Something Spooky This Way Comes
October in Durango brings shorter days and long, chilly nights. Dark evenings spent around the fire make telling ghost stories that much scarier. It helps that Durango has developed a reputation as one of Colorado’s notably haunted historic towns, with generations of stories involving mysterious figures, unexplained noises, and a few spirits that apparently stayed after last call.
For locals and visitors, these Durango ghost stories offer another way to discover the town’s past. From historic hotels and restaurants to railroad cars and abandoned mines, here are three tales to get you into the spooky spirit.
Why Is Durango So Haunted?
A good ghost story usually starts with a little history, and Durango has plenty of it. The railroad established Durango in 1880, and the growing town quickly boomed from mining, railroading, saloons, gambling, and the realities of life in the American West.
Much of the historic downtown you see today took shape after a devastating fire in 1889. The brick and stone buildings that followed are now more than a century old, giving haunted Durango, Colorado plenty of reason to harbor a few spirits.
Even the spaces beneath Main Avenue have acquired their own legends. Stories have long claimed secret tunnels connected brothels and businesses, although local historians say many of those underground spaces were coal chutes, and most were not interconnected. The mixing of history and folklore in Durango makes for bone-chilling, story bending tales of haunts that might have you questioning the tiniest sounds you hear.
Check In with Some Unexpected Guests
At some historic lodging in Durango, guests and employees have reported seeing mysterious figures, including a little girl and people dressed in period clothing. Other accounts describe unexplained touches and strange encounters around the building.
There are more stories that cannot be explained. Accounts surrounding the Rochester Hotel include reports of a Victorian-dressed woman appearing in Room 204. Apparently, checking out is optional at some haunted hotels in Durango.
Have a Spirit with Your Spirits
At El Moro Spirits & Tavern, the word "spirits" carries a second meaning.
The building is tied to a very real piece of Durango history. In January 1906, Sheriff William Thompson raided the El Moro Saloon and confiscated a roulette wheel. He later confronted Deputy Marshal Jesse Stansel outside, where the two exchanged gunfire. Thompson was killed and Stansel was wounded.
Years later, employees reported unusual happenings inside El Moro, including glasses moving or falling, objects seemingly flying from their places, and shadowy figures appearing around the restaurant. Some stories connect the activity to Thompson, although that part belongs firmly in the realm of local ghost lore.
All Aboard the Ghost Express
Durango owes much of its existence to the railroad, so it seems fitting that one of its best ghost stories comes with wheels.
Inside the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum is the historic 460 Tourist Sleeper, built in 1883. According to local legend, a young woman named Kate secretly boarded the train with her railroad-worker boyfriend in 1937, only to witness his death during a violent confrontation with another crew member. Kate was so full of guilt over the death of her lover that she took her own life.
After the car entered the museum, visitors and employees began reporting strange activity. One particularly unusual incident occurred after the sleeper had been moved outside. Museum doors were reportedly found blown open, hardware was scattered on the ground, and a securing bar had been bent, yet no footprints appeared.
Things That Move Mysteriously Around Durango
Some of the strangest stories come from beneath downtown. Participants exploring Durango's underground spaces and tunnels have reported hearing mysterious music, seeing objects move, and experiencing other unexplained activity.
Those hair-raising tales are part of what makes exploring old Durango so entertaining. A familiar building starts looking very different after you hear people share stories of what happened inside.
Getting into the Spooky Spirit
If you are looking to hear stories of Durango's haunted history and maybe find your own ghosts, you can take a local ghost tour from companies like Ghost Walk Durango and Horsefly History and Ghost Tours.
Not everyone wants to shiver in their timbers this season, so the metaphorical ghost you catch might just be a good time. On October 29, costumes come out on the Animas River Trail for the Halloween Bike Parade and Powerhouse Party, complete with trick-or-treating and games. Then, on Halloween itself, downtown fills with little ghosts and goblins during the Children's Halloween Trick-or-Treat & Carnival from 4 to 6 p.m.
Come for the History, Stay for the Ghost Stories
Durango’s ghost stories are more than a reason to get spooked. They offer a fun way to uncover the people, places, and history that shaped the town. This Halloween season, history can become a fun adventure that will take you into the depths of Durango. But beware, you may leave with more knowledge of this historic town, a story of your own, or a reason to glance over your shoulder as you walk home.
