Spectral Ladies of Cripple Creek: Part Two
- Gail Conners
- Sep 16, 2025
- 2 min read
The Rose of Cripple Creek - Maggie's Story
The Fairley Brothers and Lampman Building has had many lives — a drug store, a millinery, medical offices, even a mortuary. Today, it houses the Colorado Grande Casino and Maggie’s Restaurant. But through all those changes, one constant remains: a presence named Maggie.
No one truly knows who Maggie was in life. Some whisper she may have been connected to the Fairley family, yet others believe she was simply drawn to the lively energy of the building. What is known is that she has become one of Cripple Creek’s most beloved spirits.
Maggie is often described as a young woman of about twenty-five. Witnesses report her in a white shirtwaist, a long cotton skirt, and high-heeled boots — sometimes with striking red hair, and sometimes with the faint suggestion of an Irish lilt when she sings. She is not a silent ghost. She is known to dance, to laugh, and even to make her presence known in modern ways: security cameras have caught her “playing the slots.”
Her appearances are often accompanied by roses — the scent of fresh flowers drifting through the air, or a sudden whiff of perfume in places where no one is wearing it. Guests and staff alike have also reported seeing a mysterious “amorphous blue light,” and many stories place her in Room 5.
Katherine Hartz, who once ran the Sarsaparilla Saloon in the building, is credited with naming her “Maggie.” Katherine herself had a friendly relationship with the spirit, and often spoke of her fondly. When Katherine passed away in 2021 at the remarkable age of 100, Maggie remained — a reminder that while people pass on, the stories of this building never truly leave.
Maggie is not a spirit of sorrow. She is playful, mischievous, and endearing — the rose of Cripple Creek. Whether she is dancing through the saloon, lighting up security monitors, or slipping into the perfume of roses, Maggie makes sure that Cripple Creek never forgets her.
Maggie has been here a long time. And she’s still here.
Upcoming Event: Join us on Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Outlaws and Lawmen Jail Museum in Cripple Creek, as we step into the haunted past of Cripple Creek. Whether you walk away with chills, curiosity, or comfort, you'll walk away with something.
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