A Haunting at 200 E. Colfax

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to tourists and other Coloradans.

It is a dimension as vast as a legislator’s ego and as timeless as rose onyx interior. It is the middle ground between Democrat and Republican, between policy and dogma, and it lies between the pit of man’s worst fears of government and the summit of his ability to withstand stupidity. This is the dimension of imagination. It is a building which we call … the Colorado State Capitol.

Sweet Twilight Zone riff aside, the Colorado State Capitol is legendary for being one of the most haunted places in Denver. Most people who grew up hearing about the eerie urban legends surrounding the State Capitol — or who spend hours going down the rabbit hole of online ghost stories — associate many of the ghost stories with the story of the Espinosa Brothers, a pair of vigilantes from Mexico. As with many tall tales, it’s hard to separate truth from legend here, but many say that Felipe and Jose Espinosa were radicalized after witnessing American forces murder members of their family during the Mexican-American War. Offering a different account, The Denver Post reported in 2011 that they were upset with squatters, presumably settlers who had come to live on their land. Whatever incited their anger, it is believed that the brothers went on to kill nearly two dozen people in the 1860s before they were killed in 1863.

Grotesquely, the heads of Felipe and Jose Espinosa were delivered to the State Capitol where they never received a humane burial. Most sources agree that they were stored in the treasurer’s office for a time before being put in storage somewhere in the Capitol. The two heads were eventually burned in a furnace. Today, you can hear the sound of hoofbeats in the Capitol — the Espinosa brothers looking for their heads.

But wait: There’s more.

According to a volunteer tour guide, in the late afternoon, a white vapor rises from the floor in front of the Senate, quickly resembling a Victorian-era woman who is believed to be the ghost of a senator’s wife. Some believe that this senator’s wife caught him having an affair in the Capitol. What’s unclear, though, is whether the woman killed herself or was killed. Regardless, her ghost continues to haunt the Senate chambers in which her adulterous husband once served.

Others have reportedly heard loud noises coming from the Capitol in the dead of night, lights being turned on, and doors opening when no one is in the building. Scarily, some even hear voices arguing and talking in nearby staircases. Unfortunately for those who like when the hair on their neck stands up, none of these ghost sightings have been verified as paranormal, and not much documentation exists to help create a background on any of the people whose souls are said to still roam the halls of the Capitol.

However, there is no logical argument that can refute the fact that the Capitol can be a really creepy place, even after legislators and lobbyists have left the building. The entire world’s supply of Rose Onyx and massive amounts of White Yule Marble, while creating an ornate and gorgeous interior, can’t cover up the weird feeling people get in certain parts of the building. Even in daytime, it is not uncommon to see a shadow move just beyond eyesight or to hear footsteps when otherwise alone in a hallway. Imagine how scary the place can get at night! If you find yourself at or near the Capitol on Halloween, let me know what you find.

Better yet, don’t.