This Eerie And Fantastic Footage Takes You Inside Colorado’s Abandoned Town Of Gilman

Have you ever heard of Gilman, Colorado? Once upon a time, Colorado was chock full of mining towns. The mountains and Western Slope were full of gold, silver, and other minerals, bringing thousands of new residents to the state. As the mines in Colorado dried, so did these hundreds of mining towns and camps, rendering them abandoned. While some of these towns are well-known and loved (St. Elmo, anyone?), others are little-known and overlooked, including the historic Gilman ghost town.

Located in southeastern Eagle County, Gilman, Colorado was once abundant in both residents and ore, and was even considered to be the center of lead and zinc mining in Colorado via the now-flooded Eagle Mine.

Founded in 1886, Gilman produced an incredible 10 million tons of silver, gold, copper, zinc, and lead during its operation, which led to the continual expansion of the town.

Photo circa 1910-1930.

In its prime, Gilman was home to not only homes and mines, but also a school, grocery store, infirmary, and bowling alley, as well as - at its peak - thousands of full-time residents.

Like most former mining towns, when the veins dried, so did the locals, with only a few hundred residents remaining by the mid-1960s, which was followed by the closure of the last mine in 1984.

After the closure of the mine, Gilman's story took an unforeseen turn, as the Environmental Protection Agency discovered 8 million tons of mine waste plus contaminated groundwater and toxic pollutants, resulting in an immediate and mandatory evacuation of the town. And so the Gilman, Colorado ghost town was born.

Alhough the town was cleaned up during the 1990s, it is still considered to be uninhabitable, leading few to have an inside look at this historical place and the abandoned zinc mine...until now.

Thanks to YouTube user Free4All, we can now see some of the homes and former businesses located around the Gilman ghost town. You'll want to view this in full-screen mode!

Have you visited the eerie abandoned ghost town of Gilman, Colorado? Would you? Share your experience in the comments!

For even more fascinating remnants of Centennial State history, check out even more of our favorite abandoned places in Colorado. Then, get a professional guided tour of one of Colorado's most unique Gold Rush ghost towns.