Growing up in Colorado we have all heard of these urban legends at one time or another.
The Gates Of Hell
The tall, rusted iron gates let the curious know they are in the right spot. Not an adventure for the fearful, the Gates of Hell near Riverdale Road in Thornton, CO is a place thrill seekers only dare visit in groups, some complete with holy water and bibles. It is a place where legend speaks of satanic worship, murders, sacrifice, and a lady in white who roams the nearby road, forever searching for her way home. They come to see the burned ruins of a great mansion, the haunted trunk of a tree scarred from fire, and the terrifying dark, musty room hidden underground. Those courageous enough to travel through the gates come upon the ruins of the old mansion.
It is said that the man that built it lost his mind. One night, he set the entire mansion ablaze with his wife and children asleep inside before he disappeared, never to be held accountable. Muffled screams can be heard echoing against these now crumbling walls that bared witness to the unspeakable crime. Is the lady in white that walks the road the lost spirit of the woman that died at her husband’s hands in this place? Is she still trying to escape the fire, or looking for her murdered children? Though people stop to offer her help when they see her, she silently continues on her path, eyes forward, never turning. The good Samaritan will continue driving down Riverdale Road, only to look in the rearview mirror to see that she is gone.
Third Bridge
Urban legend tells us a story of a bridge located out on the desolate prairie southeast of Denver. Third Bridge or “Ghost Bridge” as it is often referred to carries County Line Road over the dry bed of Kiowa Creek. The details of the stories are mostly unknown to those who take the long drive at night to hear the fabled sounds of the drums, horse hooves beating across the bridge and to recite stories of deaths by car accident, murder and an Indian massacre. Are these stories true?
Is the area tainted forever by the blood spilled long ago? Do the sounds of drums floating upon the air tell a story of historical death and foretell of doom yet to come? Follow the Colorado Ghost Hunters as they investigate the stories behind the folklore of “Third Bridge”. Learn why some stories may be more fact than fiction and why sometimes you can’t always believe what you hear
The Ridge Home
Growing up in Denver it was a rite of passage to break into this abandon building. Colorado State Home for Mental Defectives; commonly know as Ridge Home started construction in 1909 primarily to house the mentally disabled but in the early 1900’s conditions were to warehouse what they called undesirables such as the mentally disabled, the insane and kids who’s parents just didn’t want them. Ridge Home has been leveled to merely a field and a Super Target was built over the location but it is still generating stories of the paranormal. Before the building wase demolished people have reported lights turning on, shadows, voices and moving objects but now that the building is gone there are only reports of shadows and voices. I am curious as to whether or not the new owners of the shops have had any experiences themselves. Did you have any experiences at the Ridge Home before it was tore down?
Riverdale Road
Twisted Cottonwood trees resembling deformed street sentries line this spooky road where there is a tale of a phantom Camaro and a ghost dressed in white. The driver had no idea that the eerie street of Riverdale Road would turn out to be a drive of death. Legend has it that if you travel this road on late night jaunts, you’ll see the image of a Camaro with only one working headlight. There are also reports of a girl in a white dress who walks down this road. People who have offered her a ride say that she vanishes before ever getting inside of the vehicle.
The Ghost of Jogger’s Hill
There’s a horrific tale of a jogger who was accidentally hit by a car at the crest of this Denver hill. The driver of the automobile drove off and left the jogger to die alone on the hill. This spooky ghost story is the tale of that jogger’s shadowy specter, which aggressively looms over this area. People who have come late at night to enjoy the view on top of the hill have reported violent beatings on their cars and handprints on the windows. The legend comes with a warning: if the ghost of the jogger ever comes to the driver side of the vehicle it will kill you.