Colorado's Real Paranormal Investigation Boom: TV Crews Hit Denver
Professional paranormal investigators are flocking to Denver, exploring haunted venues like former mortuaries turned restaurants. Real ghost hunting meets reality TV.
The Mile High City has become a magnet for professional paranormal investigators, with television crews descending on Denver’s most notoriously haunted locations. What was once the domain of amateur ghost hunters with EMF detectors has evolved into a sophisticated industry where reality TV meets real supernatural investigation.
Lights, Camera, Spirits
According to CBS News reports, paranormal investigators recently made headlines when they became the first team to conduct a formal investigation at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, a popular downtown Denver music venue with a particularly dark history. The building, originally constructed as a mortuary, has long been whispered about in local paranormal circles, but professional investigators had never been granted access—until now.
Denver7 reported that the investigation at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox was part of the team’s preparation for a television debut, marking a significant shift in how paranormal investigation is conducted in Colorado. The venue, housed in what was once the Riverside Funeral Home, has served as everything from a mortuary to a recording studio before its current incarnation as a music venue and restaurant.
98.5 KYGO covered the story as professional investigators brought sophisticated equipment to explore the venue’s reported supernatural activity. Unlike the casual ghost tours that have become popular tourist attractions, these investigations employ thermal imaging cameras, digital voice recorders, and electromagnetic field meters in systematic searches for evidence of paranormal activity.
Denver’s Reputation as a Paranormal Hotspot
The influx of professional investigators isn’t random. Denver has cultivated a reputation as one of Colorado’s most haunted cities, built on a foundation of documented historical tragedies and persistent eyewitness accounts. The Denver Gazette recently highlighted the Peabody-Whitehead Mansion as one of Denver’s “spookiest spots,” citing its history and the numerous unexplained incidents reported there over the decades.
KUSA reported on the growing popularity of ghost tours through Denver, with companies like Dark Side of Denver capitalizing on the city’s supernatural reputation. These tours visit locations with documented histories of tragedy and unexplained phenomena, from the Oxford Hotel to the Brown Palace, each carrying their own collection of reported encounters spanning decades.
The city’s paranormal credentials extend beyond just urban legends. Historical records from Denver’s early days document numerous tragedies—fires, murders, and untimely deaths—that have become the foundation for many modern ghost stories. The Colorado State Archives contain newspaper reports from the late 1800s and early 1900s describing unexplained incidents that mirror contemporary paranormal accounts.
The Professional Investigation Boom
What distinguishes today’s paranormal investigations from their amateur predecessors is the level of professionalism and documentation involved. Teams working on television projects must meet production standards that require systematic methodology, multiple witnesses, and extensive documentation of their findings.
The investigation at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox represents a new model where venues actively cooperate with investigators, recognizing both the marketing value and the legitimate historical research these investigations can provide. Restaurant and venue owners have reported that paranormal investigations often uncover forgotten aspects of their buildings’ histories, sometimes revealing previously unknown details about past occupants or events.
This professional approach has attracted investigators from outside Colorado, drawn by the state’s combination of well-documented haunted locations and cooperative venue owners. The investigations often involve teams of specialists—historians, audio technicians, and electromagnetic field experts—working together to create comprehensive documentation of reported phenomena.
Beyond Denver: Colorado’s Broader Paranormal Landscape
While Denver serves as the hub for professional paranormal investigation, Colorado’s reputation extends far beyond the city limits. According to Stacker’s analysis of UFO sighting data, Colorado ranks among the top states for unexplained aerial phenomena, with multiple cities reporting significant numbers of UFO encounters over the decades.
The San Luis Valley, as documented by Uncover Colorado, has maintained a particularly strong reputation for UFO sightings spanning several decades. The area’s remote location and clear skies have made it a focal point for both amateur and professional investigators studying unexplained aerial phenomena.
The Denver Gazette reported on compelling UFO footage captured above Colorado, including a seven-minute video that investigators described as particularly noteworthy. These incidents contribute to Colorado’s reputation as a state where unexplained phenomena are taken seriously and documented carefully.
The Entertainment Factor
The intersection of paranormal investigation and entertainment has created new opportunities for both venue owners and investigators. Television producers are drawn to Colorado locations because of their documented histories and the willingness of property owners to participate in investigations.
However, this entertainment aspect raises questions about the balance between serious investigation and television drama. Professional investigators working on TV projects must navigate the tension between creating engaging content and maintaining investigative integrity. The most successful programs appear to be those that treat the subject matter seriously while acknowledging the entertainment value of the unknown.
What This Means for Colorado’s Paranormal Future
The current boom in professional paranormal investigation suggests that Colorado’s reputation as a supernatural hotspot is likely to continue growing. As more venues open their doors to investigators and television crews document their findings, the state’s collection of paranormal locations may expand from local legends to nationally recognized haunted destinations.
The professional approach also means that future investigations will likely produce more systematic documentation of reported phenomena. Whether this leads to definitive evidence of supernatural activity or simply better documentation of psychological and environmental factors remains to be seen.
What seems certain is that Colorado’s combination of documented historical tragedies, cooperative venue owners, and spectacular natural settings will continue to attract both professional investigators and curious visitors. The Mile High City’s elevation may not be the only thing that sets it apart—its growing reputation as a center for serious paranormal investigation is establishing Denver as a destination for those seeking encounters with the unexplained.
As television crews pack up their equipment and investigators analyze their findings, one thing remains clear: Colorado’s paranormal investigation boom shows no signs of slowing down. Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or simply curious about the unknown, the professional approach to paranormal investigation in Denver offers a fascinating glimpse into how modern technology and traditional ghost stories intersect in the 21st century.