People will believe anything or maybe they love to project their own personal fears and beliefs onto things. When it comes to airports, none are mired more in conspiracy theories than the infamous Denver International Airport. It seems funny to cook up ruses around something as pedestrian as an airport, but when we look at its peculiar construction and history we can’t blame people for being a little creeped out.
Unable to beat back the conspiracists and tinfoil hats, the airport has completely embraced the rumors of lizard people and the demonic cabal supposedly hidden under the structure. From its “satanic” blue horse statue to rumors that it was built by the New World Order, here are the strangest theories folks believe about Denver International.
7. The gargoyles are satanic symbols
Gargoyles used to be a mainstay of Western architecture believed to protect from evil spirits but nowadays they’re more associated with gloomy castles and creepy monasteries. The gargoyles in the airport are a cheeky twist on the classic golems. You can spot the little horned demons poking out of luggage to greet passengers and guests alike. Of course, conspiracists say that the gargoyles are supposed to symbolize satanic tendencies. As a wisecrack, the airport installed a special animatronic talking gargoyle to really lean into the whole conspiracy biz. As you can see its little more than a light-hearted joke
6. The big blue horse statue, Mustang, is a cursed symbol of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Okay, so the gargoyle bit was cute but when it comes to Denver International’s other statue, the enormous horse “Blue Mustang”, aka “Blucifer” is downright terrifying. Nothing screams “safe travels” than a veiny blue demonic-looking horse with glowing red eyes and extremely detailed loins. But here’s the part where it gets even creepier. This horse statue actually killed its own creator.
Yep, it’s true. Artist Luis Jimenez died in 2006 when part of the 32 feet tall, 9,000-pound statue fell on his leg, severing an artery. The statue was then completed by his children but since his death, folks have claimed that the horse is cursed. And honestly, we can’t really blame people when it looks like that. Also given the Blucifer’s appearance, it’s no stretch of the imagination why some believe the horse is symbolic of the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. And as for the glowing red eyes, Jimenez also ran a neon shop.
5. The runways are shaped like a hate symbol
Now this one is a bit of a stretch but given all the other crazy imagery plus humans’ inherent ability to find patterns, this rumor isn’t all that surprising. If you view the airport from the air, the runways make the shape of a certain hate symbol from Germany circa 1933. It may look intentional, but the reasoning is perfectly logical given the issues the previous airport Stapleton International, had with parallel runways that were too close together and caused significant delays during bad weather.
The designers of Denver International avoided this problem altogether but in the process inadvertently arranged the runways into a rather questionable symbol.
4. The airport’s artwork reveals clues about the end of the world
On top of the nefariously shaped runways, gargoyles, and giant killer demon horse, DIA has even more disturbing imagery inside. Lining the walls of the airport you can find a variety of murals that many people would describe as “dystopian” or “apocalyptic.” Passerbys can find imagery of crying children, burning forests, caskets, and masked soldiers.
When isolated, the paintings look downright creepy like a page ripped out of the book of Revelation. But upon closer inspection, the mural, “In Peace and Harmony with Nature,” has a much more internationalist message. Alongside the disturbing imagery are panels depicting world peace, multiculturalism, and naturalism. When viewed as a whole, the piece resembles people overcoming war rather than succumbing to oblivion. It’s also not a bad idea to have such a global message at a bustling international airport that welcomes folks from all over the world.
3. The airport’s underground tunnels are secret bunkers
For being an airport, DIA has a lot of underground tunnels for some reason. One of these reasons is due to the airport’s tram system plus an elaborate automated underground baggage system that failed spectacularly. In fact, it was so bad that it caused the construction budget to balloon and delayed the airport’s opening for years.
Sounds pretty boring right? Well, to the conspiracists this is obviously a cover-up for a 120-mile underground tunnel that stretches from DIA to survival bunkers located within Cheyenne Mountain. Why Cheyenne Mountain? Because that’s where NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is situated.
So yes, there are tunnels under DIA but what sounds more plausible? Subterranean bunkers or an overbudget, failed baggage system?
2. Denver International has extraterrestrial coordinates
DIA is full of creepy coincidences and this might be the eeriest one…if it were true. In Steven Spielberg’s 1971 classic Close Encounters of The Third Kind, the aliens give the humans a set of coordinates at W104′ 44′ 30′ N40′ 36′ 10′. Legend has it these coordinates will direct you to where Denver International is located today.
If you look up the coordinates, this so-called “close encounter” is close-ish. Well, actually more like 51 miles northwest of DIA. It’s safe to say if aliens told you to meet at the Denver Airport and you used those coordinates you’d be late for your extraterrestrial rendezvous.
1. The airport was financed and built by the Illuminati/New World Order
Here it is, the granddaddy of conspiracies surrounding the airport. As the rumor goes, the airport’s network of tunnels and buried buildings (yes, there are for some reason buried buildings under the airport) are meant to house the Illuminati, New World Order, or whatever flavor of secret society you so wish. Theorists point to the Free Mason symbols that can be found throughout the airport, as well as DIA’s exorbitant price tag of $4.8 billion which was nearly $2 billion over budget.
Now casually going $2 billion over budget is no small feat. Conspiracists believe that a wealthy cabal of shady Illuminati financiers footed the bill, and in exchange get to use the airport as their hideout/doomsday bunker. Apparently, the airport was severely over budget due to bad planning, such as the failed baggage system, and a series of five buildings that were built incorrectly. Mysteriously, instead of simply demolishing the failed structures, construction crews were told to bury them under the ground with the tunnels. The reasoning behind this decision is a mystery to this day.
