The Crawford Hotel

Denver Union Station opened in 1881 as a collaboration between multiple railroad companies seeking to consolidate their operations. The original building served as the gateway to Denver for countless travelers, immigrants, and fortune-seekers heading to Colorado's mining camps and frontier settlements.

Union Station's glory days came in the early 20th century when rail travel was at its peak. The station bustled with activity 24 hours a day as trains arrived from and departed to destinations across the country. Well-dressed travelers passed through the grand waiting room. Families said tearful goodbyes and joyful hellos on the platforms. Businessmen rushed to catch connections. Immigrants arrived with everything they owned, hoping to build new lives in the West.

The building underwent a major redesign in 1914, emerging in the Beaux-Arts style that still characterizes it today. The addition of the iconic "Travel by Train" neon sign in the 1950s cemented Union Station's place as a Denver landmark.

But Union Station also witnessed tragedies. Travelers died of illness in the station, collapsing in the waiting room or arriving already sick, hoping to reach family or medical care. Train accidents occasionally brought the injured and dead to the station. During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, Union Station served as a distribution point for medical supplies and a waypoint for the sick and dying.

Soldiers passed through Union Station on their way to two World Wars. Some of those young men never returned, dying on distant battlefields. Those who did return often carried physical and psychological wounds. The station saw countless emotional partings as lovers and families separated, not knowing if they would ever see each other again.

As air travel replaced rail travel in the mid-20th century, Union Station declined. Passenger train service dwindled. The once-grand building fell into disrepair. By the 1980s and 1990s, Union Station was a shadow of its former glory - still functioning but tired, dirty, and serving far fewer passengers.

In 2012, a massive renovation project began, aimed at transforming Union Station into a modern transportation hub while preserving its historic character. The project included the creation of the Crawford Hotel in the upper floors of the station - spaces that had once served as offices for railroad companies and that had been largely unused for decades.

During the renovation, workers reported numerous strange occurrences. In areas that had been sealed off for decades, they heard footsteps and voices. Tools disappeared and reappeared in different locations. Some workers refused to work alone in certain areas, particularly at night, reporting an overwhelming sensation of being watched or followed.

One construction supervisor reported seeing a man in an old-fashioned railroad uniform standing on a closed-off platform. When the supervisor called out, the figure turned and walked away, vanishing around a corner. When the supervisor followed, no one was there, and the only exit was locked from the inside.

The Crawford Hotel opened in July 2014 to critical acclaim. Named after Denver's first mayor, William Crawford, the hotel incorporated historic elements of Union Station while providing modern luxury. Guest rooms featured historic arched windows, exposed brick, and design elements that honored the building's railroad heritage.

Almost immediately, guests and staff began reporting paranormal experiences. The phenomena were diverse but consistent - apparitions in period clothing, sounds of phantom trains, footsteps in empty hallways, and an overall sense that the building's past was still very much present.

Unlike some haunted hotels that try to hide or downplay their ghostly residents, the Crawford has acknowledged its haunted reputation, though management prefers to frame it as "historic character" rather than active hauntings. The hotel's connection to Union Station's long history gives the paranormal claims a certain credibility - with over 130 years of human activity, joy, sorrow, and tragedy, it would be surprising if some psychic residue didn't remain.

The Crawford Hotel's paranormal activity centers on residual hauntings from Union Station's past, with spirits that seem unaware of the building's modern transformation.

The most frequently reported spirits are figures in Victorian and early 20th-century traveling clothes, seen in various locations throughout the hotel:

The Man in the Waiting Position: Multiple guests have reported seeing a well-dressed man in a dark suit sitting in the hotel's public areas, particularly near windows overlooking the train platforms. He sits with perfect posture, hands folded, a traveling bag beside him, staring out the window as if watching for a train. When approached or observed for more than a few moments, he fades away.

The Woman with Luggage: A woman in a long dress and elaborate hat, carrying what appears to be a vintage suitcase, is seen walking through the hotel corridors. She moves purposefully, as if heading to catch a train, but when she reaches the end of a hallway, she simply vanishes. Some witnesses report hearing the sound of her footsteps and the scrape of her luggage on the floor even after she disappears.

The Soldier: A young man in what appears to be a World War I-era military uniform is occasionally seen in the hotel. He looks lost or confused, as if searching for someone. When witnesses try to approach or speak to him, he fades away. Some paranormal researchers believe he may be the spirit of a soldier who passed through Union Station on his way to war and whose spirit returned here, perhaps looking for family he left behind.

One of the most common paranormal experiences at the Crawford involves sounds:

Steam Whistle: Guests frequently report hearing a steam train whistle late at night - the distinctive sound of early 20th-century locomotives. The sound seems to come from the direction of the platforms, despite modern electric trains being much quieter.

Train Arrivals: The sound of a train pulling into the station - the hiss of steam, the squeal of brakes, the rumble of the engine - is reported by guests in rooms overlooking the platforms, particularly late at night when no trains are arriving.

Platform Sounds: Witnesses describe hearing the sounds of a busy train platform from past eras - conversations, footsteps, the clatter of luggage carts, conductors calling out destinations. These sounds are most often reported between midnight and 3 AM.

All Aboard: Several guests have reported hearing a conductor's voice calling "All aboard!" - the classic announcement that a train is about to depart. The voice is distinct and clear, but when guests look for the source, no one is there.

Certain rooms in the Crawford are more active than others, likely based on what these spaces were used for historically:

Former Office Spaces: Rooms that once served as railroad company offices report phenomena including:

• The sound of typewriters clicking
• Papers rustling when no windows are open
• The smell of pipe tobacco
• The sensation of someone working at a desk that's no longer there

Rooms Overlooking Platforms: These rooms experience the most dramatic paranormal activity:

• Full apparitions visible through windows
• Phantom train sounds
• The sensation of the building vibrating as if a train is pulling in (when no train is present)
• Guests waking to see someone standing at the window, watching the platforms

End Hallway Rooms: Rooms at the ends of corridors seem to experience more activity, possibly because these areas were once more isolated:

• Footsteps in the hallway outside
• Knocking on doors when no one is there
• The sound of doors opening and closing
• Temperature fluctuations

Union Station's grand hall, which serves as the entry to the Crawford Hotel, has its own paranormal activity:

The Lost Child: Staff and visitors report seeing a young child, usually described as a girl in old-fashioned clothing, in the grand hall. She appears to be looking for someone, wandering around the benches and looking at faces. When approached, she vanishes. Some believe she may be the spirit of a child who was separated from her family at the station.

The Businessman: A man in an early 20th-century business suit is seen crossing the grand hall with purpose, briefcase in hand. He walks from one side to the other as if heading to a specific train platform, then fades away midway across the room.

Emotional Imprints: Many visitors to the grand hall report sudden overwhelming emotions - sadness, anxiety, anticipation, joy - that seem to come from nowhere and fade quickly. These may be psychic impressions left by the intense emotions of countless travelers saying goodbye to loved ones or greeting family members after long separations.