The Molly Brown House Museum

Posted: 10.06.2019 | Updated: 05.02.2025

What do the Titanic, Denver, Colorado, and a female philanthropist all have in common? All three of them are intertwined in the Molly Brown house located in Denver, Colorado. The Molly Brown House Museum holds a place of great historical significance in Colorado, and local, history. It is said that the original owner still walks the halls of her home today. If you travel out to Denver, a stop at the Molly Brown Museum should definitely be on your list of places to see.

The Molly Brown house sits at 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Denver, Colorado. Brown, a noted American philanthropist, activist, and socialite was also called “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” because she survived the sinking of the Titanic.

The museum is part of her former home and showcases exhibits that represent her life and that of Victorian Denver, as well as historic preservation. Brown’s House was listed on the National Register Of Historic Places in 1972.

But it holds another distinct honor of being one of the most haunted places in Denver. Read on to learn more!

Book a Denver ghost tour to see the Molly Brown House museum for yourself and the many other haunted houses scattered about Denver.

Is the Molly Brown House Haunted?

The Molly Brown House was left to deteriorate before being restored. Ever since, many people reported odd incidents at the Molly Brown House.

It has been reported that at times you can smell cigar smoke, said to be from J.J. Brown’s pipe . Smoking is not allowed in the museum, raising eyebrows from all who smell it.

Museum workers and tour guides also report that lightbulbs inexplicably become undone. In addition, museum staff have noted that the furniture in the Molly Brown house often gets rearranged.

It has also been noted that Molly and J.J. Brown, and other family members, can be seen or felt roaming the home. Staff and visitors report feeling spots in the house with a very strange and cold feeling to them.

History of the home

The Molly Brown house was constructed in the 1880s by an architect named William A. Lang. He incorporated several different popular styles architechture while building the home for its original owners, Isaac and Mary Large.

The Larges experienced financial difficulty when the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed and they ultimately had no choice but to sell their home. The house was purchased by Molly’s husband, James Joseph Brown, in 1894. He purchased the home for $30,000 and transferred the title to Margaret in 1898 due to bad health.

Margaret and her family traveled often and rented their house out. In 1902, the house was used as the Governor’s Mansion at the invitation of Molly Brown while the Governor’s Mansion was being remodeled.

Starting in 1926, Margaret turned their home into a boarding house and left it under the supervision of her housekeeper.  When Molly passed away in 1932, the home was sold. It was used as a rooming house for men, a Jane Addams Hull House settlement, and rooms and apartments for rent.

In the 1970s, the house had become so deteriorated that it was slated for demolition. Fortunately, a group of citizens formed Historic Denver and raised funds to restore the home. They used architectural research, paint chip analysis, and original photographs taken in 1910 as guides during reconstruction.

Who was Molly Brown?

Born Margaret Tobin, Molly lived in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri. Her husband, J.J. Brown was 12 years older than she was and was wealthy, having made his riches in Colorado mining.

Molly quickly became a notable figure in Denver’s high society. Although some in society did not appreciate her humble beginnings, she was a good person. However, her reputation in Denver was solidified after she miraculously survived the sinking of the Titanic.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Molly was alone n first class during the ship’s tragic maiden voyage. As things started to go horribly wrong that fateful night, Molly took action.  She personally assisted the crew in loading people into lifeboats before they convinced her to get in one.

Once at sea, Molly insisted that the lifeboat go back and search for any possible survivors. This happened despite the protestations of Quartermaster Robert Hitchens. Because of her bravery and selfless acts, her fellow lifeboat passengers christened her “The Unsinkable” and the nickname stuck. To this day, she is one of the Titanic’s most famous survivors.

Haunted Denver

There is much to do in Denver. There is skiing, hiking, shops and arts. It is a great area of the United States to visit. And if you dare, check out 1340 Pennsylvania Street.

Perhaps Molly Brown feels she can still do good deeds and help others? Or maybe she just loved her home so much that she hates to leave it? Either way it is worth taking a tour and seeing (hoping) that you can experience first-hand some of this paranormal activity. And as an added bonus, the entrance fee for the museum and tour goes towards the upkeep of the house. Surely Molly Brown would approve of that!

Book a Denver ghost tour with Denver Terrors to experience the most haunted places in Denver upfront and personal. Brush up on your haunted history on our blog before heading out. Afterwards, take a look at our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to dive even deeper into the world of the unknown!

Sources:

• https://mollybrown.org/
• https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/colorado/denver/haunted-molly-brown-house
• https://www.redfin.com/blog/3-real-denver-haunted-houses-you-can-visit-in-a-day/