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Reported phenomena, as catalogued
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The 1901 Teller County Jail operated for 90 years before becoming a museum with documented paranormal activity
136 W Bennett Ave, Cripple Creek, CO 80813
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
General admission $5; free for children 6 and under. Paranormal events priced separately through third-party operators.
Access
Limited Access
Two-story brick building; stairs to upper cell blocks and catwalk
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1901 · Cripple Creek Historic District · National Historic Landmark District · Active county jail 1901-1992
By the late 1890s Cripple Creek's mining economy had produced the kind of wealth that attracted both legitimate commerce and criminal enterprise. The original jail facilities were inadequate for the caseload, and in 1901 Teller County constructed a purpose-built two-story brick facility on Bennett Avenue designed for durability. Its twelve cells were used to hold men, women, and juveniles awaiting trial at the adjacent courthouse.
The jail operated through multiple eras—the waning years of the gold boom, Prohibition, the Depression, and the mid-century decline of the mining economy. Cripple Creek's permanent population contracted from more than 30,000 at peak to a few thousand by the time gambling was legalized in 1991, which coincided with the jail's closure in 1992 after more than nine decades of continuous operation.
The building was converted to its current use as the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum, which preserves the original cell blocks along with exhibits on the lawmen and criminals of the Cripple Creek mining era. The museum is located in the Cripple Creek Historic District, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Incomplete official records from the operational years have made it difficult to establish a comprehensive account of deaths and serious incidents that occurred inside.
Sources
The Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum has accumulated a consistent paranormal record since conversion. Visitors and staff most commonly report phantom footsteps on the stairs—the sound of someone ascending or descending when the staircase is visibly empty. The cadence is described as deliberate, like a guard making rounds.
The apparition called Rosie is the facility's most specific ghost. Multiple witnesses across different visits have reported seeing the figure of a woman in her sleeping quarters—a room that served as the female jailer's quarters during the jail's operational years. The figure is described as watchful rather than threatening, and several investigators who have attempted EVP recordings in that room report anomalous audio responses.
The catwalk on the upper floor is treated as the jail's most unsettling area. Documentation of the facility's operational history includes at least one death that occurred there, and paranormal investigators conducting vigils on the catwalk describe heavy breathing with no identifiable source and localized cold spots distinct from the building's general temperature. A tall male figure in prison clothing has been reported near the rear cells. One investigator who made contact via EVP work claimed to reach an inmate who gave his name as Red and maintained he had been wrongfully convicted.
Notable Entities
Walk through the original 1901 Teller County Jail cell blocks, the catwalk where the facility's only recorded death occurred, and exhibits on Cripple Creek outlaws and lawmen. The two-story brick structure held men, women, and juveniles awaiting trial at the nearby courthouse.
The third-party Haunted Rooms America ghost hunt at the jail has no scheduled date right now; its listing describes an event from 8 PM to 2 AM. Participants investigate cell blocks, the catwalk, and Rosie's quarters with traditional and electronic paranormal equipment. Snacks provided. Ages 18+ only.
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This Cripple Creek tour includes Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum (Old Teller County Jail) on its route.
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