Est. 1874 · Built by Manitou Springs co-founder Dr. William Bell · Rebuilt 1888 after 1886 fire · Featured on SyFy Ghost Hunters Season 5 · Finalist in SyFy Great American Ghost Hunt
Dr. William Bell arrived in the American West in the early 1870s accompanying a survey expedition for a Kansas railway. He recognized the mineral springs at the foot of Pikes Peak as a potential resort destination and became a co-founder of Manitou Springs in 1872, the same year he began construction of Briarhurst as his summer estate.
The main house was finished by 1874, a Victorian manor of English character that reflected Bell's London origins. It stood for twelve years before a fire destroyed it in January 1886. Bell rebuilt; the family moved back in by 1888. They remained at Briarhurst for another two years before returning permanently to England in 1890. The property passed through several owners across the following decades.
By the time the building reopened as a fine-dining restaurant, the 14,000-square-foot manor had become one of the more celebrated dining destinations near Colorado Springs — known both for its setting and its reputation for paranormal activity. Chefs and servers described incidents consistent with the accounts that had circulated for decades: objects moving, unexplained sounds, a child seen running in the yard.
In December 2024, the restaurant closed when the building's owners announced a major renovation. In spring 2025, Wedgewood Weddings signed a 10-year lease and announced plans to reopen Briarhurst as an event and wedding venue by early 2026. The building is undergoing restoration while maintaining its Victorian architectural character.
Sources
- https://www.kktv.com/2025/01/11/historic-briarhurst-manor-estate-restaurant-manitou-springs-has-closed/
- https://www.syfy.com/ghost-hunters/season-5/blogs/episode-recap-rocky-mountain-hauntings
- https://www.visitcos.com/blog/ghosts-and-spirits/
- https://www.hauntedrockford.com/briarhurst-manor-in-manitou-springs-colorado/
ApparitionsDisembodied voicesObject movementChild apparition in yardUnexplained lightsUnexplained sounds
The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated Briarhurst Manor for SyFy's Ghost Hunters, with the episode airing December 16, 2014 as part of their 'Rocky Mountain Hauntings' episode. The team — Jason, Grant, Dave, Steve, Kris, and Amy — collected audio recordings in nearly each of the rooms they investigated, a density of evidence that led them to conclude the building was haunted. Briarhurst had also been a finalist in SyFy's Great American Ghost Hunt contest, which selected it through audience voting.
The apparition most often described by staff and visitors is Hyacinth Bell, daughter of the manor's builder. She has been seen as a red-haired child running through the yard and has been heard throughout the building — footsteps, laughter, doors moving. Several accounts describe the presence of multiple Bell children, consistent with a family that occupied the property during its most active years.
Two incidents from the restaurant era circulated widely among staff. A vase in the conservatory reportedly threw itself off the mantelpiece with enough force that it could not have simply fallen. Behind 1888-era wallpaper in a drawing room, a red substance was found bubbling and carrying a metallic smell; investigators attributed it to a cleaning agent that had migrated through the wall, though the accounts of its appearance preceded the diagnosis.
Disembodied female voices were recorded in the Palmer Room, and full-body apparitions were reported in the foyer. White lights appeared in corners and near the ceiling, captured in photographs taken during investigations. The building's history — twice occupied by the same family, gutted by fire, rebuilt — gives some basis for the layered quality of the reports.
Notable Entities
Hyacinth BellBell children
Media Appearances
- Ghost Hunters — Rocky Mountain Hauntings (TV, 2014)