36. Ridge Home Arvada CO

This week Zoe takes us to what's hidden beneath the bright lights of the Arvada Target lies a dark and disturbing past. Once known as the Colorado State Home and Training School—later the Ridge Home—this sprawling 310-acre institution opened in 1912 to house people with developmental disabilities. But behind its walls, conditions deteriorated into something far more sinister. Overcrowding, neglect, and disturbing reports of abuse and forced sterilization plagued the facility for decades. By the time it shut down in the early 1990s, Ridge Home had become a haunting symbol of forgotten souls and failed reform. Today, the site's modern shopping center stands atop the remnants of the old asylum—and locals still whisper about flickering lights, ghostly footsteps, and the lingering presence of those who never left.

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Episode Resources -

https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/western-history/dark-history-abandoned-institution

https://www.reddit.com/r/Denver/comments/94vy96/does_anyone_have_any_stories_about_the_ridge_home/

https://coloradoghosts.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/the-eerie-and-cool-history-of-arvadas-ridge-home/

https://kekbfm.com/colorado-ridge-home-history/