- Secret Illuminati symbols hidden in plain sight,
underground tunnels that double
as bombproof layers for our reptilian overlords,
and a demonic looking blue stallion that..
well, actually did technically kill someone.
Oh, plus an Auntie Anne's Pretzels, yum!
The Denver International Airport
isn't just the biggest airport in the United States,
It's a hotbed for some of
the most batsh** bonkers conspiracy theories on the internet.
Make sure your seat backs and tray tables are
in their upright and locked positions,
and place your tinfoil hats securely on your heads.
February 28th, 1995,
The Denver International Airport officially opens.
At a sprawling 53 square miles,
it's America's largest airport,
but it's already raising dumb suspicions
among the dumb and suspicious.
The airport was years behind schedule, billions
of dollars over budget,
and some locals argue the Stapleton International Airport,
less than 16 miles away was perfectly fine
and did not need replacing.
It's almost like it was built for a reason..
you know, other than offering cheap flights to Bermuda.
By the mid 2000s, local papers report
some bubbling conspiracy theories around the airport
and by 2010 ex wrestler
and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura
stokes the fire with an episode
of his aptly titled truTV show, Conspiracy Theory.
Suddenly the conspiracies in the Mile High City
are more prominent than Peyton Manning's forehead.
Let's dig into some of the,
*ahem*
facts here.
Theory one: one of the most visible pieces of
"evidence" of something nefarious
at DIA is the runway itself.
From a bird's eye view believers contend
the pattern is a swastika, giving aliens
who are also Nazis? A clear sign
that something wicked lives beneath.
The truth: it's for weather related purposes.
Airport engineers contend the fan-shaped design
enables planes to take off and land against wind
from any direction.
Theory two:
visitors arriving by car might miss
the swastika runway,
but they'll definitely catch the 9,000 pound,
38 foot tall statue of a blue bucking stallion
with glowing red eyes,
symbolizing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The truth: while the statue is admittedly a little eerie,
Luis Jiménez, the artist behind Blue Mustang,
said the glowing red eyes pay homage
to his father who worked with neon signs
and it wasn't a tribute to Satan. But tragically,
while he was finishing the statue,
a piece broke off, severed an artery in his leg
and Jimenez died as a result.
Theory three: gothic gargoyles loom over
the baggage claim and even more unsettling,
murals with names like Children of the World Dream of Peace
depict Nazi-esque soldiers in gas masks
with machine guns and swords, eerily smiling children,
burning forests, and even a recreation of
a child's letter sent from Auschwitz.
All of this, allegedly, is meant
to contain clandestine messages messages alluding
to the Illuminati.
The truth:
The artwork is actually antiwar and pro-environment.
The mural's artist, Leo Tanguma, contends
these paintings tell a narrative of a world free
from war and environmental ruin.
Theory four:
there's a dedication plaque at one of
the airports entrances containing a vault
to be opened in 2094,
bearing the distinct symbol of the Freemasons
and alluding to the New World Airport Commission,
which ostensibly doesn't exist.
Believers point to this as proof that the Freemasons,
which is essentially a frat for old people,
but long rumored to be
a secret world controlling organization,
use the airport to help their global conquest.
The truth:
It's just a dumb time capsule, OK?
In reality, the time capsule has baseballs
from Coors Field, a pair of the mayor's sneakers
and other assorted,
incredibly innocuous Colorado-themed items.
And the Secret New World Airport Commission was just
the made up name of a group that helped plan
the opening ceremony of the airport.
Basically, a party planning committee.
Theory five:
Grainy cell phone footage featuring lizard people
and firsthand accounts by construction workers,
claim the airport has miles of secret underground tunnels,
which potentially connect to nearby military bases,
house a new Area 51
hiding evidence of alien life,
provide a bomb shelter for the super rich and elite,
or is a front for a secret nuclear launch site.
The truth:
the tunnels were for luggage.
The tunnels were simply designed to quickly move luggage
through the airport,
but some frisky employees have taken to drawing graffiti
of fake symbols and aliens on the walls,
or even dress like lizard people during public tours
to play into the theories.
And speaking of that, by the late 2010s,
the Denver Airport itself was in on the joke with
tongue-in-cheek ads that blamed renovations on
the many conspiracy theories we laid out above,
and the temporary installation of
a smartass animatronic gargoyle that chatted with tourists.
So we salute you Denver International Airport! For providing
the internet with a conspiracy theory that's silly in lieu
of world threatening and proving
that bored people waiting on layovers
have the best imagination.
The truth is out there in Denver..
and also so are some of the country's best beer bars.
Check them out on thrillist.com/denver, link in bio.
And always keep your eyes open.