One of Denver’s must-see attractions is the Denver Botanic Gardens. The garden is renowned for its exquisite and elegant design. It constantly ranks among one of the best botanical gardens in the United States. But there is a dark side to this oasis. The garden is connected to Cheesman Park, a well-known paranormal hot spot and former cemetery. Denver Botanic Gardens also served as a cemetery, and some spirits still linger today. And I get it, it’s a nice place.
From Cemetery to Denver Botanic Gardens
Originally the Botanic Gardens was Mount Calvary Cemetery which opened in 1865. It was the Catholic cemetery in the city of Denver. However, it was better maintained than City Cemetery, the cemetery Cheesman Park is now built on. It did eventually fall into disrepair. In 1950 the City of Denver bought the land to have it made into a botanical garden. Moving the deceased to Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge went more smoothly than relocating those buried in what is now Cheesman Park. But there were some hiccups. Workers did not bury some of the bodies where the records indicated. Workers unearthed remains in places where no one expected a corpse. Some sources say that the headstones were moved but not the bodies.
The Denver Botanic Gardens Opens
The Botanic Garden opened officially in 1958 on a 23-acre plot of land. Its most iconic feature is the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory which opened in 1966. It is my favorite place to go in winter when seasonal affective disorder gets me down. Also, edibles help. There is an amphitheater which hosts a summer concert series. If you want to be real obnoxious you can even get married there. That will prevent people who paid to be there from accessing certain parts of the garden.
As you can imagine moving all these graves and building a garden on bodies that weren’t removed has led to many hauntings. Most of the people working there today do not believe the gardens are haunted. However, they are willing to exploit the morbid past by hosting an event each October called Ghosts in the Gardens. The gardens are decorated in a spooky manner and you can talk to security guards that work the night shift. They will regale you with stories of their first-hand experiences with the paranormal.
The Hauntings At The Waring House
The most haunted place in the garden is the Waring House. Built in 1926 for Mr. Richard Crawford Campbell it sits on top of the former Mount Calvary Cemetery. The basement is quite deep, and builders unearthed many bodies while constructing the house. Mrs. Ruth Porter Waring purchased the house and donated it to the Denver Botanic Gardens in 1958. Currently, the house is used by the gardens as office space.
It is not open to the public except during Ghosts in the Gardens where spectators are allowed to access the first floor of the house. Some tragedies occurred within the house’s walls. At one point a married couple was living in the house and the wife died of a sickness. The husband died a short time later from a broken heart (barf). The couple is said to still occupy the house today. At another point in time a servants’ child was killed while playing in the house.
Security Guards Get Spooked
Security guards claim that the cellar door unlocks and opens itself. One guard claimed to watch furniture move itself. Which of all the “typical” hauntings and ghost shenanigans that one is super convenient. I never vacuum under the couch unless a poltergeist helps. The intercom system will activate on its own. Guests in the house have felt a hand grab their forearm, or something tug on their pant leg. Creepy, yes, the ghosts don’t seem to understand boundaries. No one knows which specter causes these occurrences. Is it the old couple, the young child or those buried in the cemetery? Who’s to say? But I’m sure we can all agree that the dude that died of a broken heart was a total weenie.
The Gardens Border Another Haunted Location
The west side of the garden is also a paranormal hotspot. That area of the garden borders Cheesman Park and is thought to be the cause of activity. At the end of every night, security needs to make sure that all guests have left. They do a sweep through the garden and clear people out. On many occasions they will finish, and head back to their office. Once there they see on cameras that someone is still walking around. They head to where they believe there is still a guest and are not able to find them. They radio back to the camera room to ask if someone has eyes on them but there is no sign of anyone.
Furthermore, no one will be seen leaving through the exit and no one can find the guest in question. This happens often, and people believe spirits wander the gardens. Guests say they captured tall, dark figures on camera.
For People Like Us, There's Ghosts In The Gardens
If you are going for ghosts the best time of year is during the Ghosts in the Gardens. During which the gardens close around 10:30 PM. I have been to the gardens in spring and summer to do some hunting. But the gardens close around dusk so it’s kind of hard to ghost hunt. Also, the staff is more open about the hauntings and their experiences during October, because you know, they want your money. Most of the staff I spoke with about the hauntings didn’t believe in ghosts. They even scoffed at me for coming to the gardens for ghost hunting.
I would recommend checking out the Denver Botanic Gardens if only because of how beautiful it is. Like I said, if you are heading there for the paranormal, October is the time to do it. It’s one of those places where if you do go for the ghosts, keep it on the down low. Staff might shoot you some dirty looks.
Happy Hunting.
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