Ghosts of the Blake Street Vault

This is a story told best on a late October night by the fireplaces in the Blake Street Vault.

She has been called the 'brown ghost', the 'lady in red', and recently she was named Lydia by investigative ghost researchers. And although you might not be lucky enough to tour the basement of the Vault, and catch a glimpse of her in the shadows, her likeness rocks quietly above the front door.

According to legend, she's a saloon girl from the original 1860s establishment, one of the first built in Denver, a time when saloons, gambling rooms and houses of ill-repute were just beginning to flourish in this rough frontier town. As one of the early settlers wrote of Denver City, “…a nursery of almost every vice, a hot-bed of an unprincipled and dangerous sporting fraternity.”

Usually when the Vault is quiet and nearly empty, some have heard her walking across the old wooden saloon floors in high heels, and others catch a glimpse of her out the corner of their eye while walking down the stairs to the basement level.

No matter if or how you experience her, we respect the fact that this has been her residence for many years now. She is one of the few ghosts that peacefully inhabit our building.

We have been told other stories of a merchant marine who resides in the basement, and although this seems far-fetched for an Old West town, multiple bottles of 19th-century Ginger Ale from Belfast, Ireland were found in the basement excavations. These historic bottles and other artifacts can be viewed during a tour of the Vault.

Come visit the Blake Street Vault and experience the great food, unique drinks, genuine Colorado hospitality - and maybe catch a glimpse of our other-worldly friends.  Enjoy!