Denver International Airport, which is referred to as (DIA) by Denver locals, was ranked the sixth busiest airport in the world in 2023. The airport is among the primary economic drivers for the state of Colorado — and it’s the topic of many myths and legends.
In fact, conspiracy theories began even before construction started on the airport in 1989. According to the Denver Public Library, many believed that Denver didn’t even need a new airport, and that the project was a distraction designed to hide or disguise the construction of wicked structures.
Once the airport opened in 1995, the myths and legends continued. Here are five widespread conspiracy theories associated with Denver International Airport.
1. A Cursed Blue Mustang Guards The Airport
An eye-catching 32-foot, bright blue horse sculpture stands along the highway at the entrance to Denver International Airport, greeting motorists cruising in and out of the terminal. While “Mustang” is the artwork’s official name, Denverites dubbed the stallion “Blucifer” for its menacing appearance and the eerie fate of its creator, which has spurred some to believe the statue is cursed.
New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez died in 2006 while working on the sculpture, after a piece of the horse came loose and severed an artery in his leg. The late artist’s studio finished “Mustang,” whose glowing red eyes (LED flood lights) have caught the gaze of travelers since its installation in 2008.
2. The Runways Are Arranged In A Swastika Symbol
Diagrams of the airport’s runways show that they’re laid out in a pinwheel shape around the terminal and concourses, which architectural experts say allows the most efficient use of all the runways at once without overlap, and allows air traffic patterns to be adjusted easily in the case of bad weather.
However, conspiracy theorists think that the runways are laid out to form the disreputable swastika symbol in honor of what they call the “New World Order.”
MORE: Passengers can now make free security line reservations at some airports
3. Denver International Airport Was Built By Members Of Secret Societies
A granite marker at DEN’s south entrance dated March 19, 1994, features nods to the Freemasons (one of the largest and oldest fraternal secret societies), including its square and compasses symbol and the names of its lodges and grandmasters. Airport officials note that the mentions honor the Masonic lodges behind the airport’s stonework, while conspiracy theorists think otherwise.
A callout to a nonexistent group called the “New World Airport Commission” on the marker is another oddity that sparks rumors (it has similar wording to “New World Order”). But it could also reference a temporary commission created to curate the new airport’s opening celebrations.
4. There Are Secret Bunkers And Tunnels Underneath The Airport
To get to and from DEN’s gates, passengers and airport employees board trains that whiz through underground tunnels. But legends indicate that there’s more to the airport’s underground infrastructure than the eye can see. Some think there are miles of tunnels and a network of buildings and bunkers beneath the airport where secret societies (such as, again, the Freemasons) plan to spend the coming apocalypse.
5. The Airport’s Artwork Symbolizes An Impending Apocalypse
Two conspiracy theory–sparking works of art are located in DEN’s main terminal. These colorful murals by artist Leo Tanguma — “Children of the World Dream of Peace” and “In Peace and Harmony with Nature” — depict eye-catching scenes.
The former features a gas-masked soldier and children laying down weapons beneath a rainbow, while the latter depicts children mourning the death of three women and destruction via fire.
Descriptions of the pieces indicate that the artist intended to celebrate “peace prevailing over war” and the rehabilitation of nature, respectively. But there are theories that the murals contain clues about the end of the world and the threat of a totalitarian government.
These works are currently in storage due to construction on the airport and will return by the end of the Great Hall Construction Project.
