Entry No. 15 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
Cheesman Park Pavilion & Its Buried Dead
“the bodies under your picnic blanket are real”
Cheesman Park looks like any leafy Denver green space, but it was the city's first cemetery — and when it was 'converted' to a park in the 1890s, the removal was botched so badly (corpses dismembered to fit child-sized coffins, the contractor fired mid-job) that an estimated 2,000+ unclaimed bodies were simply never dug up. The neoclassical marble pavilion, donated in 1909, sits directly on top of them. This isn't just legend: workers digging sprinkler and irrigation lines turned up actual skeletons in 2008 and again in 2010. Local lore claims standing on the west steps on a moonlit night reveals the old cemetery instead of the park — take that part as folklore, but the bodies under your picnic blanket are real.
The story
Cheesman Park looks like nothing more than a leafy Denver green space, but the ground under the picnic blankets tells a darker story. This was the city's first cemetery, and when Denver decided in the 1890s to “convert” it into a park, the exhumation went catastrophically wrong. The contractor, paid per body, is said to have had corpses dismembered so a single set of remains could fill several child-sized coffins — and to bill for each. The scheme was grisly enough that he was fired mid-job.
When the digging stopped, an estimated 2,000-plus unclaimed bodies were simply left in the ground. Then, in 1909, the city placed a neoclassical marble pavilion — all white columns and formal symmetry — directly on top of them. It's one of the most serene-looking spots in the city, built over one of its most unsettled.
This isn't only legend. Workers laying sprinkler and irrigation lines turned up actual human skeletons in 2008, and again in 2010. Local lore adds that standing on the pavilion's west steps on a moonlit night reveals the old cemetery in place of the park — treat that part as folklore, but the bodies beneath the grass are a matter of record.
What it's like
From most of the park it's simply beautiful — a wide lawn ringed by grand old homes, joggers looping the one-way drive, the white marble pavilion glowing at the center. The strangeness is entirely in what you know. Walk up at golden hour, when the light goes warm on the columns, spread a blanket on the steps, and the ordinary sunset picnic takes on a second layer the moment you tell the story of what's still underfoot. It's free, open, and unhurried — a slow, slightly morbid hang rather than a thrill.
The move: Bring a blanket and a flask at dusk, walk up to the marble pavilion, and tell the story of what's actually still under the grass — a free, slightly morbid sunset hang that beats any patio.
📍 Before you go The pavilion sits dead-center in Cheesman Park, in the residential Capitol Hill/Cheesman neighborhood east of downtown — aim for the 8th Ave & Williams St side and follow the one-way park drive that loops the green; the white marble columns are visible from across the lawn, so it's hard to miss. Park along the park road or on the leafy side streets (be considerate — homes ring the park). Golden hour to dusk is the move for the light on the marble; it's an open public park, so seasons and posted hours shift — check ahead. The old cemetery land continues east into the Denver Botanic Gardens (which directly borders the park) and Congress Park beyond, making an easy pairing before or after.
- 📍 Cheesman Park
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Cheesman Park Pavilion, 1599 E 8th Ave, Denver, CO 80218 (the marble neoclassical pavilion at the center of Cheesman Park)
Hours: Public park; Denver parks are generally open ~5am–11pm. Best at dusk/golden hour for the pavilion. Free, no ticket.
Pair it with
- The Learned Lemur — A cabinet-of-curiosities shop a few blocks over on the Hill — taxidermy, bones, and oddities that match the mood before or after the pavilion.
- Kilgore Books & Comics — A beloved Capitol Hill used-book and comics nook, close enough to fold into the same afternoon.
- Saint Germain Foundation "I AM" Sanctuary — Also in Capitol Hill, a metaphysical “I AM” sanctuary — keep the faintly otherworldly theme going.
- The 1Up Arcade Bar - Colfax — On nearby Colfax, a barcade full of vintage games — a livelier turn after a contemplative dusk in the park.
Good to know
Is Cheesman Park really built on a cemetery?
Yes. It was Denver's first cemetery, and when it was converted to a park in the 1890s an estimated 2,000+ bodies were never removed. The marble pavilion, added in 1909, sits directly over them — and construction crews unearthed human remains as recently as 2008 and 2010.
Is Cheesman Park free to visit?
Completely free. It's a public Denver park with no ticket or entrance fee, generally open from around 5am to 11pm. The pavilion is at the center and hard to miss.
Is Cheesman Park actually haunted?
That's up to you. The buried dead are documented fact; the ghost stories — including the tale that the old cemetery appears from the west steps on a moonlit night — are folklore. Either way it makes for an atmospheric dusk visit.
What's the best time to visit the pavilion?
Golden hour to dusk, when the light hits the white marble. Bring a blanket and settle on the pavilion steps for the sunset.
What else is nearby?
The old cemetery land runs east into the Denver Botanic Gardens, which borders the park, and Congress Park beyond that — so you can pair the pavilion with a garden stroll before or after.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · history.denverlibrary.org · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-06-07