Olde Town Ghost Stories

“My most remarkable tale dates back to 1989 when our building tragically burned down. Before that fateful event, there was a clandestine window that connected our establishment to the tavern next door. Through this discreet portal, the friendly folks at the tavern would slip us drinks as we toiled away. It seems one of the managers at that time tacitly approved of this arrangement.

 

However, fate took a strange turn. Shortly after the fire, that manager passed away, and when the new building emerged from the ashes, the secret window was lost to history. Yet, something peculiar began happening when we closed up shop for the night. In the quiet darkness, objects would inexplicably tumble, and we'd catch the faint echo of a voice, as if someone were right there in the store. The unmistakable clink of glasses added to the eerie atmosphere as if they were set on a table before us.

 

Among our staff, there's a widespread belief that this spectral presence is none other than the former manager, returning for a post-work drink from the afterlife.” - Steven, Current Owner of Arvada Army Navy Surplus

“When I first started at The Arvada Tavern everyone warned me that it was haunted. I was not so sure I believed them, I figured it was just another fabricated ghost story - mostly told for interest's sake. Over the course of nearly a decade, I encountered many spooky situations that turned me into a full-blown believer. 

 

There are a couple of theories as to who haunts the tavern. The first being a woman named Mable Gramm. She worked at The Arvada Tavern during some of its most formative years. When you visit the bar you will see photos of her hung up throughout. Because of her presence in the tavern's history, the ghost has been named Mable by the employees who encounter the spirit. The other theory is a man who had been fatally attacked at the front door of the tavern. The story that I have become familiar with goes as such - a man was out late and had not been honest about his whereabouts. His wife marched to the tavern to find him drinking, they got into a verbal altercation and she proceeded to stab him. I had read about it at one point and found out that he had not died at the bar itself but later that night in the hospital. Still, the story surrounding this incident definitely could be linked to the hauntings that occur today. I'm sure if the walls of The Arvada Tavern could talk there would be many more stories that could expose the true spirits that lurk within the establishment today, but all of us have settled on "Mable". 

 

Mable is an interesting ghost - she has never harmed anyone, but she is sure to make her presence known. She has been known to throw things off of shelves  - like the night a bartender was rushing to the walk-in fridge and as he stepped into the back room a can flew off the shelf at him (we joke if Mable doesn't like an employee she will throw things at them). Her shenanigans were sometimes even caught on camera - like the night a trash can was wobbling back and forth and no one was near. We noticed it out of the corner of our eyes and ran to the cameras to check the footage. Sure enough - the trash can was moving all on its own! OR when we came in to open up the bar one afternoon to find the water glasses had fallen off the top shelf. Sure enough, cameras revealed they had toppled over with no one around to push them. I've even heard from other former employees that they have heard their names called when no one was around! 

 

However, I would believe in the haunting of The Arvada Tavern even without all of this evidence. The place just has that "feeling". I find myself quickly turning my head as if something just passed by when I am sitting at the bar after hours, or running down as fast as I can when I'm upstairs alone. You'll just have to go in and feel it for yourself. Maybe Mable will make a believer of you too!” - Kelsey Past Employee at Arvada Tavern

​“After 19 years in the 1874 Victorian house located at 7401 Grandview, we have had many encounters with spirits, good and bad. Happy to say we no longer ‘allow’ any negative energies to be present!   

 

Some highlights from the past include a very intense time before I understood spirits or what some call ‘ghosts’.   

 

We had quite a few disturbances with lights going off and on which the neighbors reported because it was happening late at night, electronics going on and off and the worst, a guy who scared the daylights out of Aubrey and Carly. We were told his name was Rav who felt it was okay to sit next to the ladies when they were napping!  This character did leave at my request because he was not a friendly ghost.  

 

One of my favorites is a little lady that sits upstairs in a rocking chair.  I believe her name is Fern and she became attached to the house when Doctor Foster was alive.  Seems she was not able to have children but loves and admires children.   I most recently felt her in my treatment room wanting to play with Ellie, my granddaughter who was 2 at the time.  I let Fern know she can observe but not to scare Ellie.  She always behaves and is very welcome in our house. 

 

Another interesting spirit I call Benny, my bouncer has come to my rescue several times.  He is a very big guy that protects me and others by letting anyone posing a threat know who the boss is.  He has shown himself on many occasions, most notably several years back when three men decided to come in just before closing as I worked alone.  They were up to no good and I suddenly felt a rush of determination to get them out of my business.  I stood up and told them they needed to leave and they looked at me as if they saw a ghost as they ran out of the front door.  They did see Benny, my bouncer and never came back.” - Lori Current Owner of Eli Ashby Healing Arts Center and Carly’s Boutique

“We had a spiritual medium walk through the building with our owner Dani before we opened Clementine's in Olde Town Arvada.

 

The medium said that there is a feminist named Anna upstairs that hangs out on the stage and wears a petticoat, so she is likely from the late 1800's. She is funny and witty, and loves that this is a woman-owned business.

 

Then she interacted with Peter. He seems to stay downstairs. He wouldn't leave when we "saged" the building and it's because he's so connected to the building itself. The medium feels like he was part of the original construction team. He loves the building and wants to protect it. We told him he could stay as long as he stays out of trouble; and he walks that tight rope with us :) We leave a shot of whiskey out for him at the bar.

 

Employees and guests have heard a disembodied "hello" coming from downstairs when there is no one else in the building. One employee heard many voices in conversation, with no one there. Doors open or lock by themselves. And a construction contractor was shoved while on a ladder during our renovation.” - Nicole current General Manager

​“My name is Andrew and I was the General Manager of Kline's Beer Hall located at 7519 Grandview Ave in Olde Town Arvada, now Lady Nomada. The building is over 100 years old and while GM there I had a few experiences of the past that were in that building.

 

Many may not know but there is a basement there with 2 separate stairwells to access. Many a day I would be there before anyone else and do work to get ready for the day. On more than one occasion when downstairs I would hear the sound of someone running up the stairs very quickly, like they were running away from something. When I would check the cameras, I wouldn't see anything or anyone. I always heard that if you are friendly towards a spirit they won't try to do anything to you. So on this occasion I just shouted out 'Hey! Hope you are doing good!' Most of the rest of the morning by myself it was eerily quiet, until I then heard someone running across the dining room upstairs all the way from the front door to the back. That really scared me because there was nowhere for me to go. Again I looked at the cameras and saw nothing except an empty restaurant. It was at this point I went upstairs and turned on some music to have some sound going on. It was very strange and definitely left me uneasy knowing someone or something was inside and I couldn't see it.

 

A few months later I was upstairs doing my morning paperwork and I heard some pots and pans start clanging around in the kitchen. No one was there yet except me and I just shouted out, 'knock it off!' Kind of a joking matter but the clanging immediately stopped and it was quiet. That time was even creepier because as soon as I said something the sound stopped. Checking the camera again and again nothing. 

 

Other staff members told me they had similar sounds especially running up and down the stairs.  

 

Not sure what happened in that building but it's old and probably haunted but that's what's so cool about Olde Town, lots of history and stories to be told.” - Andrew Former General Manager of Kline’s Beer Hall, the building is now Lady Nomada

“The Grandview Tavern is Olde Town’s oldest two story building, originally built in 1898. Of course, a building this old has some stories to tell. Originally a hardware and grocery store, the building has been a bar since the ‘50’s. 

 

As detailed by the Westword, “...several regulars have captured orbs or whole ghost figures in pictures they have taken in the bar. One customer event had a selfie with a ghostly image in it. Another customer took a video one afternoon and panned across the nearly empty bar, only to see a figure walking through on camera, when no one was there”.  

 

Indeed, staff has often reported feeling an eerie presence late at night. While these spirits seem harmless, Alec Tyrrell (current owner with his wife Carolyn) noted that there are a number of staff who are always reluctant to go in the basement (especially if it entails grabbing anything from under the stairs), and others who simply refuse. The basement door has been known to slam close randomly, as if the spirits are lonely and looking for some long-term company.” - Anonymous

​“Built in 1882, School House has a rich history...of mysterious noises and shadowy apparitions!

 

On several occasions, employees in the basement have reported hearing obvious footsteps from the floors above, only to look at the security cameras and find that the building is empty.

 

There have been multiple incidents of managers hearing voices or someone walking down the hallway when they were completely alone in the building.

 

A couple of employees were standing at the host desk chatting late at night and heard voices coming from the upstairs Teacher's Lounge, while it was dark and closed. They both went up to look around and see if someone had snuck up there but the room was empty.

 

An employee reported seeing a shadowy figure bringing a bus tub back to the kitchen at the end of the night. He was so frightened that he ended up quitting the next week.

 

While the spirits mostly lurk in the shadows, a few sightings have happened. There's a lady that has been seen in the basement and a little girl that hangs out in the stairwell.  A server a long time ago asked why there was a little girl at the top of the stairs in the dark. 

 

Had a server that said they were sitting down at the server table in the basement rolling silverware and the entire pack of napkins just flew off the table against the wall behind her.

 

TV's and lights sometimes turn off and on randomly late at night. One of the managers reported that he closes the same way every night- following an exact routine. He turns off the lights in the same order, then goes outside and pulls on all of the doors from the outside to make sure they're locked on his way out...every time. One time, as he was pulling on the doors, every single light in the restaurant turned back on.

 

Strange noises and other ghostly incidents have been happening in the building for as long as anyone can remember. There is a small opening in the wall of the basement hallway. Within a year of School House opening, employees began leaving coins and other gifts in the opening to appease the ghosts.” - Audrey, Current Employee at School House Kitchen & Libations