There's Nothing More Terrifying Than These 10 Genuinely Haunted Places Around Denver

When staff arrives in the morning, tables and chairs at this iconic steakhouse have often been moved from where they were last left. The oldest restaurant in Colorado was once a hang-out spot for cowboys, traders and miners - a rough group of men, many of whom suffered violent deaths. Some of the patrons are said to still haunt the place today.

Staff at the Brown Palace Hotel don't like to go into the basement, where a baby is often heard wailing. Another ghost is that of a long-dead railroad manager, who is seen walking across the lobby, then straight into a wall where he disappears. Guests hear a ghostly string quartet, and restaurant employees often ride the service elevator with a ghostly waiter who vanishes when the elevator reaches its destination.

The famous Stanley Hotel, located near Denver in Estes Park, was Stephen King's inspiration for his book, "The Shining." It's easy to see why - many ghosts are said to occupy the hotel. The most famous are the hotel's original owners - Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife Flora. They're usually seen in the public areas of the hotel, conducting business and trying to assist guests as if they're still alive. In room 217, the ghost of former housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson is said to climb into bed with guests, or fold their clothing while they're asleep.

The State Capitol is haunted by a woman wearing a long dress, who wanders the halls at night after most of the staff has gone home. Late-working secretaries and cleaning personnel report seeing her all around the building, gliding silently down the corridors and staircases.

The Governor's Mansion is reportedly haunted by several ghosts. Staff and others claim to have heard footsteps, whispers, and felt cold spots throughout the mansion.

The home of "Unsinkable" Molly Brown is said to be haunted by her husband, J.J. Brown. Molly didn't allow him to smoke in the home while he was alive, so today, his ghost fills the home with the smell of pipe tobacco. He's often heard walking around the upstairs, and opening and closing doors. The ghost of a butler is sometimes seen on the first floor.

Cheesman Park was once a cemetery for the indigent. When the city decided to turn it into a park in 1890, the bodies were supposed to be moved to another location. However, the man contracted for the job botched it terribly. E.P. McGovern was being paid $1.90 per grave to exhume the body, place it in a fresh coffin and relocate it. Instead, he used children's coffins (which were less expensive), and hacked the bodies up to make them fit. At one point, dismembered bodies were strewn around the grounds, and it was a general mess. Many bodies were never exhumed and moved, and the park was built right over the top of their graves. Today, the spirits are said to haunt the park.

Thomas B. Croke built this gorgeous mansion in 1890, but he only ever went inside once. He apparently felt an evil presence in the home and refused to move in. The Patterson family lived there for several years. It's currently serving as an office building. During a renovation in the 1970s, workers reported that construction projects that were completed were undone overnight. Once office staff moved in, equipment such as typewriters and telephones operated by themselves. A ghost is often sighted on the main floor and on the staircase, and Mr. Patterson himself has been seen on the grounds surrounding the home.

The Denver Public Library is a wonderful place for books, media, and all kinds of education...but it's also home to a violent ghost who supposedly pushes and hits staff. The ghost resides in the library basement, and once scared a security guard so badly that he quit on the spot.

Once known as the Denver Orphan's Home, this place still offers services for children. But, in 1888, a fire killed several children on the third floor. Staff reports hearing whimpering, crying and screaming. There are also reports of a woman in a white dress descending the staircase and walking down the hallway on the second floor.