The Restless Dead of Cheesman Park
Denver's most beautiful park sits atop thousands of forgotten graves — and some say the former residents never left.
A Park Built on the Dead
Every evening, joggers circle the paths of Cheesman Park as the sun drops behind the Rockies. Dogs chase tennis balls across manicured lawns. Couples spread blankets for picnics near the neoclassical pavilion. It’s one of Denver’s most beloved green spaces.
Most of them have no idea they’re relaxing on top of thousands of human remains.
From Cemetery to Scandal
The land that became Cheesman Park was originally Mount Prospect Cemetery, established in 1858 as one of Denver’s first burial grounds. By the 1890s, the city had decided to convert the cemetery into a public park. Families were given ninety days to relocate their loved ones.
Many never came.
What happened next is one of the darkest chapters in Denver’s history. The city hired a contractor to move the remaining bodies. Instead of treating the dead with dignity, workers crammed remains into undersized coffins, broke apart skeletons to fit, and in many cases simply left bodies in the ground and moved empty boxes to the new cemetery.
When the scandal broke, the city halted the removal. An estimated two thousand bodies remain beneath the park to this day.
The Hauntings
Residents of the apartments and homes surrounding Cheesman Park have reported strange occurrences for over a century. The stories share common threads that are difficult to dismiss as coincidence.
Neighbors report seeing figures moving through the park after dark — translucent shapes that drift between the trees and vanish when approached. Others describe cold spots that appear suddenly on warm summer nights, always in the same locations.
One area near the park’s southeast corner is particularly active. Multiple residents have reported seeing a woman in white standing motionless among the trees, visible from their windows at night. By the time anyone goes outside to investigate, she’s gone.
What Lies Beneath
In 2010, construction crews working on a water line near the park’s edge unearthed several forgotten graves. The discovery confirmed what historians had long suspected: the full extent of the cemetery was never properly mapped, and remains extend well beyond the park’s official boundaries.
Ground-penetrating radar surveys conducted by local paranormal researchers have detected anomalies consistent with additional burial sites throughout the park. The city has been reluctant to conduct formal archaeological surveys, likely because of what they might find.
Visiting Cheesman Park
If you want to experience Cheesman Park’s eerie side for yourself, longtime investigators recommend visiting around dusk, particularly near the pavilion and the southeastern tree line. Bring a camera — several well-known photographs of unexplained phenomena have been captured at this location over the years.
Just remember: you’re standing on someone’s grave. Show respect, and they might show you something in return.