Red Rocks’ Headless Chaperone

Some venues might be known for tough security, but how often do you hear about an ax-wielding ghost keeping concertgoers in check?

A recent Denver Examiner column explained the history behind the Headless Hatchet Lady, who reportedly haunts the grounds of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre searching for young lovers to disrupt.

Historian Tom Noel told the paper that some believe the woman is the ghost of Mrs. Johnson of the Johnson clan that homesteaded the area. Johnson, who was apparently concerned with keeping suitors away from her daughters, would pull a coat over her head and swing a hatchet to scare them away.

The Hatchet Lady has also been credited with disturbing modernization efforts at the venue, which was built in the 1930s, the Examiner reported.