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Photos courtesy Visit Denver

Before moving to Denver, the only thing I knew about the city was that I needed to avoid the airport. As an out-of-state student, this was, of course, impossible, as it’s the only way to fly back home for winter and summer breaks.

I specifically remember being told to keep an eye out for the blue stallion statue in front of the airport entrance that has glowing red eyes and is supposedly cursed—therefore, subjecting the entire airport to bad luck. But Blucifer is not the only conspiracy theory creeping around the Denver airport, or Denver as a whole, as I soon came to find out.

The city is home to many common misconceptions—ranging from the supernatural to the weather—and below we’ve gathered some of the most popular ones. Read on to find out what’s fact and what’s fable.

Myth #1: The supernatural and secret societies at DIA

Blucifer is just one of the myths about the Denver airport, but perhaps the creepiest. Word on the street is that imposing statue brings the airport eternal doom because he killed his creator.

This is, astonishingly, true! In 2006, while artist Luis Jimenez was working on the 32-foot fiberglass sculpture in his studio, a piece broke off and fell on him, pinning him against a beam and severing an artery in his leg. The statue was finished by his son, who created the eerie red eyes as a tribute to his father, who also owned a neon sign shop, according to the

But there are even more myths about this mysterious airport—from lizard people running around in underground tunnels to the role of the "New World" Illuminati in creating the airport.

Dr. Phil Chen, DU associate professor of political science, says that these more elaborate stories usually stem from much simpler stories: "The most boring explanation is almost always the true explanation."

As for the reptiles and secret pathways, Chen says that this myth largely comes from a now-defunct automated baggage claim system. People blamed the nonfunctioning system on a network of underground tunnels that were supposedly home to aliens or reptiles that were controlling global events. Others said the tunnels were serving as a secret bunker for the world’s elite to escape to when the apocalypse comes.

Speaking of elites, the illuminati myth is based on a dedication marker at the airport, which mentions the "New World Airport Commission"—a name suspiciously similar to the New World Order. However, this commission doesn’t actually exist outside the airport and, according to a was likely just a temporary group created for the airport’s opening festivities.

Myth #2: The sunniest city in America

Apart from an airport full of urban legends, Denver is also known for getting 300 days of sunshine a year. I heard this when I took a campus tour of DU and would hear about it again online whenever Denver popped up in a conversation.

Unfortunately, this is also false. Going back to the 1870s, this term was coined to improve the reputation of Colorado and to increase railroad travel, according to

However, Denver is still one of the sunniest cities in the U.S., receiving about 245 days of sun, compared to the —not to mention the "fair" and "partly sunny" days. Regardless of the exact number, what’s definitely true is that Denverites love to get outside and enjoy the rays whenever we can.

Myth #3: The ghosts of Cheesman Park

I first heard strange things about Cheesman Park after I moved to Denver and was looking for parks to explore.

It’s well known around town that Cheesman Park is haunted, and multiple internet communities recommend staying away from the park at night in order to avoid what lurks in the shadows.

This myth, like the DIA one, is unlikely to be true but is grounded in a bit of evidence.

Chen finds that this is a pattern among conspiracy theories or misinformation as a whole. He says, "You get these interesting pieces where, once a kind of a myth or a legend takes hold, real history and real facts can be used to supplement or affect that."

Cheesman Park, it turns out, is built on top of an The 160-acre cemetery was open from 1859 to 1890, when it had become run down and the city decided to turn it into a park. But first, they needed to move the more than 5,000 bodies buried there—which didn’t quite go as planned. You can read the rest of the sordid story here.

Myth #4: A mountain town full of hikers

For anyone who has ever visited Denver, this doesn’t need much explanation, but it was something I used to hear when I told my friends back home that I was going to college here.

No, Denver is not a mountain town, and no, not everyone hikes on the weekends. The city is about , and in the last five years, Colorado has actually experienced a But, for more casual hikes, there are lots of trails to choose from in the foothills, about 30-45 minutes from the DU campus.

Despite not being as close to the mountains as people think, the city still offers amazing views and a location that is perfectly situated in the middle between the great outdoors and a bustling downtown—the best of both worlds!

All in all, Denver is full of tall tales that locals population love to pass along. While some may worry about misinformation, the simple solution is to turn to reputable resources for the uncomplicated version of the story, Chen recommends. Most of these myths may be more fable than fact, but learning the history behind them is like being part of a citywide inside joke—and it’s one more way Denver’s sense of community shines through.