Things to Do in Denver on Halloween

There are many things to do in the Denver Metro Area on and around Halloween. The choices available accommodate people of all ages and abilities. Similarly, admission fees vary, and just about anyone ought to be able to afford an outing. There are many events targeted at families, such as hayrides, corn mazes, and seasonal programs at the Denver Zoo and Denver Botanic Gardens. There are also several commercial haunted houses, such as those operated by Screamworks Entertainment. There are also many “real” haunted houses, and even haunted castles, in the Denver area.

One such example is the South Broadway Christian Church, located at Ellsworth and Lincoln. John Sutton built the structure in the early 1890s. Nicknamed “Uncle” John, Mr. Sutton lived in a two-room apartment in the tower. Many haunted house stories have very logical explanations for the strange noises, footsteps, or eerie happenings, but the goings-on here are pretty hard to attribute to natural causes.

Today, somebody lives in the church, and some guess it’s Uncle John. “He” is a talented fellow, and plays the organ when the church is dark and the organ is shut up. Once a member, Dustin Adkins, was vacuuming, with the cord coiled at his feet, when the vacuum stopped. Dustin turned to find the plug on the floor. Puzzled, he plugged it back in and again started vacuuming, when it quit again. This time, the plug was on the floor and four feet from the outlet, and it was obvious that tension had not caused the cord to pull out. Dustin left, in a big hurry.

Rochelle Chartier, president of the Denver Classical Guitar Society, was at the church alone late one evening. Pushing on the front door, she just couldn’t get it to open, though she tried for several minutes. Finally, and quite suddenly, the door released and opened with the greatest of ease. She left again for more boxes and the problem repeated itself. Neither before nor since has the door stuck; never again has Rochelle stayed late alone.

Source: (”Castles of Colorado,” Westerberg)