountain men. Though the Ute are still a thriving community, their indignities haunt the valley.
Dig into the other crimes and misfortunes of the area with Durango Ghosts. Hear the chilling cries of the children who perished during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, and feel a chill hearing about the disembodied growl of the cowboy’s ghost screaming for the living to “get out.”
Durango’s Most Haunted
Though Durango has a rugged beauty and charm, the city’s lurid secrets lurk on every corner and behind every door. But don’t be deceived by appearances. Sometimes the most innocent looking places have the darkest shadows.
Local lore states that the Leland House Bed & Breakfast has an especially creepy guest. Some have awoken here to an old man with a white hat standing at the foot of the bed. Others have reported random, unexplained laughter in their rooms in the middle of the night. Not every visitor has checked out.
Similar experiences have occurred at the Historic Alma House, which sits in nearby Silverton, Colorado. This cozy inn has had numerous scary encounters including a ghostly woman appearing in a window, lights turning on and off by themselves, and various voices whispering behind guests. Be careful with lodging. A wailing ghost might be an unwanted wakeup call.
* This is a walking tour and we do not enter privately-owned buildings or private property *
