Those with an interest in the paranormal claim this Colorado park has a healthy population of ghosts, poltergeists, apparitions, and spirits. Join a group of investigators as they make contact with the afterlife at the location some claim was the inspiration for the movie 'Poltergeist.'

Today, people visit Denver's Cheesman Park to walk, picnic, and play with pets. Back in 1858 people would come to the same location to bury their dead. What is now Cheesman Park served as a Prospect Hill Cemetery from 1858 until the late 1880s.

Denver, Colorado's Cheesman Park

According to Uncover Colorado, Cheesman Park "..is the perfect peaceful retreat in urban Denver." The site adds, "The eighty-acre park is centered around a beautiful grassy lawn and overlooked by the neoclassic marble Cheesman Memorial."

This Park Was At One Time a Cemetery

Cheesman Park at 8th Avenue at Williams Street is known by many as one of the most haunted places in Denver. It seems this cemetery came and went in a fairly short amount of time. According to Legends of America, the park's history began in 1858 when General William Larimer jumped the claim of the St. Charles Town Company and established his own town, which he called Denver. In November 1858, Larimer set aside 320 acres for a cemetery.

Legends of America adds, "... the cemetery never gained the respect that Larimer intended for it to have. The influential citizens of Denver’s society were most often buried elsewhere, leaving the graveyard for burials of the poor, criminal, and diseased."

Fast Forward To The 1880s

By the late 1880s, the cemetery had fallen into disuse. It ultimately became something of an eyesore in what was rapidly becoming one of the most prestigious parts of Denver. Before long, real estate developers began to lobby for a park rather than an unused cemetery. According to Legends of America, Colorado Senator Teller persuaded the U.S. Congress to allow the old graveyard to be converted into a park. On January 25, 1890, Congress authorized the city to vacate Mt. Prospect. Teller quickly renamed the area "Congress Park."

What About The Bodies Of Those Buried At The Cemetery?

Legends of America reports families were given 90 days to remove and relocated the bodies of their loved ones. Those who could afford it did so. Remember, though, many of those buried at the cemetery were vagrants and convicted criminals.

When it came to the unclaimed bodies, in 1893 the City of Denver awarded a contract to undertaker E.P. McGovern. Efforts to remove the bodies began on March 14, 1893. What went wrong? Check out the video above for the backstory.

Here's Where Things Get Wonky

This is where everything goes sideways. It's also the part where the story begins to mirror the plot of the 1982 movie Poltergeist. For the record, we're talking about the 1982 Poltergeist, not the abomination of a remake that came out in 2015.

Thousands Of Bodies Left Behind

According to The Gazette, an investigation by CNN revealed that as many as 2,000 bodies might still remain buried beneath the park. That, of course, is a problem. What's also a problem would be that these bodies don’t always stay buried.

The Gazette adds it’s not at all uncommon for workers in the park to uncover bones and sometimes full skeletal remains. The Denver Post reports that four preserved skeletons were uncovered by people doing irrigation work in the park in 2010. In another incident, this one in 2008, two rows of coffins were uncovered by crews working near the adjacent Denver Botanic Gardens.

Recent Contact At Denver's Cheesman Park

Please check out the video above. It's a good investment of your 20 minutes. This video was published less than a week ago (April 1, 2023) by Paranormal Quest. Their Youtube profile reads:

We've been traveling the world and documenting our paranormal encounters for well over a decade here on YouTube. We've conducted paranormal investigations in some of the world's most haunted locations and documented them in full-length episodes here on our channel!

Thank you for your support and we hope you'll follow along on our quest to find proof of the afterlife.

What Technology Are They Using?

One of the devices featured in the video, the one that looks like a handheld radio circa 1978, is called a Spirit Box. These can be purchased at Amazon for a price between $94 and $180. According to Amazon, one such device, the SB7T Spirit Box Research Device with Ghost Augustine Flashlight, operates as follows:

The SB7 has been used on numerous paranormal TV shows giving proof that it can instantly transmit possible spirit voices. These EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena), typically express intelligence since they often call out things that identifies people present at the investigation or something that pertains to the investigation. Also, communications coming across typically co-relates to the known facts about that haunted site, such as specifics about the spirits there.

Another device utilized in the video, the short cylindrical object, is a REM POD. That will set you back $179.90 (or $17.42 per month with their easy payment plan). This device alerts the user of changes in the surrounding energy field. It will detect and alert for every +5F degree / -5F degree air temperature change around the pod.

Not An Unlikely Scenario

Let me repeat the one line above: According to The Gazette, an investigation by CNN revealed that as many as 2,000 bodies might still remain buried beneath the park. That's 2,000 souls abandoned, left behind with no one to mourn them. Personally, I believe the gentlemen in the video made an excellent effort to contact these spirits, hoping to assist them in finding peace.

NEXT: 5 Haunted Places In Colorado You Must Avoid At All Costs

There are a number of haunted locations in Colorado you dare not visit. Oddly, one is a popular tourist attraction, and another is a five-star hotel. Regardless, unless encounters with the dead are your cup of tea, these Colorado locations should be avoided.

The gallery below includes information and maps regarding five well-known places in Colorado known to experience paranormal events. The popular Youtube channel Top 5 Scary Videos offers a list of haunted Colorado locations you want to steer clear of, or go out of your way to visit if you enjoy the paranormal.

NEXT: Was a Ghost Spotted at the St. Regis Building in Grand Junction, Colorado?

The creepy still images from two surveillance videos clearly show a shadow lurking around the doorway of this room.

ONE MORE: Some of the Most Haunted Places Around Colorado

As we head into the fall and enjoy the area's hayrides and pumpkin patches, many Colorado ghost tours will be showing off some of the most haunted locations in our state. Scroll on to learn about some haunted Grand Junction locations along with some of the most popular haunted spots in all of Colorado.

More From Power 102.9 NoCo - KARS-FM