 Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third-party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Welcome Weirdos, I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. If you're new here, welcome to the show and if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen. Recommending Weird Darkness to others helps make it possible for me to keep doing a show. And while you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com where you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, along with the Weird Darkness Weirdos Facebook group. Coming up in this episode... People share some of the dark secrets they discovered about a family member after that person's death. The evil eye is a glance believed to have the ability to cause injury or death to those on whom it falls. It's told there was a woman in North Walsham who was so wise and powerful she could repel the evil eye. We'll also look at how to get rid of the evil eye if you think you have it, and how to avoid getting it in the first place. And later, haunted in spooky places, they're located all around the world. Colorado is no exception. It's one high-elevation state that offers some high paranormal activity. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness. It's fairly common for people to take secrets to their graves, but that doesn't mean those secrets won't get discovered by the people left behind. These redditors got together to discuss the biggest secrets they learned about a loved one after they passed. From Redditor Snowwhite88. My great-uncle Ray and great-aunt Anne lived in a little house on the outer edge of town. Never had children or pets. Their house was always in some disarray. The roof needed to be repaired or siding falling off. When Uncle Ray's truck broke down, he didn't get it fixed. He just rode a bicycle around town. He always wore Levi's blue jeans and a white cotton t-shirt. He mowed lawns for some extra money, and he was a car salesman back in the day. Ray and Anne passed three hours apart in different facilities. Anne first, then Ray. Since Ray was the last one living, they contacted his next of kin, which was my mom. She got a call from a lawyer and was scared to call him back because she thought they were going to make her pay for the funerals. Lawyer says, no, no, you just need to come in and talk to me. Stacks and stacks of CDs and bonds, laundry basket filled with cash covered in clothes, cash rolled up under the kitchen sink, some here, some there, multiple bank accounts, it ended up being close to $2 million. The only bill my mom had to pay in Ray's name after he passed was his electric bill, $37. From Redditor Spud Simon Salem, In India, January 2013, both of my grandparents passed just hours apart. At the time, my mother and I were told that my grandfather passed of a brain hemorrhage and my grandmother passed away in her sleep. My aunt and uncle flew from England where they reside to India where they heard my grandfather was asleep from the hemorrhage. This year my mother began talking to a man in India who was one of my grandfather's best friends. This man was with my aunt and uncle during the time of their passing. According to this man, my aunt and uncle woke up and found my grandmother deceased in her bed and just left her there. They didn't do anything about her dead body for hours, they just left it in her bed. While my grandmother's corpse was still in her bed, my aunt and uncle went to the hospital to see my grandfather. The doctor said my grandfather would come out of his sleep state soon and would be fine, but my aunt and uncle decided to pull the plug on him anyway. They went back to the house and one of the house maids showed my aunt that my grandmother's dead body was foaming at the mouth. My aunt took her scarf, wiped away the foam and kept the scarf there to prevent anyone from seeing the foaming. So basically my aunt and uncle slayed my grandparents. From Redditor, pigsfly1133 A couple of years ago my great-uncle passed. When he passed, in addition to a mansion in Chicago, he left $15 million for his children to split up, $3 million each. As it turns out, he used to be only two steps below kingpin of a large Chicago syndicate. He took some money and left for good after getting hurt, realizing that he didn't want his children to grow up without a father. Also, his wife had owned two whorehouses before selling them and marrying him. From Redditor, back to Buck. My grandmother was a lovely lady. She had little money and lived simply. We loved each other and it was a special relationship. When she passed, I was very surprised to discover that she had quietly scrimped and saved over the years and left enough money for me and her will to pay for my college education. That was her dream and I had no idea she never even said one word about it. From Redditor, fretmin124 After my dad passed, I found out he had run a flamethrower for three months digging the Japanese out of the caves in the Philippines. My dad didn't talk about the conflict much. He never mentioned this part. Found out from Mom, he had terrible nightmares all his life about it. From Redditor, emjb After my husband's grandmother passed in January, they found a photo from the 1940s of a handsome man in uniform amongst her things. The back read something along the lines of, with my deepest love and devotion, signed Terry. But it wasn't her husband who she was married to during the conflict and no one had ever heard her mention him before. He must have meant something to hold on to that photo for 70-plus years. From Redditor, Salty Bananas The day my mother passed, suddenly I found out that both she and my dad had been married before. On top of this, the cousin that used to come visit us when I was a child was actually my half-sister. She had stopped coming around but I always liked her and wished she had come back. Sad part is even my father had lost track of his own daughter. Long story involving a secret they were keeping from me, a marriage and subsequent move and then divorce my half-sister and he hadn't been able to locate her for years. Happy ending, 18 years after my mom's passing, my sister contacts me out of the blue. We meet up for a terrible reunion and shortly afterwards father and daughter are reunited at last. We all love each other dearly and love to get together. We each live in different ways. From Redditor, Eminent Riot My father passed when I was 12. The night before he passed I was staying the night with my cousins. I wanted to go home really bad because they were older than me and were all watching scary movies and I didn't want to but didn't want to go to bed super early either. I called home and begged to come home but he wouldn't let me. I yelled, I hate you and hung up the phone. Yeah, so those were my last words to dad. I spent almost 15 years thinking he had passed away angry with me. One day a few years ago I was talking to my mother and mentioned how heavy that weighed on me. She shocked me by busting out laughing her butt off. She said after he hung up the phone he cracked up because he definitely didn't want me home. They were about to have a relations. So yeah, he didn't pass angry with me, he was just boning my mom. From Redditor, Noah the Red My grandmother passed rather quickly. She got sick with pneumonia between Thanksgiving and Christmas and she passed just before Valentine's Day. It was very tough on my grandfather especially as they had been married for over 40 years and both of them had led exciting lives together. It was several years before my grandfather packed her clothes and belongings away and naturally he asked for his kids, my mom and uncles to help since it was tough. When they checked her coat for anything that may need to be packed separately, they found dozens of horse racing bedding slips. In fact it was hundreds of dollars worth of bets, all of them relatively recent to her passing. Her purse also contained as many if not more bedding slips. What was even more interesting was that she was really good at it, as in she was going to the track and coming back hundreds of dollars richer. My grandfather said he knew she liked to go to the horse races and knew she occasionally gambled but had no idea that she was as good at it as she was. We all laughed about it because frankly it was just one facet of a very amazing and accomplished woman. From Redditor, Sherpie Derp My great-great-grandmother met my great-great-grandfather on Ellis Island when immigrating to the U.S. She was 16 and he was 17 or so everyone believed. When she passed just after her alleged 97th birthday, my family discovered from immigration logs she was actually 100 and had lied about her age because it wouldn't have been acceptable in society to A. be single at the age of 19 and B. marry a younger man. From a deleted Reddit user. My father in the late 50s helped rob a bank in New York. He drove the getaway car. He did the full five years he was sentenced to because every time he got asked about the guys he worked with he said nothing. From Redditor, Stephen Osaurus My best friend since Cunangarden, Cheryl, was taken by a drunk driver along with her father. Since the 7th grade I wrote a poem every month and mailed it to her. They weren't Maya Angelou quality but it's the thought that counts, right? I pretty much thought she'd just throw them around after reading them a few times but I discovered she had a shoebox under her bed with all 37 poems from 7th grade when I started writing them to 9th grade when she was slain. From Redditor, Muck in a Ball My grandfather used syndicate loan money to start his business. Found this out when a retired wise guy showed up at his funeral reception. I know he at least laundered and or hid money. Besides that I don't know. His brother also had a very successful real estate business. Their parents, my great grandparents, had a small farm. They did not come from any money. It was the Italian syndicate in the Bay Area. From Redditor, Joanna Goanna I wasn't particularly close with my grandfather. I was young when he passed but as he was well dying he had to have a breathing tube put in. After he passed the doctors presented my grandmother with his false teeth. Apparently when he was 21 as a birthday present his father had taken him to the dentist to have all his teeth pulled and have false ones put in. No one knew including his wife and all his kids. Apparently this was common practice. Up next, the evil eye is a glance believed to have the ability to cause injury or death to those on whom it falls. But one woman was considered so wise and powerful she could repel the evil eye. We'll also look at how to get rid of the evil eye if you have it and how to avoid getting it in the first place when Weird Darkness returns. Do you keep a journal or diary? If not, maybe you should consider it. It's been shown that journaling can help you reduce stress, help relieve depression, build self-confidence, it boosts your emotional intelligence, helps with achieving goals, inspires creativity and more. In fact, my friend S. N. Lenees has created a Weird Darkness-themed journal just for you. Full of blank pages for you to use as a diary, make notes for class or office meetings, jot down ideas for that novel you want to write, use it for keeping a mileage long if you travel for business, whatever you want. In fact, she has numerous styles of journals to choose from. Along with the Weird Darkness journal, there's one for dealing with grief or teachers' notes for medical residencies, keeping track of your meds or health routine and several others. Journals make a great gift for others, but it's also a great gift for yourself and your own mental health. No matter what you might want a journal for, my friend Anne has it, and you can see all of her journals, including the one for Weird Darkness, on the sponsors and friends page at WeirdDarkness.com. She was the wise woman of Walsham who could reverse the evil eye and whose work was still remembered within living memory. In the past, as now, people have always wondered why terrible things happen to good people, and to believe that someone had fallen under a curse seemed as good a reason as any to cling to. They might be the gateway to the soul, but many believe that a purposeful stare can inflict great magical damage on another person. It's when a dirty look turns into the evil eye. One should, by the way, not confuse the eye amulet often called the evil eye, a cobalt blue charm which is actually anti-witchcraft with the glare that causes so much damage. The curse of the evil eye stems from a belief that someone who achieves success in their life or recognition also attracts envy from those who are around them. This envy then turns into a curse that can undo good fortune. In Heliodorus of Amisa, in the ancient Greek romance Atheopaka, the author writes, When anyone looks at what is excellent with an envious eye, he fills the surrounding atmosphere with a pernicious quality and transmits his own in venom dexalations into whatever is nearest to him. Greek philosopher Plutarch believes the human eye had the power of releasing invisible rays of energy that were so strong they had the power to kill small animals or even children. The evil eye was thought to be so powerful that it could cause misfortune, injury, disease or even death if you were the subject of a malicious glance. It could also cause harm to property, animals or loved ones. It was little surprise then that those who believed they had fallen under an evil spell were keen to rid themselves of the magical curse. In a letter written to the Eastern Daily Press in March, 1894, William Cook of Stalem wrote about a Mrs. Wispy of North Walsham who was often called on to reverse the effects of the evil eye or being overlooked, as it was called. Her chief specialty was the power of putting a mark on the possessor of the evil optic, distance no object, he wrote. Cook then recounted the story of a young coachman who took a new job only defined that his horses quickly deteriorated under his care, their coats becoming ragged as they grew thin. He was told that the former holder of his job had overlooked him. Hastening to North Walsham to see Mrs. Wispy, she quickly told him that the man who caused him ill was bearded like a pard, a phrase Shakespeare used to refer to somebody who had a patchy beard like a leopard's spotted coat. She told the coachman that she put a mark on the man and that in three days it would be apparent. Three days later, the man was seen without his beard after it mysteriously fell out almost overnight. Mrs. Wispy would create charms or amulets which consisted of verses of Bible scripture written on strips of paper which were carried by those that needed them. As Mr. Cook put it, in the face of the advance of education and many of our rural parishes, the belief in witches and witchcraft is as strong as when the notorious Hopkins drove such a roaring trade as a witchfinder. Imps are still dreaded, the cauldron of the weird sisters still bubbles, and I may add the late Mrs. Wispy was also noted for her skill in the healing art, her medicines acting both as a charm and cure. In 1932, Ernest Edward Smith sent a poem to the Eastern Daily Press which was published the day after Boxing Day. It was about a string story told to a child by his grandfather of something which happened in 1839. The man had reared a herd of swine, but the litter sickened and, despite his best efforts, failed to thrive. A neighbor offered some help. Here's the poem. A neighbor who was in the line, expert in things concerning swine, looked at the pigs then scratched his head, paused long his ginger whiskers twitched, and turning to the farmer said, Why these here pigs have been bewitched? And so the afflicted farmer tries what Mrs. Wispy would advise, a woman in such matters wise. Her skill was sought the country round, and here the remedy he found, and having paid the appropriate fee, he hurried home in time for tea. On a dark, moonless night, the farmer and his farm hand waited for the magic to start. The story continues, before the hour of midnight chime, rustle in the pigsty near, is warming of the spell at work. While the pigs died turning from white to black as they breathed their last, and the farmer burnt one ceremonially to purge the witchcraft, as the clock struck midnight, a figure appeared at the door, begging for pardon. The story continues, Tiz said, if you should not speak first, the witch will swell and swell and burst, and I am told by those who know of witch's manner's odious, the smallest harm that they can do is make their victim verminous. Sometimes this milady is switched on people who are not bewitched. The storyteller refused to give the identity of the man who begged forgiveness, but added that he was in the churchyard nearby, buried close to the witch in question. So what should you do if you believe you have fallen victim to the evil eye? Firstly, it is best to avoid becoming the victim of the evil eye in the first place. Scatter salt inside your front door, ask all your family to urinate in a bucket and pour the contents outside your house. There is a fun activity on a rainy day, and do whatever you do, spill olive oil. Secondly, carry an evil eye amulet as described earlier, or if you need something quickly, carry garlic instead, which has the added bonus of repelling vampires. You can pass an egg over an afflicted person's forehead and body, and then break the egg over a bowl of water and look for the shape of an eye to appear, which will show that the power of the curse has been removed. And if you need to stop the evil eye in its tracks as it happens, make the sign of the horns, extend the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with your thumb, much as you would see at a rock concert. Good luck. Up next on Weird Darkness, haunted and spooky places are located all around the world, and Colorado is no exception. It is one high elevation state that offers some high paranormal activity. Sometimes you feel a bit nutty, especially if you are a weirdo. If that feeling transfers to your taste buds as well, I've got some great news for you. Weird dark roast nutty mummy coffee. Wrap your taste buds around this medium dark roast blend with shrouds of almond, honey, and chocolate. Each bag of nutty mummy is exclusive to Weird Darkness and is roasted to order. Then bandaged, I mean bagged specifically for you, to ensure a maximum freshness for you, your mummy, and anyone else you share it with. Entomb your old coffee and bring your taste buds back from the dead with weird dark roast nutty mummy at WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash coffee. If you're traveling to Colorado and you want to explore the spookiest places it has to offer, here are just a handful. These are some of the scariest spots, ranging from obsolete mining towns and century-old hotels to ethereal cemeteries and homes of ill-fated events. The Hand Hotel For decades, Fair Play's Hand Hotel has been the location of some of the most terrifying or outlandish claims of paranormal activity, depending on who you ask. In 2010, a paranormal investigator claimed they were touched by an apparition that left a burning sensation on their body. Others claim a demonic dog lurks in the building's basement. But while these claims might be quickly dismissed by some, the hotel's ghostly reputation was serious enough to inspire a news crew to film a story about ghostly happenings there during the 1980s. Now available on YouTube, interviews of the staff portray a hotel that was constantly haunted by mischievous and sometimes threatening spirits. By the end of the segment, unexplainable events caught on tape seemed to have convinced the news team that the hotel staff members were being truthful. Unlike other hotels that embrace their haunted reputations, these days the Hand Hotel seems to pride itself more on its quaint, nostalgic trappings than ghosts or demon dogs. If you'd like to watch that YouTube video, though, I will place a link to it in the show notes. The Highlands Ranch Mansion In 1891, this castle-like, sprawling stone house was built by J. W. Springer, a well-heeled easterner who set up the cattle ranch and cross-country horse. In 1926, F. Kistler bought the Highlands Ranch Mansion and his daughter Julia's ghost is alleged to haunt this house from then on. Many people claim they have heard her sobs and have seen her silhouetted figure even when the place was vacant. The Goldminer Hotel Built in 1897, Netherlands Goldminer Hotel aims to immerse its guests in nostalgic and hospitable wonder with home-cooked meals and a night sky so dark you can see everything according to their website. Well, depending on what you believe, the hotel is so nice that some formerly living guests refuse to leave. The owners report hearing about a woman's feeling the presence of a female entity watching her in her room as she got ready for bed. In another account, a plumber skeptical of ghosts converted into a fervent believer after turning the building's water off in the basement only to see it running again in the upstairs section of the hotel. After this happened three times, the plumber yelled to no one in particular, okay, I believe now, let me finish and get out of here. Central City Masonic Cemetery Founded as a mining town in the late 1800s, Central City is now known as a destination for those looking to head to the hills for a gambling fix in the casinos that now dot the area, but one thing hasn't changed. The woman in black who twice a year appears in this hilltop cemetery above the town. Known as the Columbine Lady, she comes to visit the grave of John Cameron, a prominent former resident of Central City, who died in 1884. Some believe she is his fiance, appearing to leave flowers for her lost love on November 1st, the anniversary of Cameron's death, and also on April 5th, a date for which the significance remains a mystery, much like the woman herself. The Black Monarch Hotel When contractor Adams and Murley purchased an old hotel in the once booming mining town of Victor, Colorado, locals emphatically warned him that the building was haunted, but rather than cut his losses and sell or try to scrub out the unholy presences thought to still occupy the building, he decided to own the creepiness by converting the property into a serial killer themed hotel, with rooms named after notorious and deeply terrifying serial murderers like H. H. Holmes and Elizabeth Bathory. The Black Monarch Hotel stops at nothing to celebrate the macabre in a setting that already contained a dark past. A recent feature of the hotel published by The Guardian details a historical account that local miners in the area were murdered by gangsters who were hired by powerful corporations. According to the owners of Murley, the same wealthy mine owners suspected of these crimes were known to frequent the hotel back when it was a casino and bordello. As Murley claims, some of the miners were murdered when the mines they were working in were intentionally collapsed with them inside. Today the hotel staff say some guests have only been able to stay a couple of hours out of fear, but while the presence of actual ghosts in the hotel and whether memorializing serial killers is a good idea or not are up for your debate, it's clear though that the Black Monarch has quite a story to tell. St. Elmo Ghost Town With relics from Colorado's mining past well intact, this ghost town is a popular destination for those looking to get a glimpse into the past. But as you explore the remaining buildings, including the previously bustling general store, stay alert, you might just get a peek at St. Elmo's most well-known former and possibly present resident, Annabelle Stark. The town was originally settled in 1878 and the Starks arrived in 1881 toting a young Annabelle along. The Stark children were kept quite isolated in the town and despite having left at one point to marry, Annabelle mysteriously returned only a short time later and is now said to remain as the town's supernatural protector. The Victor Hotel High atop the Rocky Mountains at 9,708 feet, the historic mining town of Victor is among Colorado's most elevated communities. The town is so high up, in fact, that graves can't be dug during the harsh winters when the ground freezes over. After the Victor Hotel was rebuilt after a fire devastated the building in 1899, it was used for some ungodly reason as a holding cell for the dead during the winter months as locals waited for the ground to thaw. Dead bodies were thrown onto the elevator and stored on the fourth floor where they'd wait to be transferred to their final resting places. Unsurprisingly, guests' accounts describe a whole lot of terrifying things happening on the fourth floor, including headless and limbless figures popping up in rooms and roaming the hallways. What's surprising is that the Victor Hotel makes its fourth floor available for guests and that some willingly book rooms there in hopes of catching a glimpse of something spooky. Other phenomena is regularly said to occur at the hotel such as kitchen utensils being thrown across the room, visions of misty figures accompanied by bursts of cold air, and the elevator traveling from floor to floor all by itself. The Molly Brown House Surprisingly, Molly Brown was one of the survivors of the Titanic. She was renowned for her charitable, philanthropic, and humanitarian socialite status. People visit her house frequently and have reported the spirit's activity there. Her house is one of the most popular haunted spots in Colorado to visit when looking for paranormal activity. The Oxford Hotel As Denver's oldest boutique hotel, this spot is associated with some chilling stories, including one involving bathroom stalls miraculously locking by themselves and trapping helpless guests. In 1898, a brutal murder-suicide took place in room 320, committed by a guest named Florence Montog. Over the years, numerous single-male guests staying in that room are said to have complained of sheets inexplicably flying off the bed and their arms being violently pulled. In the crew's room, Hotel Bar, bartenders report seeing an old postal worker who matches the description of one who died in the 1930s while trying to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Central City. The Gold Cap Rail Tunnels Originally built in the 1800s for rail use during the Gold Rush, three of the original nine tunnels located just outside Colorado Springs have since collapsed. The remaining tunnels have been converted for vehicle use while an ominous spiked gate blocks entry to the others, and that's where things turn creepy. From stories of workers killed during construction of the tunnels to a tale about a bus filled with children that died in the third tunnel collapse, there are a lot of theories as to why this location may be haunted. But regardless, the fact remains that many reports of children's laughter, dark figures lurking, and even dusty fingerprints left behind on cars that dare to stop in the still open tunnels surround this spooky destination. The Bald Pate Inn in Estes Park The Bald Pate Inn, nestled along the mountainside at an elevation of 9,000 feet near the Rocky Mountain National Park, has served guests for more than 100 years. Today, it is said to be haunted. Gordon and Ethel Mace, who were newlyweds, homesteaded the property in Estes Park and built a classic log cabin in 1911. To supplement their income, they built several small tourist cabins, which proved to be a huge success. Next, they began to make plans to build a larger lodging facility. And in 1917, they opened the Bald Pate Inn. They named the inn after a fictional inn in a mystery novel where regular guests were given their own keys to the building. The Maces practiced this tradition until World War I, when the cost of metal rose so steeply they could no longer afford to give away keys to everybody. When this happened, their loyal guests started bringing a key with them to leave at the inn, which started the famous Key Room, which holds over 20,000 keys. Keys from Westminster Abbey, Mozart's wine cellar, the Pentagon, even Frankenstein's castle adorned the room. Today, both Ethel and Gordon reportedly continue to stay at their old inn, spiritually. Staff and guests say that Ethel has haunted her old room for years and particularly likes spending time in the Key Room. She also likes to sit in a wing-backed rocker before a fireplace located in a storage room. Her feet up, she said to sit in the rocker reading the Bible. Evidently, Ethel supported the prohibitionists because she also likes to spill mixed drinks while others tend to fly off tables. Gordon's pet peeve, on the other hand, is evidently smoking. Though the lodge does not allow smoking, if a guest does light up a cigarette, something smashes it or their cigarette packs just come up missing. Bald Paid Inn is now run by the Smith family, who purchased the inn in 1986. Only the second family to ever own the inn, the Smiths continue to welcome guests in the same fashion as the Maces. The 12-room lodge is open from Memorial Day to Mid-October 1 and is located 7 miles south of Estes Park at 4900 South Highway 7. The Fortune Hotel In yet another sign that Victor is one of the creepiest towns in Colorado, the recently remodeled Fortune Club diner and hotel is said to be one of the many paranormal hotspots. When the building underwent serious renovations in 2016, the hotel's new owners shared stories of doors slamming and a loud banging under their feet while cooking in the kitchen. A black cat frequently roamed the building, even though no such animal belongs to the owners. And while painting one night, one of the owners witnessed his paintbrush inexplicably fly into the air and slam back down on the floor before looking up and seeing the image of a woman in a Victorian dress. While the Fortune Club's owners say that paranormal activity has slowed since wrapping up remodeling, the hotel guests tell a different story. One man woke in the night to hear footsteps pacing between him and a woman who was sleeping next to him in another bed. He felt a hand on his shoulder before feeling the presence leave the room. Cheeseman Park Denver has many lovely parks that are welcome retreats for residents to enjoy some time in the outdoors, and Cheeseman's no exception. Well, except for one small detail. The park was also formerly Denver's first graveyard. While some of the bodies originally buried there were moved by loved ones after it was decided that the land would be used for a park instead, many other bodies were left unclaimed. Enter E.P. McGovern. He was tasked with moving the remaining bodies with a fee to be paid for each. So instead of moving them whole, he opted to hack up the remains so they'd fit into children's coffins, leaving McGovern a larger check to collect. Remains left over from this self-serving horror were found as late as the 1960s, and tales of strange apparitions in the park and the nearby Botanic Gardens continue today. Hotel Jerome Hotel Jerome is second to none when we talk about the spookiest and ghostliest places in Colorado. It offers a calm and luxury stay in the township of Aspen. It's famous for its exceptional blend of historical heritage and contemporary luxury. In 1880, the biggest silver nugget was extracted from the indigenous smuggler mine and subsequent to that, in 1889 the Aspen town was established on the top of that silver mine. The hotel kept on thriving with people until the mines became closed. After that, the hotel's space was refurbished to become the hot spot of the social life of the town. The hotel is rumored to have a boy's ghost who drowned and died in its swimming pool. It's said that the boy will appear randomly and just stare at the visitors. You think you're ready for that? The Stanley Hotel This place managed to freak out Stephen King, the veritable King of Scream, prompting the author to pen the novel The Shining after a one-night stay in the now infamous Room 217. Although the film version was not shot at the Stanley Hotel, a later mini-series was, and both versions of the frightening tale play on a non-stop loop in the rooms. Built in 1909, there are over a century's worth of ghost stories lingering in the halls here, including King's sighting of ghostly children playing in the halls. Ever since, guests have reported a variety of strange noises, unsettling presences, and even some mysterious figures caught on film. A pro tip for you here, chat with the staff if you get a chance to visit. Many of them have had their own close encounters that they are more than happy to share. Riverdale Road Sometimes referred to as the most haunted road in America, this small stretch of asphalt outside of Denver is the source of many a terrifying tale. Rusty metal gates were previously left behind from a mansion where a man supposedly became possessed by the devil before burning down the house and killing his family. This became known as the Gates of Hell, and although the structure is now gone, the paranormal activity there has not slowed down. It's also said that the road was built on Native American burial grounds and that it has been the site of many tragic accidents, reports of headless animals left behind, strange voices chanting, figures appearing and then disappearing from sight, and bloody hand prints spattered on signs have all been rumored in the area. The Broadmoor This sprawling five-star hotel has a lot to offer for anybody seeking a relaxing and indulgent getaway, but along with the golf course, spa and nearby zoo, there is one feature you won't find in any of their brochures. Staff and guests alike have reported the presence of a woman, often in the penthouse where Julia Penrose, co-founder of the property, once lived. While not confirmed, Penrose's death is said to have been surrounded by a strange occurrence in which she went missing and then was later found, confused and shaking in the woods nearby with no memory of how she got there. She passed away a week later, and perhaps her spirit remains, watching over the property and seeking answers about her own mysterious death. The Brown Palace Hotel For more than a century, the Brown Palace Hotel has been setting the standard for luxurious accommodations in Denver, Colorado. Not only is it a place steeped in history while modernized for today's travelers, but it is also said to play host to several other era spirits. Opened in 1892 by Henry Cords Brown, the hotel has never been closed, not even for a day, though it has undergone numerous renovations throughout the years. Brown originally left his Ohio home in 1860, planning on striking it rich in California. However, as his family passed through Denver, his wife liked it so much, she reportedly said to him, Mr. Brown, thou may press on to California if such be thy wish, I shall remain here. Making Denver their home, the Browns soon homesteaded 160 acres on what would later become known as Capitol Hill. A shrewd businessman, Brown developed the acreage into the most influential neighborhood in the city, where the wealthy began to build palatial brownstone mansions up and down Grant and Sherman streets. Henry made a fortune from his real estate development, however the economic panic of 1877 nearly destroyed him. He was forced to sell his palatial estate to Horace Tabor for $50,000, but the enterprising Brown soon recovered his fortune and by 1880 was worth nearly $5 million, making him one of the wealthiest men in Colorado. When the Windsor Hotel, one of Denver's most elegant at the time, would not let Brown enter because he was dressed in cowboy attire, Brown decided to build his own hotel and in the process outdo the Windsor. In 1888 he retained architect Frank E. Edbrook to design a new hotel, the likes of which had never before been seen in Denver. At a cost of an unprecedented $1.6 million, the luxury hotel was built in the Italian Renaissance style on a triangular lot at the intersection of 17th and Broadway. The exterior was built with Colorado's red granite and Arizona sandstone, complete with 26 hand-carved stone medallions each depicting a native Rocky Mountain animal. Made by James Whitehouse, the carvings can still be seen between the seventh floor windows on the hotel's exterior. Inside, the hotel featured the nation's first atrium lobby with balconies rising eight floors above the ground. While onyx and marble were imported for the lobby, the grand salon and the eighth floor ballroom and some $400,000 was spent in the fine furnishings that graced the hotel. On August 12, 1892, the hotel opened to the odd socialites of Denver who were stunned by the iron grillwork panels, the volume of onyx and marble, the stained glass ceiling at the top of the eight-story atrium, the fine furnishings and numerous amenities. Serving only the very best, the Brown Palace initially provided meat, vegetables, and cream from its own farms. It generated its own electricity, had its own incineration system for garbage, and its own artesian well to provide water. During the hotel's early days, it said that a tunnel once connected the Brown Palace with the Navara building across the street, a gambling den and brothel at the time. Over the years, the fabulous hotel has seen hundreds of celebrity guests from presidents to rock stars and has a wealth of stories ranging from prohibition raids to champion bulls having been displayed in its lobby to the birth of the Denver Broncos to, you got it, ghosts. One old legend is that of a Denver socialite who once lived in room 904 from 1940 to 1955. Later, when the hotel began to offer tours, the story of her life and heartbreak over a lost love were told to the visitors. Strangely, the switchboard suddenly began to receive calls from room 904, but this was impossible, as at the time the room was undergoing renovation. It had no furnishings, lights, carpet, or no telephone lines. Before long, the story was eliminated from the tour and the telephone calls from 904 stopped coming. The main hotel's dining room, called Ellington's Today, was once known as the San Marco Room, where big bands played and later the San Marco strings entertained the hotel's guests. One night, after an employee heard stream sounds coming from the room, he walked in to find a formally dressed string quartet practicing their music. Stunned, he said to the musicians, you're not supposed to be in here. Only to hear their nonchalant reply, oh, don't worry about us, we live here. The Museum of Colorado Prisons This building was originally a women's prison constructed in 1935, and it remains connected to a still operating prison today. Now, you can tour the site and learn more about its storied history. In fact, you might even get up close and personal with some of its former residents. People have reported orb sightings, distant voices, and other mysterious signs from beyond, including the lingering smell of tobacco. Perhaps some of these odd happenings can be traced back to some of the prison's notorious past inmates, including a convicted cannibal and a 12-year-old jailed for murder. The Hotel Colorado It doesn't take having a firm belief in the paranormal to recognize that the Hotel Colorado is weighed down by a grim and storied legacy. Opened in 1893, the hotel's design was modeled after opulent resorts that were common in Italy at the time. The Swanky Mountain Hotel had a bird sanctuary, Victorian garden, and in a weird precursor to another famous Colorado destination, a massive indoor waterfall. Some of the more outlandish and clichéd stories about this Glenwood Springs Hotel include a curse on the land from Native Americans who were displaced from the spot the hotel now stands on. Others predictably feature the ghosts of expired guests wandering the halls and making themselves known in mischievous ways. But the facts about Hotel Colorado's past are ghastly enough to take some accounts of paranormal activity seriously. During World War II, the building was converted into a Navy hospital, and dead soldiers were stored in the basement in a makeshift morgue. Since re-establishing itself as a hotel again after the war, visitors and staff frequently claim witnessing strange, unexplainable things all over the building, not just in the basement. Screams believed to emanate from a murdered chambermaid have been heard throughout the hotel. According to its Wikipedia page, the guest room where she was purportedly murdered is now used as a storage room due to an excess amount of paranormal activity. Other ghostly presences are so frequently seen, heard, felt and even smelt that they now have names. A ghost affectionately dubbed, Walter, is thought to make himself known to staff and guests through the scent of cigar smoke. Smoking, by the way, has not been allowed in the hotel for many years. The Patterson Hotel With charming brownstone facing and ornate storybook spires, at first glance the Patterson Inn looks like nothing more than a stately Capitol Hill mansion. Constructed in 1890, this building is one of the oldest in Denver and one of the most haunted, according to some. During the 1970s, the Patterson Inn underwent renovations which is when strange things began to occur around the property. Instruction crews were fed up after arriving at the hotel to see their work undone multiple times, so they brought in guard dogs to keep vandals away from the site overnight. The following morning, the dogs were found dead on the sidewalk. Construction workers at the scene believed that they had jumped from a third-floor window. Today, the mansion is known for converting paranormal skeptics into full-blown believers, as portrayed in the documentary film The Castle Project. While critics panned the documentary for playing up supernatural experiences and its palpable corniness, many believe that true and unexplained events are a regular occurrence at the Patterson Inn. I'll place a link to the trailer for The Castle Project in the show notes, and that trailer also includes a link to the DVD if you'd like to get it. And finally, a personal take from an author at legendsofamerica.com about her time at the Buffalo Ranch. I grew up at the Genesee Buffalo Ranch just west of Denver, Colorado. My father is still the caretaker of the ranch and lives in the two-story house built by the Patrick family in the 1860s. Heading west from Missouri, the Patricks, along with their five boys, built the house and operated a stage stop on Genesee Mountain. I remembered we moved into the house. A former caretaker lived in a house trailer in the backyard. His wife would not set foot in the main house because she saw strange things and said the house was haunted. When I was about 12, I remember a night when my mother was upstairs screaming hysterically as our dog barked loudly at the wall. My dad and I ran upstairs to see what the commotion was all about. When we arrived, she related that she had seen a floating, glowing green ball go down the hall and disappear through the wall. I slept with the covers over my head for the next several weeks. The next haunting came about six months later, a night that still feels as if it happened yesterday. As I was sleeping, my father woke me up and asked me if I could hear music in the house. Barely I could make out the faint sounds of a fiddle or violin. Dad had already checked all the radios and they were not turned on. We searched for the source of the music and went downstairs where you hear the music coming from the upper story and then vice versa. When we went outside, we could still hear the music coming from the house. We continued to hear the haunting music a couple more times that same year. A few years later, we received a book from a local historian describing the complete history of the house and the Patrick family, information that was unknown to us until we read the book. The first murder in Jefferson County happened in our front yard in the 1870s when one of the Patrick brothers shot and killed another brother in a dispute over a dog. The brother that he killed was known to be very lazy and the only thing he liked to do was sit around and play his fiddle. When I read this and remembered the fiddle music during those nights, a cold electric sweat ran through my body. We also found that the father of the boys is buried somewhere in the yard but there is no marker. The house has been peaceful now for several years and hopefully the Patrick's are now at peace. Up next, we will have a story from one of our weirdo family members when Weird Darkness returns. There is a knock at the door late at night. You answer it to find two small children standing there. You are suddenly filled with an inexplicable fear. Let us in, they say. We need to use the phone. It is at that point the fear turns to utter dread as you see that these kids have completely black eyes. The Black Eyed Kids is an exploration of this terrifying phenomenon using true stories of encounters with black eyed kids submitted to the My Haunted Life 2 website. G. Michael Vasey examines the evidence and investigates the terrifying black eyed kids phenomenon coming to some startling and shocking conclusions. Are they demonic soul-eaters responsible for the disappearance of some of the 90,000 Americans missing at any point in time? Or is this just another urban legend, another boogeyman designed to keep you awake at night? Listen to the book and find out. The Black Eyed Kids by G. Michael Vasey, narrated by Weird Darkness host Darren Marlar. Hear a free sample on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. This next story comes from one of our Weirdo family members who has chosen to remain anonymous. Here's their story. I'd like to start my story by saying that I love your podcast. Thank you for everything. Weird Darkness has really helped me in the last few months. This story is told in my mother's point of view. My daughter is three years old and she is very humorous but lately some weird things have been happening. One day, after her father left for work, I heard her talking. I didn't hear what she was saying but I asked her who she was talking to when she said, the man that looks like daddy. Then another time we walked by the chair in the living room, waved and said with a smile, oh hi. One day we had friends over and some books flew off the shelf in her room. We were all in the living room at the time. But those are all just strange incidences. One morning, as I go to wake her up, her bed is in the middle of her room, I mean exactly in the middle, perfectly centered, so of course I question her. I ask her if she moved her bed. Yes, how I ask but no answer. I'm confused. How would a scrawny little three-year-old move her entire bed from the corner of her room to the middle of it and so perfect, I ask myself. Why'd you move your bed? I ask her. The voice in the light, it told me to. That's when I realize her bed is directly under the light. At this point I've had enough, so I researched the house but there is nothing weird. No deaths, murders, suicides, or any reasoning for the place to be haunted. I'm 13 now and I've been really interested in the paranormal ever since I heard this story from my mom. Thanks for listening. If you like the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do. You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren at weirddarkness.com and you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the show's Weirdo's Facebook group on the Contact social page at WeirdDarkness.com. Also on the website, if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell, click on Tell Your Story. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. Death Revealed Their Secrets is by Damon Davis for Graveyard Shift. The Wise Woman of North Walsham is by Stacia Briggs and Seofra Connor for Eastern Daily Press. And Ghosts of Colorado was culled from legendsofamerica.com, uncovercolorado.com, and thrillist.com. Weird Darkness is a production of Marlar House Productions. And now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. Matthew 6 verses 26 and 27. Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life? And a final thought from Saint Jerome. Good, better, best. Never let it rest. So your good is better and your better is best. I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness. Hey Weirdos, our next Weirdo Watch Party is coming up fast. It's Friday, February 9th. The gruesome two-some of Graveyard Cinema, Horrible Henry and Mad Marty are presenting 1950s Quicksand, starring Mickey Rooney and Peter Laurie. In the film, a man takes $20 from his employer to go on a date, planning to replace the money the next day. But he falls increasingly into more disastrous circumstances and further in need of more money, and it spirals out of control. Join us Friday, February 9th for Quicksand. It's free to watch online, and you can chat along with the rest of us Weirdos as we watch the movie together. The show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain and 5 p.m. Pacific. You can watch a trailer for the film, and watch horror hosts and schlocky B-movies anytime, day or night, on the Weirdo Watch Party page at WeirdDarkness.com. 1950s Quicksand, starring Mickey Rooney and Peter Laurie. Friday, February 9th on the Weirdo Watch Party page. Strange and Macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com.