The Haunted Honor Farm Spirit House

Posted: 10.15.2024 | Updated: 10.15.2024

Denver, Colorado. The Mile High City. It’s come a long way from its origins as a frontier mining town. A place for dreamers is now a dream in itself. 

But some things can’t be left behind. Denver also has a darker side, a place filled with broken dreams, lousy card playing, eager prostitutes, and death. These misdeeds have created a band of restless spirits who can’t seem to let go of their dream. Cursed with their failures, they are doomed to roam the streets, stately manors, and saloons they left behind.

Honor Farm Denver is one of those places. Today, it wears the mantle of the oldest bar in town and THE hotspot for paranormal activity in Denver.  

Come along with us on a journey into the macabre. Book a ghost tour with Denver Terrors, and we’ll make sure you leave with a thorough grasp of why Denver is one of the most haunted towns in America. 

Is Honor Farm The Most Haunted Bar In Denver?

The answer is definitely yes. In fact, Honor Farm Denver is generally considered one of the oldest and spookiest buildings in downtown Denver. There’s so much paranormal energy flying around the place that you can have your pick when it comes to the best way to get frightened out of your mind.

You Won’t Find This in Any History Book

The Honor Farm’s history is rather sordid. Originally built in 1853, it has seen its share of what would be considered  “inappropriate” behavior. That behavior dates back to the bar’s earliest days as the notorious Charles Eyser Saloon, which just so happens to have had the reputation as Denver's darkest brothel. Later known as the Blake Street Vault Bar, it evolved into Honor Farm Denver.

The old saloon was the kind of place you went in looking for trouble. Unfortunately, quite a few found just that. That could explain why many, living and dead, stuck around to even the score. The bar still sits at its famous, original location - 1526 Blake Street. That longevity might explain much of what goes on there.

Honor Farm has had a better go at it. They offer plenty of spirits (the kind you imbibe), no violence and murder, good food, and plain old supernatural fun. In fact, this spooky-chic bar is ideal for those who love a touch of the macabre with their burgers and drinks. The haunted spirit house is home to many ghosts who are undeniably present and dying to make your acquaintance.

With its unique decor and thrilling atmosphere, Honor Farm promises a night of fun and chills. Just watch out for the bartender with the handlebar mustache and bowler hat. 

The More, The Merrier

From the ghostly specters of prostitutes to cigar-smoking dead guys, Honor Farm has something for everybody. And we mean everybody. Its range of eerie specters and things that go bump in the night never leave staff or patrons bored.

The lingering echoes of tragedy and death are as much a part of the place as the spirits they serve.  

Purported hauntings date back to when they were a place of “questionable” morals. Gangsters. Gamblers. Down-on-their-luck miners. Sailors. Ladies of the night. No one was turned away. Now, they’re paying back all that brutal hospitality in the only way they know how  - by sticking around and scaring customers out of their minds. It would seem the supernatural way of closing their tab.

Take Your Pick

Regarding paranormal experiences at Honor Farm, you have your choice of encounters to get the blood pumping. Well almost. Spirits have an uncanny knack for showing up whenever and wherever they choose.

That being said, here’s a fantastic list of somewhat unnerving interactions you might be “lucky” enough, or unlucky enough, to experience at the Farm. 

Lydia the Siren of Sin

Within the walls of the Saloon, fallen women engaged in their trade amidst a backdrop of lawlessness and violence. The lingering echoes of their tragic ends still resonate as the spirits of those who met their fates continue to haunt the pub. Like Lydia. Once the most sought-after siren of the Charles Esyer Saloon, this old west courtesan’s life ended in a downward spiral. Her fatal trip down the stairs was at the hands of a drunken john, who couldn't exactly rise to the occasion. Now, in death, she revels in making herself known by creating night-time chaos in the bar. She tends to fling glasses around and eerily shift menus in her spectral domain - booth #3.

Tunnel Vision

Honor Farm conceals a sealed network of tunnels, a stark reminder of Prohibition, roaring tommy guns, and whiskey barrels. These covert passageways were the perfect way for less desirables to practice the illicit trade. Weave your way through this maze of confusing networks. The dark, dank atmosphere and feeling of unease will help you quickly understand their sinister purpose.

Vault Of Lost Souls

In 1889, Chicago's Union Foundry Works created a vault in the building. Little did they realize how it would later be used. This hidden chamber suffocated defiant prostitutes and entombed audacious thieves. Eerie screams for help can be heard from behind the heavy steel door.  Of course, there’s never anyone there.

The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

For 150 years, a land-locked mariner has haunted the Farm and Blake Street Vault's basement, where he died under mysterious circumstances in the mid-1800s. On windy nights, it’s said his thick Irish brogue can be faintly heard calling towards the ocean, which is a very long way away. Nearby, the remnants of a pair of authentic Irish Ginger Ales found by his body stand as a testament to his fate.

The Tall Man

When the new owners first explored the bar's basement, an unexplained cigar scent trailed them, mysteriously appearing and vanishing. Months later, a peculiar man, reminiscing about the old Blake Street Vault days and its phantoms, cryptically mentioned seeing 'the tall man in the hat.' Dismissing him as just another drunk, it was only when a manager spoke of the 'top hat ghost with the cigar' that a chilling realization struck. This was undeniably an encounter with the spectral. 

Haunted Denver

The dead never sleep in Denver. They just keep low, out of sight, invisible until the time comes for them to make their presence felt. In the case of Honor Farm, that’s a lot of presence. At Honor Farm, it could happen anytime, anywhere. And just when you least expect it. 

Journey into the world of the macabre by booking a ghost tour or haunted pub crawl with Denver Terrors. You’ll discover other haunted houses and businesses with a secret to share. It will be a night you won’t forget. That is - if you have the nerve.

Sources:

www.denver.org/about-denver/denver-history/early-denver-history/?gclsrc=aw.dsUt

www.honorfarmdenver.com/about

https://www.honorfarmdenver.com/deadinside

https://vibemap.com/places/honor-farm

http://www.hometodenver.com/1526_blakestreet.htm