Have A Happy Halloween In Leadville

Rather not be here alone on a dark and stormy night? Check out these ways to join others to celebrate Halloween in Leadville:

• Halloween Express: Ride the Halloween Express with the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad–a 2 1/2 hour trick or treat special to delight the kids! (Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 26 & 27, 10 a.m.) For more fall fun, catch the Oktoberfest special ride, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.!
• Pumpkin Patch: Kids of all ages can celebrate with costumes, games, lunch, and adult beverages at FREIGHT (Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).
• Haunted Hills Races: Run or bike through the haunted woods at Colorado Mountain College Leadville. (Sunday, Oct. 27, 2 p.m.).
• Trick or Treat: Locals know the best places to go are downtown Leadville (4:30-5:30 p.m.) Halloween Trick or Treat Street (5-8 p.m.) and Trick or Treat at the Mining Museum (5-7 p.m.) (Thursday, Oct, 31).
• Halloween Hoppy Hour: Periodic Brewing is offering half off drafts for beer-lovers in costume! (Thursday, Oct. 31, 3 p.m.-9:30 p.m.).

HALLOWEEN PLACES TO VISIT

Evergreen Cemetery: If you’re feeling brave, walk through Evergreen Cemetery, which dates to the late 1800s. Look for the grave of a foot and an unrelated arm. See where Mrs. Alferd Packer is buried. (Mr. Packer was tried for cannibalism after his gold-seeking party became lost in the Rockies in the winter of 1874). Pay your respects at a monument to 10 people killed by an avalanche at the nearby Homestake Mine in 1885. The Leadville Heritage Guide tells more, starting on page 43.

Legendary Silver Dollar Saloon: The resident ghost at the historic Silver Dollar Saloon, opened in 1879, is a bit of a celebrity. Look for its photo on the wall in the back room.

East Side Mining District: Talk about a ghost town. Abandoned mines and hulking mining ruins from 100+ years ago are everywhere in the East Side Mining District just above Leadville. No doubt many ghosts from Leadville’s late 1800s silver mining boom days roam there too.

See the headframes, which look like gallows. Listen to the ore houses and other buildings creak in the wind. Walk or bike the Mineral Belt Trail (or fat bike if there’s snow), and read the interpretive signs to feel a chill from more than the mountain breeze. Imagine the abandoned mines that drip underground, the miners tunneling into the dark earth. Find the interpretive sign where the trail crosses Toledo Street, in California Gulch, and learn about the haunted mine beneath your feet. For more on the area’s shiver-inducing history, download a Heritage Guide.

Historic Lodging: Spend the night in a historic hotel, B&B, or vacation rental.