Entry No. 78 — the Denver file — filed under: haunted
Historic Elitch Theatre
Everyone thinks 'Elitch' means the Six Flags coaster park on the Platte — almost no one knows the original 1890 theatre still stands by the old carousel in Highland. It was America's oldest summer-stock playhouse, hosted Colorado's first moving picture (Edison's Vitascope, 1896), and launched names like Grace Kelly and Vincent Price before going dark after its last show in 1991. It sat abandoned for three decades; a foundation finally brought live theatre back in 2024, and Mary Elitch's ghost is said to linger in her old viewing box. Catch it now while it's half-restored and barely on anyone's radar.
The story
If you ask a Denver local for directions to Elitch's, they will send you downtown to the concrete coaster park on the Platte. You didn't hear it from us, but that's not the real Elitch's. The original 1890 site is hiding behind a quiet pocket of modern patio homes in West Highland. In 1890, John and Mary Elitch turned a 16-acre farm into a green resort complete with bear pits, an ostrich hitched to Mary's cart, and a shingle-style open-air playhouse. When John died a year later, Mary took full control, making her the first woman in the world to own and operate a major amusement park and theater.
This octagonal wooden hall became the cradle of American summer stock theater. In 1896, Thomas Edison's Vitascope projected Colorado's first moving pictures right here. Teenager Douglas Fairbanks scrubbed the floorboards just to trade labor for theater tickets, and in 1951, a 21-year-old Grace Kelly received the Hollywood telegram offering her the star turn in High Noon while under contract on this exact stage. Hollywood icon Cecil B. DeMille sent telegrams to Denver every summer to wish the playhouse another successful run.
When the amusement park relocated downtown in 1994, developers demolished the wooden coasters, but local landmark status protected the theater. It sat dark, vandalized, and boarded up for three decades—surviving a 1995 arson attempt while new condo developments grew around its perimeter. A non-profit foundation stabilized the structure and returned live theater to the stage in 2024. Believers insist Mary Elitch never left, pointing to mysterious cold drafts and sightings around her original private viewing box.
What it's like
Arriving feels less like visiting a commercial venue and more like stumbling onto a historic relic preserved inside a quiet subdivision. You will turn south off 38th Avenue onto Tennyson and find the theatre tucked beside residential homes and the old carousel dome. You cannot walk in off the street on any random afternoon; doors unlock only for scheduled history tours, summer movie nights, and seasonal events like free Sunday lawn concerts. Inside, the auditorium retains a half-restored, authentic feel with raw wooden finishes and exposed rafters. Check historicelitchtheatre.org to secure a tour slot before heading over, as off-calendar visits leave you looking at locked gates.
The move: Take the immersive history tour through the faded-glory auditorium, or grab a free Sunday carousel concert on the lawn in summer — a quietly romantic, slightly spooky look at a landmark almost no local has actually set foot in.
📍 Before you go This is genuinely hard to find — the theatre is tucked into a residential pocket of newer condos and patio homes on the old Elitch Gardens grounds, not on a commercial strip, so it is easy to drive right past. From 38th Avenue, turn south onto Tennyson and look for the small lot near the carousel; you are among homes here, so keep it low-key. It is not a walk-in — you get inside only via scheduled tours, films, and seasonal events, weighted toward summer, so check the calendar ahead. Pair it with the adjacent old carousel dome and the Tennyson Street shops and breweries.
- 📍 Highland / West Highland (38th & Tennyson)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: Historic Elitch Theatre, 4593 W 38th Ave (38th & Tennyson, by the historic carousel), Denver, CO 80212
Hours: Not a daily walk-in venue; access via scheduled tours, films, and seasonal events. Free Sunday carousel concerts ran summer 2025 (e.g., June 15, July 13, Aug 10). Check historicelitchtheatre.org for the current calendar before going.
Pair it with
- Old Elitch Carousel Dome (with floor labyrinth) — Step directly from the theatre lawn to this 1926 twelve-sided pavilion where the original park carousel once turned.
- The Terrorium Shop — Pair a spooky theater tour with a short trip to this nearby Berkeley storefront filled with ethically preserved taxidermy and bone-art terrariums.
- Highland Park / Scottish Village Historic District — Continue your West Denver history trail by exploring the curving, non-grid streets of this nearby 1875 historic neighborhood.
- Alley Brews — Cap off an evening film or tour with a craft drink down an alley speakeasy hidden behind a Tennyson yoga studio.
Good to know
Can I tour the theatre on any weekday?
No. The theatre is not open for daily walk-ins. Access is strictly granted during scheduled history tours, summer film screenings, live shows, and seasonal community events.
Is this theatre located at the main Elitch Gardens amusement park?
No. This historic playhouse sits on the original 1890 park grounds at 38th and Tennyson in Highland. The amusement park moved to downtown Denver in 1994, leaving the theater structure behind.
Is the Historic Elitch Theatre haunted?
Local ghost stories and seasonal paranormal tours center on founder Mary Elitch Long, whose presence is said to haunt her original private viewing box inside the auditorium.
How much do the public history tours cost?
Public summer history tours run roughly 90 minutes and typically cost $15 per person, with reservations booked online in advance.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: denver7.com · Official site · Wikipedia · denvergazette.com
last checked: 2026-06-07