Entry No. 16 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: haunted
Redstone Castle (Cleveholm Manor)
“Three-quarters of the furnishings never left. Neither, apparently, did Osgood.”
Coal baron John Osgood spent $2.5 million in 1902 on Cleveholm — 42 rooms of Tiffany light fixtures, Stickley woodwork, and gold-leaf ceilings built to impress his fellow barons of industry. Three-quarters of the furnishings never left. Neither, apparently, did Osgood: a longtime caretaker smelled his cigar smoke drifting from behind his closed bedroom door in an otherwise empty house, and winter guests in wife Alma's room report lilac perfume blooming out of season. One housekeeper saw a figure in Lady Bountiful's mirror and never went back.
The story
In 1902, coal baron John Osgood poured $2.5 million into the dirt of the Crystal River Valley to construct Cleveholm Manor—a 42-room Tudor-style fortress packed with Tiffany light fixtures, hand-carved Stickley woodwork, and actual gold leaf pasted across the ceilings. He built the compound strictly to flex on fellow captains of industry like J.P. Morgan and Theodore Roosevelt. While most Gilded Age monuments in Colorado were stripped bare by liquidators or converted into roadside attractions, three-quarters of Cleveholm's original turn-of-the-century furnishings never left the building, surviving intact through decades of quiet ownership, including a major restoration by historian Kenneth Johnson between 1974 and 2000.
Osgood died in 1926, but the lore around the hall suggests he never fully vacated his quarters. A former caretaker recounted sitting alone in the locked, empty mansion while the smell of fresh, heavy cigar smoke drifted directly out from behind Osgood’s locked bedroom door. Winter guests checking into his wife Alma’s room frequently report the sudden smell of sweet lilac perfume blooming out of nowhere in dead January, and one former housekeeper refused to ever return after catching a phantom figure staring back at her in Lady Bountiful’s mirror.
What it's like
Do not attempt to drive up the private lane above the Crystal River on a whim—you will be turned away at the gate, as Cleveholm operates as a boutique hotel and forbids casual wandering. Tour-goers meet in Redstone village (often shuttled from the lot near Propaganda Pie) and ride up together. You'll move strictly with a guide through the historic ground-floor rooms and upstairs corridors. Book your tickets weeks in advance, keep your hands off the original leather, and keep your nostrils open near the master bedroom door.
The move: Book the weekend guided tour, sniff for cigar smoke outside Osgood's bedroom door, then walk Redstone Boulevard past the beehive coke ovens his miners once fired.
📍 Before you go The castle sits a mile south of Redstone village at the far end of Redstone Boulevard, on private grounds above the Crystal River off Highway 133 — tour-goers park in the village and ride a shuttle (recently from the Propaganda Pie lot) rather than driving the private lane. Tours are guided-only and reservation-only, run seasonally, and sell out; the building doubles as a boutique hotel, so there is no casual wandering. Figure about two hours from Grand Junction via Glenwood Springs and Carbondale, and pair it with the row of beehive coke ovens at the village entrance.
- 📍 Redstone
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 58 Redstone Blvd, Redstone, CO 81623
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Redstone Coke Oven Historic District — Examine the grime-stained stone beehive ovens at the edge of the village to see where Osgood extracted the industrial wealth that funded his manor.
- Avalanche Ranch Hot Springs — Head five miles up the valley to warm up in tiered, spring-fed soaking pools overlooking the Crystal River after your cold manor tour.
- Marble Mill Site Park — Continue south along Highway 133 into Marble to wander the overgrown concrete footprint where stone for the Lincoln Memorial was sawed.
Good to know
How do I visit Redstone Castle if I am not staying at the hotel?
You must book a timed, seasonal guided tour in advance online. Casual drop-ins are not permitted on the private grounds.
Where do I park for the guided tour?
Tour guests park in Redstone village—frequently near the Propaganda Pie lot—and ride a shuttle van up to the castle grounds.
How far is Redstone Castle from Grand Junction?
Plan for about a two-hour drive from Grand Junction, traveling east via Glenwood Springs and Carbondale before heading south on Highway 133.
What specific haunted encounters are documented at Cleveholm?
Reports include unexplainable cigar smoke outside John Osgood's bedroom, winter lilac scents in Alma Osgood's room, and a housekeeper's sighting of a figure in a bedroom mirror.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia · uncovercolorado.com · colorado.com · legacy.com
last checked: 2026-06-11