Phil Goodstein tells a good ghost story.
Denver’s unofficial city historian has uncovered all manner of spooks and haunts while on city neighborhoods and lore.
The , Peabody-Whitehead Mansion, and more all have their ghostly legends.
In honor of the spookiest month of all, Goodstein will be sharing his favorite tales at a horde of public talks and walks throughout October.
A warning: Goodstein does not recommend the events for children. Things can get a little “seamy” when he’s talking about the things that go bump in the night, he said.
Take Deborah, the attractive young lady said to hang aout about East Colfax Avenue and Grant Street.
“She’s a very friendly, 16-, 17-year-old young woman and often she has on only short shorts and a halter or maybe a mini skirt, even on the coldest of nights,” Goodstein said. “She often meets men walking by, men stopping their cars, trucks, and she visits with them. Sometimes, they’ll have such a nice friendship that she’ll invite them to see her room upstairs at a nearby hotel.
“The next thing the guy knows, he’s waking up in the alley or the parking lot, his wallet is gone and he’s been slugged.”
One of Goodstein’s all-time favorite haunts is .
The original Denver city cemetery, Cheesman Park is home to 2,000-5,000 bodies interred underground.
If you know where to look, Goodstein said, you can see “some very, very distinctive” rectangular plots, sunken a few inches below the surrounding ground.
“It’s not necessarily a good idea to go sunbathing there,” Goodstein said. “Every now and then, a poor innocent sunbather will try to get up and feel a couple of icy cold hands grabbing at him for a few brief seconds.”
“The rumor is, on rare occasions, such as a full eclipse of the moon, at midnight somebody going and standing on the west steps of the pavilion will not see today’s Cheesman Park, but will see the grave-filled cemetery.”
Thankfully for you, Goodstein said, there’s a park curfew.
Capitol Hill may be the “stalwart” of Denver ghost stories, but it’s not the only neighborhood with a haunted history, he said.
Platt Park and University Park have their own spooky structures, including the on the campus of the University of Denver, built in 1932.
It is said the ghost of Mary Reed herself, one of the city’s most generous philanthropists, is still “studying and haunting” the building’s Renaissance Room, Goodstein said. Reed died in 1945.
“Sometimes the books just seem to move around,” he said.
In Platt Park, the James Fleming House, 1510 S. Grant St., is also home to strange occurrences, or so the story goes.
Fleming, a successful oilman, built the house in 1882. It served, for a time, as the jail of the Town of South Denver and later, as a rec center for seniors.
“You can still hear billiard balls clicking in there, the lights flickering, some howling — maybe from the days they had the jail in the basement,” Goodstein said.
Scared yet?
If it’s any comfort, Goodstein also said, “I’m a total skeptic on these things.”
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, earusch@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/emilierusch
Ghost walks and talks
Explore Denver’s spookier side with these walks and talks hosted by local historian and author Phil Goodstein.
Sept. 27: Mount Olivet Cemetery, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Walking tour, $10. Meet across the road from the Madonna Mausoleum, located up the hill past the administration building. 12801 W. 44th Ave.
Oct. 4: Crown Hill Cemetery, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Walking tour, $10. Meet at the parking lot just west of the administration building. 7777 W. 29th Ave.
Oct. 7: The Ghosts of Platt Park, 6-7 p.m. Free lecture. Decker Branch Library, 1501 S. Logan St.
Oct. 12: The Ghosts of Cheesman Park, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Walking tour, $10. Meet at the gazebo near East 12th Avenue and Gilpin Street.
Oct. 15: The Haunts of Central Denver, 6-7 p.m. Free lecture. Cherry Creek Library, 305 Milwaukee St.
Oct. 18, 24, 25, 31: Ghost Walk, 7-9 p.m. Walking tour, $20. Meet at the Indian statue on the east lawn of the Capitol, on Grant Street between East Colfax and East 14th avenues.
Reservations aren’t necessary but can be made through Colorado Free University, 303-399-0093.
