Colorado isn’t just about ski slopes and hiking trails—it’s also home to a storied past with tales of the Wild West, eerie legends, and historic hotels said to be haunted. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, these haunted hotels in Colorado are sure to charm you, not just scare you.

Hotel Colorado – Glenwood Springs

Once known as the “Grand Dame of the Rockies,” Hotel Colorado has hosted presidents, outlaws, and soldiers—and its walls have plenty of stories to tell. Guests have seen apparitions of women in Victorian gowns, heard phantom phone calls, and even smelled cigar smoke when no one is around. And while the hotel is best known for its Christmas flair, its ghostly sightings also make it a popular place to stay in the fall. Some say the hotel is haunted by the spirits of nurses and soldiers from its World War II days, when it served as a naval hospital.

The Grand Imperial – Silverton

The Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton holds the honor of being one of the most haunted hotels in Colorado. Since it opened in 1882, the hotel has stood as the “crown jewel” of Silverton and southern Colorado, attracting travelers from all over. Aside from its Victorian-era charm, the hotel’s past can be experienced in other ways. Ghosts from the past pay a visit to the historic hotel, like the old miner who still visits the bar for a drink and the man who is said to have died in room 314 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park

No list of haunted hotels in Colorado is complete without mentioning the Stanley Hotel. Perched high above the small mountain town of Estes Park, the Stanley is not only the town’s most iconic landmark, but it also famously inspired Stephen King’s The Shining. The Stanley has long been known for ghostly activity, with guests reporting piano music echoing from the empty ballroom, laughter in vacant hallways, and even spectral children running through the corridors. Whether you book a “spirited room” on the fourth floor or join a nighttime ghost tour, you’re in for a few thrills and chills.

Take The Shining Tour, which includes a visit to The Shining Suite, in The Stanley’s restored 1909 Caretaker’s Cottage. Or join Aiden Sinclair’s “The Underground” tour underneath the hotel into a secret theater for spine-tingling performances from illusionist Aiden Sinclair. And for the adults, what’s more classic than a séance at The Stanley? On select nights, resident apparitionist Hannibal takes brave guests on a theatrical séance journey through the spirit world.

Or book an Estes Park ghost tour with U.S. Ghost Adventures, where you’ll learn about local legends, haunted history, and visit The Stanley Hotel.

Strater Hotel – Durango

In the heart of downtown Durango, the Strater Hotel is filled with Victorian antiques and plenty of history and paranormal tales. Guests claim to hear footsteps, phantom laughter, and even the sound of an old typewriter clicking away in empty rooms. Built in 1887 over old railroad tracks, another famous haunting is that of a railway engineer who haunts the lobby. The hotel is a favorite among history buffs and ghost hunters alike, with each stay offering a chance to brush shoulders with the past. Add on to your stay with an after-dark ghost tour and learn about

The Victor Hotel – Victor

This small-town stop in the historic mining community of Victor, Colorado, is home to one of the most haunted hotels in Colorado. During the early 1900s, the upper floors of The Victor Hotel were used as a makeshift morgue when the ground was too frozen to bury bodies. Today, guests often hear unexplained noises on the fourth floor, where the deceased once rested, and some report being followed by shadowy figures.

The Windsor Hotel – Del Norte

Known as the gateway to the San Luis Valley and the Great Sand Dunes National Park, the small town of Del Norte is another Colorado town with a Wild West past. Anchoring its historic downtown is the Windsor Hotel. Built in 1874, the Windsor is one of Colorado’s oldest hotels and was a social hub in the area for people to stay and gather. Its ghostly rumor comes from the ill-fated suicide of a woman named “Maude” who was staying at the Windsor when she killed herself. 

Aside from its ghostly hauntings, staying at the Windsor is a true treat. Saved from a wrecking ball in the 1990s, the dilapidated hotel has experienced its own resurrection over the years. With its historic “turn-of-the-century” parlor, modern rooms with historic detail, and the 1874 food truck and distillery.

The Western Hotel – Ouray

Some might say the Beaumont Hotel is the most haunted in Ouray, but I personally prefer the Western Hotel. Originally built in 1892, the Western Hotel is the largest wooden structure in Ouray and was once known in town as the “miner’s palace,” with its 43 sleeping rooms, saloon, gambling, and game rooms. The hotel sat at the end of the infamous Red Light District, which ran down Second Street, with roughly 100 girls operating out of the area. With such a torrid past, the hotel was bound to have a few spirits linger. But its most famous one is the ghost of a former owner of the hotel who still roams the halls.

Beyond its historic past and ghostly spirits, the hotel retains its classic Victorian-era charm in all the best ways. A hotel walk-up with no elevator, where stairs creak and crack, leading to several floors that seem to slant. Rooms are delightfully decorated with subtle luxuries like the plush bath robes, Gucci Western Scarves as hanging art on the walls, old claw-foot tubs, no TV or telephone, and a wood-burning stove to keep you warm.

Hotel Boulderado – Boulder

Known for its old-world aesthetic, Hotel Boulderado is also known to house a few ghosts. Opening on New Year’s Day in 1908, the Centennial Hotel is as full of history as it is charm, with its underground speakeasy, cherry wood banisters, marble columns, and a beautiful glass-stained ceiling that no doubt inspired Fitzgerald when writing The Great Gatsby. The hotel has even held on to the original, manually operated birdcage elevator. With so much history lingering, there’s bound to be a ghost or two. Guests report seeing a woman in white wandering the halls, unexplained noises, and frequent problems with keeping the room’s windows shut. Specifically, rooms 302 and 304 are said to be paranormal hotspots in the hotel.

Add on to your stay at the Hotel Boulderado and take the Bones, Burials and Ballads ghost tour with U.S. Ghost Adventures, where you’ll explore Boulder’s gold rush past, the Wild West, and the ghosts who still linger in the streets.

Town of Red Cliff – Green Bridge Inn

Tucked away in the mountains of Eagle County, the county’s oldest town, Red Cliff, is known for its eerie energy and as a paranormal hotspot. Over the years, residents have experienced in-home hauntings, glowing orbs, a young boy who haunts the basement of the town hall, and numerous sightings of Bigfoot. Like many of Colorado’s mountain towns, they were rough and rugged mining camps, and Red Cliff was no exception. The small town was known to have a particularly violent history of gunslingers, prostitution, and gambling.

Make it a weekend getaway, and stay at the town’s only hotel, the Green Bridge Inn, and take the town’s walking tour and visit its most haunted hot spots. To top it all off, as you wind your way along HWY 24, traveling from Vail to Leadville, you’ll encounter the ghost town of Gilman. Resting on a large cliff overlooking Eagle Creek, the abandoned mining town is one of the creepiest ghost towns in Colorado. Completely abandoned and completely off limits to visitors as it sits on private property, the mine was once the most successful in the county but was shut down many years later due to toxic conditions. While you can’t visit the site, there are a few places to pull over to view the ghostly scene from afar. 

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