Leadville

The Delaware Hotel, standing at 700 Harrison Avenue in Leadville, Colorado, is the city’s last remaining grand hotel from the silver boom era and a proud centerpiece of the Leadville Historic District. Built by the Callaway brothers; William, George, and John from Delaware, it was completed in October 1886 and proudly named in honor of their home state.

Construction began in 1883 under architect George King, who embraced the ornate Second Empire style with its distinctive mansard roofs and elaborate decorative details. The 3 storied red brick building, which cost about $60,000, offered then modern luxuries: steam heating, hot and cold running water, gas lighting, and elegant public spaces. The ground floor housed thriving commercial businesses, including a long running dry goods store, while the upper floors provided guest rooms. It quickly became a symbol of Leadville’s transformation from a rough mining camp into a sophisticated “Cloud City.”During the town’s peak in the late 1880s and 1890s, the Delaware hosted newly rich miners, ambitious investors, and travelers drawn to the silver rush. It stood as a monument to the Callaway brothers’ vision of refined urban life amid the chaos of boomtown existence. The hotel survived the devastating silver crash of 1893 and continued operating through Leadville’s later mining revivals. Over the years, it welcomed a parade of notable figures, including the Guggenheims, “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, composer John Philip Sousa, magician Harry Houdini, Doc Holliday and according to local lore, even the outlaw Butch Cassidy. Some guests also claim connections to Baby Doe Tabor, though many of these associations blend verified history with enduring frontier legend.
The lower level operated as a dry goods store until 1980. Extensive renovations in 1992 transformed the entire building into a full service historic hotel with restaurants. Under new ownership in recent years, it has preserved its authentic Victorian character while adding modern comforts. Today, the Delaware remains a working hotel that has welcomed travelers for more than 130 years.
Like many structures from Leadville’s silver boom, the Delaware sits atop remnants of an old underground network. These tunnels, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were used for moving coal, supplies, silver, gold and other goods between buildings while avoiding harsh weather and street traffic. Local lore and visitor accounts describe passages beneath the hotel that once connected it to nearby businesses along Harrison Avenue, with some linked to Prohibition era smuggling of alcohol and discreet movement. Today, these tunnels are largely sealed, collapsed, or inaccessible for safety reasons, though there are basement access and sidewalk level remnants. They remain closed to the public but add significantly to the building’s mysterious atmosphere.
The Delaware has long earned a reputation as one of Colorado’s most haunted hotels, with multiple spirits reported by guests, staff, and paranormal investigators. The most famous is Mary Coffey. In 1899, while staying at the hotel (then called the Delaware Block), Mary and her husband Jerry endured years of marital strife. On November 3, Jerry shot her in the back twice in a jealous rage. Paralyzed from the waist down, she died three days later. In her dying declaration, Mary described the attack, while Jerry claimed she had “harassed the life out of me.” Today, her ghost is said to wander the halls keeping watch, with guests and staff reporting footsteps, apparitions, and a lingering female presence, especially in certain rooms and corridors. She is buried in nearby Evergreen Cemetery.
Other reported activity includes the spirits of the Callaway brothers themselves, along with various miners and boomtown residents from Leadville’s rowdy silver mining days. Guests and staff have described general hauntings throughout the building: unexplained noises echoing through the halls, objects moving on their own, sudden cold spots, and shadowy figures that appear and vanish. Some visitors experience particularly strong phenomena in specific rooms, including one tied to “Doc Holliday”.
The Delaware has earned a broader paranormal reputation as one of Leadville’s most haunted locations. It is frequently featured on local ghost tours and in books about haunted Colorado mining towns. Many say the activity intensifies after dark, when the historic building seems to come alive with the echoes of its turbulent past.
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And now that you have a brief history, allow me a moment to tell you about my experience at this magnificent hotel!
COMING SOON!