Entry No. 17 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: haunted
Black Monarch Hotel
A gothic Victorian hotel in the near-ghost-town of Victor — former casino, brothel, and saloon — with seven rooms themed after history's killers and monsters (H.H. Holmes, Elizabeth Báthory, Dracula, Jack the Ripper), antique taxidermy, black-everything decor, and a well-earned haunted reputation.
The story
In 1895, Victor was a booming gold rush settlement of nearly 20,000 people, and 301 Victor Avenue operated as the Monarch—a casino, saloon, and upscale gentlemen's club catering to miners making fortunes underground. After an 1899 fire leveled the town, the brick structure was rebuilt with 12-to-15-foot tin-plated ceilings, oak doors, and local legend that Nikola Tesla himself helped wire the building's alternating current during his stay in Colorado Springs. When the gold dried up, Victor collapsed into a semi-ghost town of roughly 400 residents, leaving the former brothel vacant for decades.
In 2019, the property re-opened as the Black Monarch Hotel. The renovation preserved the original hardwood floors, doors, and tin ceilings, but slathered the interior in black paint, antique taxidermy, skulls, and macabre curiosities. Seven guest rooms are explicitly themed around dark history and folklore—including H.H. Holmes (fitted with human anatomy prints and vintage medical gear), Elizabeth Báthory (featuring crimson walls and a velvet-encased bat), Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Black Annis, and Nikola Tesla.
You didn't hear it from us, but the only room not named after a killer—the Tesla room—is precisely where guests report the most uncanny late-night activity. Visitors repeatedly report hearing phantom laughter and the muffled din of a 100-person Wild West party echoing from the empty floor below at 3:00 AM, alongside sightings of a woman in the window. The hotel leans into every whisper of its haunted reputation while operating a coffee shop, hosting ghost tours, and running a saloon on booking.
What it's like
Arriving in tiny Victor feels like driving into a quiet, high-altitude mining outpost nearly two miles above sea level. You'll park for free along Victor Avenue or 3rd Street, step past the black exterior, and enter an environment packed with taxidermy mounts, anatomical prints, and Victorian curiosities. Everything here—from saloon tours to overnight stays—runs strictly on advance booking, so do not expect a standard 24-hour front desk. Victor is a quiet residential town after dark, meaning local dining options close early. If you're driving in between November and May, monitor road conditions carefully, as the winding mountain roads into town turn icy and muddy fast.
The move: Take the saloon or year-round ghost tour through the taxidermy-filled gothic rooms named after history's most notorious figures — or, if you're brave, book a night in the Lizzie Borden room.
📍 Before you go It's at 301 Victor Ave, right on the main drag of tiny Victor, roughly an hour southwest of Colorado Springs and about ten minutes downhill from Cripple Creek — pair the two for a full gold-camp day. Free street parking lines Victor Ave and 3rd St. The winding mountain approach turns icy or muddy in winter, so late spring through fall (roughly June–October) is the easiest window; check ahead anytime, since this is a tiny operation and tours, the bar, and overnight stays all run on booking. The morbid theming and saloon focus skew it adult — treat the surrounding near-ghost-town as the residential place it still is.
- 📍 Victor (old gold-mining town)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Victor, CO 80860 (see blackmonarchhotel.com)
Hours: ~1hr from Colorado Springs in Victor. Saloon tours & year-round ghost tours; bar and overnight stays. Check blackmonarchhotel.com for current tour times and bookings.
Pair it with
- The Rabbit Hole — Pair a night in Victor's serial-killer-themed hotel with dinner and flaming cocktails inside Colorado Springs' former city morgue.
- Shame & Regret — Follow up Victor's brothel history with an alleyway speakeasy pouring over 100 American whiskeys under low dark lighting.
- Shrunken Head Tiki Bar — Balance out the black wallpaper and taxidermy of a mountain ghost town with an underground tiki dungeon hidden in downtown Colorado Springs.
Good to know
Where is the Black Monarch Hotel located?
It sits at 301 Victor Ave in Victor, Colorado, roughly an hour southwest of Colorado Springs and ten minutes downhill from Cripple Creek.
What rooms can you book?
There are seven themed rooms: H.H. Holmes, Elizabeth Báthory, Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Black Annis, and Nikola Tesla.
Can you visit without staying overnight?
Yes, the hotel offers saloon tours and year-round ghost tours, and houses a coffee and gift shop on the first level, though tours and bar visits must be booked ahead.
When is the best time of year to visit?
June through October offers clear mountain roads. Winter approaches bring ice and mud along the winding high-altitude drives.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · 303magazine.com · uncovercolorado.com · theguardian.com
last checked: 2026-06-04