The Haunted History of Fort Collins
Fort Collins, a popular destination for tourists and Colorado locals alike is not just popular for its outdoor activities, proximity to the mountains, cute shops, and fun restaurants. It’s also a popular stop for, as they refer to themselves, ghost hunters. In 2019 Fort Collins ranked third place on the list of the United States’ most haunted cities.
While the list has fluctuated throughout the years, with more ghost activity coming up, obviously, Fort Collins still has plenty of ghost stories and supposed supernatural activity that is worth talking about.
Most residents of Fort Collins are familiar with the Avery House, having passed it while driving down W. Mountain Avenue, even if they weren’t quite sure what they were passing. The Avery family name is still very apparent in Fort Collins with the downtown Avery Block that wraps into the frequently visited Old Town Square. However, few are familiar with the haunted history of the family. More specifically, the haunted tales that creep from the Avery House.
Art Lizotte, one of the docents at the Avery House, spends a lot of time within the confines of the house walls giving tours and educating people on the history of the Avery family. However, Lizotte is a true skeptic of the ghost stories that roam the halls, or that don’t, he would say.
“I’ve never seen or heard anything like that here, nor have the other docents I know,” Lizotte said.
While it’s easy to tell ghost stories of people who have seen ghosts, it’s a lot harder making a story where the most ideal witness has never actually witnessed anything.
Built in 1879 by Frank Avery, the Avery House is now a museum that hosts visitors year-round on Saturdays and Sundays. While Lizotte may not be witness to any supernatural sightings, many other folks have reported an unhappy child’s spirit in the middle upstairs bedroom. Does this multitude of believers dispel Lizotte’s own experience? Not yet.
In 1890 Frank’s brother died in the home, a suspicious death that was later found to be murder by arsenic poisoning by his young wife. A young wife that just so happened to wed again twelve days later. Modern tenants and those who resided in the home before it became established as a museum have reported seeing a male figure roaming the home. Now, do these additional accounts prove the supernatural activity in the home despite Lizottes thoughts? Maybe.
Lizotte refuses to believe the place is haunted, feeling content and comforted in the home during his shifts. However, local paranormal investigator and ghost hunter based in Denver, Abigail O’Brien, is not so convinced by Lizotte’s account.
“Spirits don’t present themselves to everyone,” she said. “If someone is caring for the home and speaking on their behalf, why would they risk having that stop by potentially scaring them off?”
Lizotte does exactly that. Telling the tales of the late Avery family to anyone willing to listen and tour their past home.
Now, while the Avery House may still be up in the air about it’s haunted nature, Fort Collins has many other ghost stories that keep the paranormal enthusiasts happy.
Seth Hackman, a sophomore at Colorado State University, is convinced that a ghost haunted his dorm floor his freshman year.
“There was no one in the room and piano music would come from it,” he said. “I mean, what else could it have been?”
This isn’t the only story from Colorado State University to surface that calls to question the presence of ghosts on campus. Is it the last? Probably not.
Art Lizotte doesn’t believe in the hauntings. Do you?
