Luxury Colorado Springs resort with 1920s-era phantom sightings
1 Lake Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Room rates start at approximately $322/night; varies by season and availability
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved resort complex at base of Cheyenne Mountain
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1918 · Prussian Count Pourtales Legacy · Spencer & Julie Penrose Philanthropy · Colorado Luxury Resort Pioneer · Original 1918 Main Building
The Broadmoor's history encompasses multiple layers of development and cultural transformation. The earliest chapter involves Count James Pourtales, a Prussian nobleman who ventured to the American West in the late 19th century to establish an estate catering to the burgeoning upper-class leisure market. Pourtales selected land adjacent to Cheyenne Lake, acquiring over 2,400 acres, and commissioned construction of a casino building designed to attract wealthy clientele.
In 1897, the original Pourtales casino mysteriously burned—accounts of the incident remain sparse in available historical records. Within a year, a new casino was constructed on or near the burned structure's footprint. This reconstruction suggested both Pourtales' commitment to the project and the economic viability of the leisure destination.
The property's transformation accelerated in 1918 when Colorado Springs philanthropists and entrepreneurs Spencer and Julie Penrose acquired the property and commissioned construction of the Broadmoor Hotel. The Penroses envisioned a world-class luxury resort rivaling the finest European establishments. The original Broadmoor Main building, completed in 1918, established the property's architectural character and prestige.
From 1918 through the mid-20th century, the Broadmoor functioned as a destination resort for wealthy travelers, celebrities, and dignitaries. The original building maintained its status as the resort's centerpiece and most historically significant structure.
Significant expansion occurred between 1961 and 2001, with additional buildings constructed to accommodate growing demand: Broadmoor South (1961), Broadmoor West, Lakeside Suites, and West Tower. These expansions increased room capacity from the original structure to the current 784 rooms across multiple buildings.
Contemporary operations showcase the resort as a comprehensive luxury destination: 20 restaurants and cafes, two championship golf courses, Five-Star Spa facilities, and extensive retail amenities. The resort maintains its historical significance while operating as a modern luxury hospitality enterprise.
Sources
The Broadmoor's paranormal reputation centers on a female apparition consistently described as wearing period clothing from the 1920s era. Hotel staff and occasional guests have independently reported observing this figure moving through the main building's corridors and near staircases, typically during late-night or early-morning hours when occupancy and foot traffic are minimal. The apparition is characterized as translucent or misty, visible in distinct detail but with qualities suggesting non-corporeal existence.
The leading theory attributes this manifestation to Countess Portales, wife of Count James Pourtales, the property's original developer in the 1890s. The Countess's connection to the property and its early history provides a potential source for the haunting, though documentary evidence substantiating this specific identification remains limited. Alternative theories attribute the apparition to Julie Penrose, the resort's co-founder and wife of Spencer Penrose, though the 1920s-era clothing description seems inconsistent with available photographic evidence of Julie Penrose from that period.
Accompanying the visual phenomena are reports of environmental anomalies: cold spots appearing in specific locations independent of HVAC system activity, lights switching on and off without intervention from building systems or visible human agency, and objects displaced from their original positions—glasses, books, or small items—within the apparition's observed locations.
The concentration of reports in the main building, particularly in corridors adjacent to guest rooms and staircases, suggests location-specific anchoring. No specific room number is consistently associated with the paranormal activity, suggesting either generalized haunting throughout the original structure or multiple distinct manifestations.
It is notable that the Broadmoor's management has made no official acknowledgment or documentation of paranormal activity. Staff reports remain anecdotal, transmitted through word-of-mouth rather than formal institutional record-keeping. No systematic paranormal investigation has been published, and the resort's official historical narratives do not reference supernatural phenomena.
The persistent nature of these reports—spanning decades and involving independent witnesses—suggests either genuine paranormal manifestation or a cultural haunting narrative that has become self-perpetuating within the employee community.
Notable Entities
Environmental data for this location is not yet available. Check back soon.
Experience the historic luxury resort established in 1918. The Broadmoor features 784 rooms across multiple buildings, 20 restaurants and lounges, world-class golf courses, and a Five-Star Spa. Stay in the original Broadmoor Main building or newer facilities while experiencing the resort's historic atmosphere and reported paranormal presence.
Tour the historic Broadmoor complex, established in 1918 by philanthropists Spencer and Julie Penrose. Walk through the iconic main building where paranormal sightings of a woman in 1920s-era clothing have been reported.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Colorado Springs, CO
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