Rich in Gold Rush history, Breckenridge is the perfect place to spend a haunted Halloween. With hundreds of buildings listed on the National Registration of Historic Landmarks, you can step back in time to a town preserved in the prospecting days of the 18 and 1900s – and possibly have a brush with its inhabitants from that time, too!
Book a walking tour with The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance and learn about the haunted history of the town. The perfect way to acclimate to the altitude, the Halloween Victorian Tour & Tea offers an abbreviated walking tour followed by tea served in one of town’s historic homes. For a spookier setting, the Alliance allows guests to test their hand at paranormal investigation, enjoy a nighttime cemetery stroll, or learn about the former inhabitants of historic Breckenridge (some who seem to have never really left).
If you’d rather explore the best haunts of Breckenridge on your own, be sure to look into these local hot spots:
- The Brown Hotel: Currently a local hangout for live music, the Brown Hotel once actually served as a hotel and restaurant when opened in 1868. According to legend, lady of the night Ms. Whitney was murdered in one of the upstairs rooms by the hotel owner when he learned of her plan to take over the business. Drafts, cold spots and the sounds of footsteps upstairs are common happenings at the historic establishment.
- Après Handcrafted Libations: Originally a boarding house, the building now houses Après Handcrafted Libations, a craft tasting room offering the best libations in Summit County. It is said that the widow Sylvia haunts the building, having never found a man to take her late husband’s place and care for her – which explains her reported warmth towards men and hostility towards women.
- With a history rich with prospectors, cowboys, and historical figures, the Valley Brook Cemetery is bound to have a few spooky stories hidden behind it’s headstones. The final resting place of famous (and infamous) residents is located just two miles north of downtown.
- The Gold Pan Saloon: This local haunt was established in the late 1800’s as a rough and rowdy bar for miners but stands today as one of the oldest continuously operating bars West of the Mississippi. Outlasting Prohibition, legend has it the Gold Pan served moonshine in a back room only accessible through tunnel. It even played host to the last gunfight ever recorded in the town. Paranormal activity is often experienced on the upper floor and believed to be the spirit of a miner who hasn’t given up the search for gold.
History isn’t the only thing haunting Breckenridge! Book your vacation today for a spooky time in Summit County with River Ridge Rentals. Haunted sites (and frights) await you!