Visitors to Durango are often intrigued by the legends surrounding the Strater Hotel Durango, making it a must-visit destination for those seeking a spooky experience in historic Colorado.

In historic downtown Durango, Colorado, stands a four-story red brick Victorian-era hotel. The Strater Hotel, built on the rail line, is a popular overnight destination for railroad buffs looking forward to riding the scenic Durango & Silverton narrow-gauge steam excursion train. You can easily walk from the hotel to the train station. I had the pleasure of being hosted by the hotel and railroad last year as the leaves were turning.

Fall foliage view from the Durango & Silverton excursion train. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Durango and Silverton Railroad and Strater Hotel Packages

Fall is an ideal time to take a Durango and Silverton Railroad trip. The temperatures are mild, and the leaves are turning. If you are lucky, you will hit the season just right to enjoy the fluttering golden aspens. Traveling first class is the way to go. Opt for a glass-domed car with narration and beverage service. You won’t be sorry. A stay at the historic Strater Hotel is often part of a first-class package tour.

Durango and Silverton Railway car with amazing views and comfy leather seating. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

Original white stone cornices and ornamental brickwork highlight the outside of this often-photographed hotel. Once inside, you will be transported back to the early days of Durango. The lobby and guestrooms are decorated with elegant Victorian antiques. The hotel has a rambling lobby and two bars, one of which, The Diamond Belle Saloon, offers ragtime music, costumed bartenders, and dance hall girls. Breakfast is served in an elegant dining room.

Ghost Stories of the Haunted Strater Hotel

No wonder such a stately hotel with a long history is also rumored to be home to some ghosts. According to HauntedPlaces.org the Strater Hotel, built directly on the railroad line in the late nineteenth century, is believed to be haunted by many apparitions, including railroad figures. People walking through the alley adjacent to the hotel have seen the ghostly figure of a man in a white shirt standing on the railroad tracks who vanishes suddenly. The other apparition often seen is a railway engineer in period clothing walking through the hotel lobby.

You might experience a ghost in this beautifully appointed lobby side room late at night. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

VoyageVixens.com counts the Strater as one of America’s 10 Most Haunted Hotels.  They report that guests and employees of the late 1880s hotel have reported encounters with the ghosts of a little girl, a man in a period dress, and a bar girl. The Strater is also included in Haunted Hotels of Southern Colorado. According to Voyage Vixens, the Strater Hotel has a “Ghost Diary” in each room. It’s said most of the sightings happen on the upper floor. The writer shared, “When we stayed there last winter, I took a picture of my room, and there was a ghostly blue orb that appeared on the bed’s wooden headboard – and I did NOT have the flash on! Spooky, indeed.”

Elegant antiques fill the Strater Hotel. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose

While a guest at The Strater Hotel, I was part of a small group of journalists. One of our group members had an experience that would raise the hair on the back of your neck. She went up to her 2nd-floor room after checking in. As was mine, her room was dark and decorated in period antiques. There was a portrait of a woman facing the bed. As the journalist unpacked, she had the unsettling feeling that she was being watched. She looked at the painting several times, and each time, she felt like the eyes were fixed on her…following her. Feeling increasingly anxious, the writer threw her clothes back into the suitcase and ran down the hall to a colleague’s room, banging on the door with her fists. The other writer was frightened after hearing the story and invited the shaken writer to spend the night in the extra bed in her room. The story was the topic of conversation the next morning.

Not knowing what was going on down the second floor, I slept well in my Eastlake-carved bed. I fell asleep looking up at the Victorian light fixture and decorated ceiling and the only thing I heard was the train whistle at dawn. Yes, the floors creaked, and I could hear guests late at night on the elegant open stairway, but I couldn’t say anything felt or sounded like a ghost. Had I ventured to read the room’s “Ghost Diary, “ I might have had a less comfortable night!

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Excursion packages combining an exciting Durango & Silverton steam railroad ride with a stay at The Strater Hotel are very popular. Photo by Elizabeth R. Rose

Visiting Durango, Colorado

The hotel is bustling in train season and is filled with busloads of tourists. The attentive staff ensures that guests and their luggage stay together and that everyone finds the dining room down a hall left of the lobby. While the Durango & Silverton Railroad has special runs and events year-round, perhaps in a less busy time, one will encounter signs of a Strater ghost when all is quiet.

You can fly directly into Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) from Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles in the busy summer months. The closest international airport to Durango is Albuquerque, NM (ABQ), which is about a 3.5-hour drive from Durango, Colorado.

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