Molly Brown House
The Unsinkable Molly Brown reportedly haunts her old home, as unsinkable in death as she was in life
Paranormal Reports at
The Molly Brown House
- The smell of J.J.'s pipe tobacco is frequently encountered throughout the house
- Lightbulbs are known to be unscrewed by unseen forces
- The apparition of Molly Brown is seen lingering through the halls
- Visitors report running into cold spots around the house
- Furniture is sometimes moved around without explanation
- Shadow figures are seen at times
- Unexplained eerie feelings are felt in certain rooms
The Molly Brown House’s
Unsinkable History
With its dark-colored wood stain, circular front balcony, and numerous watchful lion statues, the Molly Brown House looks just as regal as it does out of place.
The home has been an inviting example of Denver’s Gilded Age since before the Brown family could even afford to live there.
In their time, the Browns made as much of a mark on this old manor as they did on maritime history, a mark that still palpably lingers in the house-turned-museum.
Though it was once known as the House of Lions, you might be more likely to run into ghosts when you visit this museum today.
Timeline of Molly Brown House's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Molly Brown House through the years
1889
First built in 1889, the stately home on Pennsylvania Street in Denver was one of many opulent mansions in the neighborhood. The mansion was initially conceived by Isaac and Mary Large, a wealthy couple who made a fortune in Colorado silver mining. The Larges wanted to build a grand estate in Denver’s most wealthy neighborhood, Capitol Hill, and spared no expense. Some luxuries in the mansion included electric lights, central heat, and a telephone.
1894
An economic depression in the early 1890s devastated the silver industry, and forced the Large family to sell their new mansion. The mansion found its buyers, and its place in history, in 1894. That year, J.J. Brown and his wife, Molly, moved in. J.J. and Molly both came from humble beginnings, but J.J. made the couple a fortune in the mining industry. When they moved into the Capitol Hill mansion, the Browns were still new to high-society.
But, Molly was set on fitting in with the high class social circles in the neighborhood.
1909
As members of the ‘new rich’ of society, the Browns were often kept at arms length by other socialites. Molly worked hard to change that image, throwing lavish parties, studying languages and literature, and becoming a founding member of the Denver Women’s Club. While Molly happily explored high society, her relationship with J.J. cooled.
The couple formally separated in 1909. While Molly maintained residence at the Capitol Hill mansion after the split, she spent the next years traveling widely.
1912
After one of Molly’s many abroad trips in 1912, she sailed back to the United States from Cherbourg, France aboard the RMS Titanic. When Titanic sank en route, Molly became an overnight news sensation. Molly’s assistance during the disaster, and her support of survivors afterwards, turned her into a famous humanitarian figure, known as ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown.’ Molly didn’t let her new fame deter her from her travels, and continued exploring the world for years after the tragedy.
1922
In the years after the Titanic disaster, Molly traveled so often that her grand home on Capitol Hill was often rented out during her long absences. Her life continued this way until J.J.’s death in 1922. He had died without a will, and the years that followed were mired in conflict regarding ownership of his estate. Despite these issues, Molly Brown continued seeing the world and indulging in as many cultural experiences as possible, eventually passing away in New York in 1932.
1970
Through the 1930s, few people needed mansions like the Molly Brown House. So, future owners refitted the mansion into a boarding house. The home served boarders for decades, and briefly served as a Jane Addams Hull House for girls. But, by the 1960s, age was taking its toll on the manor. In 1970, a group of citizens petitioned to save the home. This group, Historic Denver, Inc., purchased the house and restored it. And through that restoration, they may have also revitalized the spirits of the Browns to haunt the historic home.
Is The Molly Brown House Haunted?
Historic Denver still owns the Molly Brown House today and runs tours daily with the home set up as an educational museum. Over its years as a museum, visitors and workers alike have shared stories that there is more of Molly Brown to see than just what’s in the exhibits.
From phantom smells to shadow figures, there are many reports of paranormal activity coming from the Molly Brown House. Is it possible she’s still stopping in, between her worldly afterlife travels?
Find Phantom Smoke Around the Home
One of the most commonly reported spiritual experiences at the Molly Brown House doesn’t relate to Molly Brown at all— but rather J.J.
Many visitors and tour guides report the unmistakable stench of pipe smoke wafting through the home. In life, J.J. was known to sit around the house smoking his pipe at all hours of the day. Now, he seems to have left a lasting, spiritual impression on the house, and so did Molly.
Molly’s Mysterious Figure
The apparition of Molly Brown is often seen around the house wearing a flowing Victorian dress. But some say Molly does much more than just appear around the mansion.
Sometimes, she decides to redecorate.
A few ghost stories at the Molly Brown House tell of mysteriously rearranged furniture in certain rooms, as if Molly moved things to her liking.
Along with that, there are several reports of lightbulbs being curiously unscrewed from their sockets. Other electrical fixtures have refused to turn on at all for unexplained reasons. Maybe Molly prefers gas lamps?
Feel Spiritual Chills at the Molly Brown House
Even when they’re not seen, or smelled, Molly and J.J. Brown still sometimes make their presences known at the Molly Brown House.
Strange, eerie feelings of being watched or not being alone are sometimes reported by tourists exploring the mansion. Other people occasionally report unexplainable chills and cold spots lingering in halls and doorways around the house.
Unknown Entities in the Mansion
While Molly and J.J. are the best known specters of the Molly Brown House, some wonder if they’re not alone in haunting the mansion. Some unknown shadow figures are sometimes seen wandering through halls and ducking around corners.
Other witnesses report seeing these shadowy forms in mirrors at the Molly Brown House. Additionally, there are reports of another ghost who often lingers around windows, raising and lowering blinds.
Molly Brown’s Haunted House
Today, the Molly Brown House remains a popular historic museum in Denver, dedicated to the storied life of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
While the museum remains largely focused on historic preservation and telling the tales in their exhibits, they can’t seem to escape their ghost stories.
The reports of hauntings at the Molly Brown House have become so common, the museum hosted a nighttime tour called “The Afterlife of Margaret Brown.”
While the occasional special tour caters to the home’s spookier side, the museum does not currently offer formal ghost tours or investigations. But maybe the Molly Brown House’s ghost stories will prove to be as unsinkable as their subject.
