If ghosts are on your mind this time of year, you are in good company at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD). You will find hauntingly good books in our collection and spirited fall programs like Spooky Stacks and Spooky Stroll-a-Story to put you in the seasonal mood. In addition to these offerings, we also have a few ghost stories of our own. Some of our Libraries are said to be haunted.
Palmer Lake Library
At Palmer Lake Library hangs a portrait of Lucretia Vaile, a Denver librarian who donated funds that went to the purchase of the building. Staff frequently observe the lights that illuminate the portrait flickering in the evening. The electrical system has been checked for shorts or bad bulbs, but none have been discovered. Perhaps Lucretia is still around enjoying the beautiful views.
Old Colorado City Library
With over 120 years of history under its roof, it may not come as a surprise that Old Colorado City Library is said to have a haunted basement. From time to time, night crews cleaning after hours have heard muffled conversations between two distinct voices floating up the stairs when nobody else should be around. When they investigate, the basement is always empty. Night crews have also mentioned experiencing strange sensations or seeing mysterious shadows moving through the brick-and-stone rooms downstairs.
Calhan Library
When you visit Calhan Library, you can see the whole building if you stand in the middle of the room. What you won’t see, however, is the mysterious force behind the unexplained happenings that staff frequently deal with. It isn’t uncommon for staff to hang flyers for upcoming Library programs only to find them on the floor when they come in the next morning. Clocks have also been known to regularly fall off of the wall, and the doorstop that holds the bathroom door shut occasionally flies into the air for no observable reason. Staff also often hear typing sounds coming from the printer kiosk when nobody is standing near it.
Penrose Library
Our historic newspaper archives reveal another mysterious happening at the Library District that has never been solved. In December 1976, The Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph published a story about shelving units in the lower level of Penrose Library that toppled over in the night. An entire section of bookshelves holding 30,000 books fell like dominos. Library staff were puzzled and had no explanation at the time of publication. With no follow-up story in the archives, we may never know if this was the work of vandals, an undiscovered problem with the shelving, or something otherworldly.