Patterson Inn – Haunted Historic Inn in Denver, Colorado

The Patterson Inn stands as one of Denver’s most elegant Victorian-era mansions. This stunning architectural gem has welcomed guests since the late 1800s, but not all visitors check out.

Located in the heart of Capitol Hill, the inn has witnessed over a century of Denver history. Behind its beautiful facade and ornate details lurk shadows of the past that refuse to leave.

Guests report encountering ghostly figures wandering the hallways late at night. Strange sounds echo through rooms when no living person occupies them.

The building’s reputation for paranormal activity has grown steadily over decades. Staff members and overnight visitors share remarkably similar experiences despite never discussing their encounters beforehand.

What makes Patterson Inn particularly unsettling is the regularity of supernatural occurrences. These aren’t rare events whispered about in local folklore but frequent happenings witnessed by ordinary people.

Historical Background

Thomas Patterson built this magnificent mansion in 1891 for his family. Patterson served as a United States Senator representing Colorado and owned the Rocky Mountain News newspaper.

The original structure cost approximately $50,000 to construct, an astronomical sum during that era. Patterson spared no expense, importing marble fireplaces and hand-carved woodwork from Europe for his dream home.

The Patterson family lived in the mansion for several decades before financial troubles struck. Senator Patterson lost much of his fortune during the economic downturns of the early 1900s.

The property changed hands multiple times throughout the 20th century before becoming an inn. Each successive owner reported strange occurrences they couldn’t explain through rational means.

During the 1970s, the building fell into serious disrepair and faced potential demolition. Preservationists fought to save the historic structure, recognizing its architectural and cultural significance to Denver.

Restoration efforts began in the 1980s, breathing new life into the deteriorating mansion. Workers renovating the property reported tools moving on their own and hearing footsteps in empty rooms.

One construction worker quit after repeatedly finding his equipment relocated overnight. He swore he locked everything in the same spot each evening before leaving the site.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Cold spots manifest throughout the inn without any logical source or explanation. Guests report sudden temperature drops of 20 to 30 degrees in specific locations within seconds.

Doors open and close by themselves, sometimes slamming violently in the middle of night. No drafts or structural issues account for this recurring phenomenon according to multiple building inspections.

Footsteps echo through the hallways during all hours, particularly between 2 and 4 AM. These sounds follow distinct patterns, as if someone paces the same route repeatedly every night.

Electronic devices malfunction inexplicably when brought into certain rooms of the inn. Cameras drain completely within minutes, and cell phones shut off despite showing full battery moments earlier.

Shadow figures dart across doorways and appear in peripheral vision throughout the building. Multiple witnesses describe seeing the same dark forms moving through identical locations at different times.

Objects relocate overnight without human intervention, leaving staff and guests thoroughly bewildered. Personal belongings turn up in completely different rooms from where they were originally placed.

The scent of lavender perfume wafts through certain areas despite no flowers or fragrance sources nearby. This particular aroma seems connected to one of the inn’s most frequently witnessed apparitions.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most commonly reported spirit is that of a woman in Victorian-era clothing. Witnesses describe her as wearing a long dark dress with her hair pulled back tightly.

This female apparition appears primarily in the upstairs hallway and what was once the master bedroom. She seems unaware of living observers and goes about her business as if still residing there.

Some researchers believe this spirit is Margaret Patterson, the Senator’s wife who died in 1918. Margaret spent her final years in the mansion after her husband’s political career ended badly.

Guests in Room 3 consistently report waking to find this woman standing at their bedside. She gazes down at them for several seconds before fading away into nothingness.

One visitor named Sarah Mitchell documented her 2015 encounter in a detailed online review. She described waking at exactly 3:17 AM to see the figure smoothing bedsheets on an empty bed.

Sarah attempted to speak but found herself unable to form words or move. The paralysis lasted approximately two minutes before the apparition vanished and normal function returned to her body.

Another frequently encountered spirit appears to be a young child, approximately eight to ten years old. This entity runs through hallways giggling and playing with toys that aren’t physically present.

The child ghost seems playful rather than threatening, though encounters still unnerve most witnesses. Staff member Jennifer Rodriguez reported finding toy blocks arranged in patterns when she arrived for work one morning.

No children had stayed at the inn for over two weeks prior to this discovery. The blocks belonged to a vintage collection kept locked in a display case downstairs.

A third spirit manifests as an older man smoking a pipe in the library. The distinctive tobacco smell accompanies his appearances even though smoking has been prohibited indoors for decades.

This male figure sits reading by the fireplace, seemingly content and peaceful in his afterlife existence. He rarely acknowledges living people but occasionally looks up from his book to nod acknowledgment.

Local paranormal researchers theorize this might be Senator Patterson himself, eternally enjoying his beloved library. Patterson reportedly spent countless hours in that very room reading and writing during his lifetime.

Guest David Chen photographed an empty chair in the library during his 2019 stay. When he reviewed the image later, a translucent figure appeared seated in the previously vacant furniture.

Most Haunted Spot

Room 5 stands as the most paranormally active location within Patterson Inn’s walls. This particular guest room experiences more reported incidents than all other areas combined according to inn records.

Visitors staying in Room 5 describe waking to invisible hands touching their faces and hair. The sensation feels distinctly like gentle caresses rather than aggressive or threatening contact.

The room’s antique mirror reportedly shows reflections that don’t match current reality at times. Guests glimpse Victorian-era furnishings and décor in the mirror that no longer exist in the actual room.

One couple requested to change rooms after their third consecutive night of disturbances in 2018. They reported bedcovers being pulled off repeatedly and hearing whispered conversations in an unknown language.

The bathroom connected to Room 5 frequently floods with the lavender scent associated with the female spirit. Water faucets turn on by themselves, and the bathtub occasionally fills without anyone turning the taps.

Staff members avoid entering Room 5 alone whenever possible after several unsettling personal experiences. Housekeeping supervisor Maria Gonzalez insists on working in pairs when cleaning that particular accommodation.

Can You Visit?

Patterson Inn operates as a functioning bed and breakfast open to paying guests year-round. Reservations can be made online or by phone through their official booking system.

Room rates range from $150 to $300 per night depending on season and specific accommodation. The inn offers seven uniquely decorated guest rooms, each filled with period-appropriate antique furnishings.

Guided paranormal tours occur on the last Friday of each month starting at 9 PM. These special evening events cost $45 per person and last approximately three hours with refreshments included.

Photography is explicitly permitted and encouraged throughout the property during both regular stays and ghost tours. Management welcomes guests sharing their experiences and evidence on social media platforms.

The inn requests that visitors treat the historic building and its permanent spiritual residents with respect. Provocative behavior toward entities or damaging investigation techniques are strictly prohibited on the premises.

Regular visiting hours for non-guests interested in viewing the architecture run Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 PM. These brief tours focus on historical aspects rather than paranormal elements and cost $15 per person.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity at Patterson Inn peaks dramatically during the autumn months of September through November. Staff and frequent visitors report a noticeable increase in encounters and manifestations during this period.

The hours between 2 AM and 4 AM consistently produce the most intense supernatural experiences. Researchers attribute this to the traditional “witching hour” when the veil between worlds supposedly thins.

Full moon phases also correlate with heightened activity levels according to documentation kept by the inn. Management tracks reported incidents and has identified clear patterns linked to lunar cycles over multiple years.

Anniversary dates connected to the Patterson family history see increased manifestations as well. May 14th, Margaret Patterson’s death date, reliably brings numerous sightings of the Victorian woman spirit annually.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Teacher Amanda Price stayed at Patterson Inn during a 2017 Denver conference for educators. She recorded audio on her phone throughout the night after experiencing an uneasy feeling upon entering.

The recording captured clear whispered voices speaking when Amanda was provably alone in her locked room. Analysis by audio experts ruled out external sources or technological explanations for the captured sounds.

Paranormal investigator Marcus Webb brought electromagnetic field detectors during his 2016 overnight investigation of Room 5. His equipment registered massive spikes at the exact moments temperature drops occurred and shadows appeared.

Webb’s team captured video footage showing a doorknob turning and the door opening with no visible cause. Frame-by-frame analysis revealed no wires, tricks, or human manipulation causing the documented movement.

Journalist Rebecca Stone wrote an extensive article for Denver Magazine after her 2020 investigative stay. She entered as a complete skeptic but left convinced something genuinely unexplainable happens within those walls.

Stone experienced her jewelry being rearranged into deliberate patterns while she showered in Room 3. The necklaces and bracelets formed perfect geometric shapes impossible to achieve through random falling or movement.

Local historian Dr. Franklin Meyer has documented over 200 individual paranormal reports from Patterson Inn since 2010. His comprehensive database includes witness names, dates, specific details, and any corroborating evidence like photographs or recordings.

Dr. Meyer notes the remarkable consistency across unrelated witnesses who describe identical phenomena in specific locations. This pattern suggests genuine unexplained occurrences rather than suggestion, imagination, or deliberate fabrication for attention.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society conducted a week-long investigation at Patterson Inn during October 2018. Their team of eight experienced investigators deployed sophisticated monitoring equipment throughout the entire property continuously.

Lead investigator Christine Taylor reported capturing over 40 EVP recordings during the investigation period. These electronic voice phenomena included clear words and phrases that analysis confirmed were not present during original recording.

Thermal imaging cameras detected human-shaped heat signatures moving through rooms verified as completely empty. These thermal anomalies maintained consistent human proportions and moved with purpose rather than drifting randomly like environmental heat.

The investigation team’s findings were featured in Paranormal Quarterly magazine’s January 2019 issue. Their report concluded Patterson Inn demonstrates genuine unexplained phenomena worthy of serious scientific study and continued monitoring.

Popular YouTube paranormal channel “Spirit Seekers” filmed an episode at the inn in 2021. Their video documenting three nights of investigation has accumulated over two million views from fascinated audiences worldwide.

During filming, investigators captured footage of a full-bodied shadow figure crossing the second-floor landing. Multiple cameras recorded the same event from different angles simultaneously, eliminating possibility of trick photography or editing.

Local Legends & Myths

Denver folklore claims Senator Patterson buried substantial wealth somewhere within the mansion’s walls before his death. Treasure hunters have unsuccessfully searched for this legendary hidden fortune for nearly a century without success.

Some paranormal researchers theorize the ghostly activity relates to Patterson’s spirit guarding his hidden treasure. They suggest the senator’s restless soul remains bound to protect his family’s lost wealth from seekers.

Another persistent local legend involves a tragic love affair between a Patterson family servant and neighbor. Stories claim the young woman died of a broken heart when her lover married another for money.

This heartbroken servant supposedly haunts the inn searching eternally for her faithless beloved. The lavender scent associated with the Victorian woman spirit allegedly comes from her signature perfume worn in life.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Patterson Inn strictly prohibits amateur ghost hunters from conducting unauthorized investigations on the property. Trespassing charges will be filed against anyone found on premises outside of official tours or paid stays.

The historic building contains original architectural features including steep staircases and low doorways requiring careful navigation. Guests should exercise appropriate caution when moving through the inn, particularly during nighttime hours with reduced lighting.

Management requests that visitors experiencing extreme distress during paranormal encounters immediately contact staff for assistance. While no physical harm from entities has ever been documented, psychological impact from frightening experiences deserves proper support.

The inn maintains comprehensive liability insurance but cannot be held responsible for supernatural experiences. Guests acknowledge awareness of the property’s haunted reputation when booking reservations and accept associated risks voluntarily.