Who ya gonna call? Ghost Busters! Locations in Manitou Springs have been rumored to be haunted throughout the years by lost ghosts and the paranormal. However, it’s your choice if you believe it’s all a hoax or if there is some truth to the spirits dwelling in the Miramont Castle and the Briarhurst Manor.

I spoke to Margaret Johnson, who is in charge of the front desk at the Miramont Castle. This particular location is said to not necessarily be haunted in a malicious or frightening manner, but in a whimsical way.  Kindred spirits make their presence known in a quirky, but blissful, way. She went into detail regarding various paranormal experiences that she has personally encountered in the castle. Initially, the reason she became a “believer” in spirits was all because of a single experience when she was sitting alone at the front desk.  Orbs are balls of light in which spirits manifest themselves. They provide an outlet for the paranormal to be expressed. This thought, to her, struck an actual meaning because just then, the light started blinking as if acknowledging her. As she began to take photos of this peculiar incidence with her camera, two orbs, one blue and one white, started descending the staircase. As they set out going back up the stairs Margaret said, “You’re going so soon?” At that moment, the white orb made its way back down as if it had heard her and then followed the blue orb back up the stairs. In another incident, a little girl, ten years old, had visited the castle and was very set on not going on the tour. She said she was afraid because Miramont is said to be “haunted.” Margaret convinced her otherwise. She told the girl, “We have a whimsical castle.” The girl replied with, “What about ghosts?” Margaret said, “No ghosts here, darling; only a few friendly spirits.” The girl went through and came back to the front, rather than exiting where she was supposed to. She told Margaret she loved the castle and her mother proceeded to show a photo in agreement. The picture was of the little girl standing on the podium in the chapel with her arms outstretched to the sides. On one side was Jesus, the other side Mary, and a ball of light surrounded her. All things considered, it is your choice what you believe, but in your free time, take a chance to visit Miramont Castle. Be sure to bring your camera to try to capture some orbs or other spiritual appearances.  http://www.miramontcastle.org/

Janice Montoya has been working at the Briarhurst Manor for ten years and rarely has any paranormal experiences personally, but she’s still had many reports to share with me. One banquet night, in the ballroom, a vase flew off the table. No one had been standing near the table, nor was the wall possibly unstable. The wall behind the table, near the vase, was completely sturdy because rock was built up behind it; it was essentially built into a hill. Moreover, a little girl is reported to haunt the Briarhurst. She has strawberry-blonde hair worn in ringlets and is said to be about five years old.  For instance, a hostess working at the Briarhurst from 2004 to 2005 swore she saw this little girl bouncing a toy ball on the landing next to the formal restaurant. Since the employee got caught up in work, she didn’t ask anyone if it was their daughter. Later however, she asked her fellow workers if they knew who the girl belonged to, but their answer was quite a shock. They said that there was not a little girl in the restaurant that night. Paranormal, perhaps? She has also been rumored to be seen on the front lawn playing. On one strange occasion, some people went to the Cliffhouse restaurant and pointed out a picture with a girl in it. They swore that was the girl they saw playing on the front lawn at the Briarhurst. To their surprise, the photo they were looking at was from the 1800s and that girl was long gone. One early morning, a maintenance man mowing the lawn looked up to see a woman dressed in a Victorian dress. It was long with a high collar and her hair was held up in an old-fashioned style. As he approached her in fear, but high interest, she disappeared. This man refused to speak to the Ghost Hunters when they made a special visit to the Briarhurst. His reasoning was that he didn’t want to “stir up old dust.” Along those lines, don’t forget to watch the Ghost Hunters episode of the Briarhurst Manor to see what they discovered and that way, you can decide for yourself! If you’re interested in visiting, take a look at their official website! Perhaps you’ll experience the paranormal for yourself. http://www.briarhurstdining.com/

Conclusively, various students at Air Academy show an interest in haunted areas and would like to visit some accessible locations with supernatural activity. These two places provide an enticing atmosphere and are very close by to the Air Academy community. If you do decide to take a trip, be sure to bring your ghost hunting gear, such as audio recorders, video cameras, and most importantly, an open mind.