Hudson Honeybone, '26
Grounds and Theories:
With its enigmatic history and design, the Denver International Airport (DIA) has generated several conspiracies over the past few decades. From Reptilians to the Illuminati or even the New World Order, the Denver airport has been reported as the headquarters for all types of secret organizations with world domination plots. But, why Denver?
Erected in 1995, DIA covers more land than any other airport in the United States and falls only behind King Fahd International Airport, in Saudi Arabia, for the largest land area covered internationally. The airport roof features a circus tent design, resembling the Sydney Opera House in New South Wales, Australia.
A collection of ornate and eerie murals, titled “Children of The World Dream of Peace”, decorate the main terminal of the airport and have spawned countless theories over the years. Many theorists suppose that the murals foreshadow the global domination of the secretive fascist group the New World Order and depict the group’s tyrannical rule over what will remain of humanity. Painted by Hispanic artist Leo Tanguma, the first mural in the series portrays the horrors of war, featuring an ominous soldier surrounded by bombarded buildings and desperate children. Equipped with a gas mask, the soldier punctures a dove with its scimitar, symbolizing the absence of peace. A string of grieving parents and their wailing children lie in the wake of the soldier’s rampage. Some theorists connect the enigmatic soldier with the revival of Hitler’s Third Reich and Nazi Fascism, while typical airport-goers pass it off as a provocative anti-war piece, its original intention.
The second mural of the trio depicts a future consumed by climate change. It contains illustrations of dead animal herds and devastated crop fields, all compromised by rising global temperatures. The mural foretells the extinction of life on Earth, implying that even humans are not immune to the effects of global warming. Beneath the uninhabitable earth, several children lie dead in coffins, killed by the impending climate disaster. Looking upon their dead friends and burning world, children of various ethnicities carry expressions of shock and terror. Some, especially those in climate denial, interpret the mural as a portrayal of the rapture or global armageddon, rather than a depiction of climate doomsday. Others view this piece as a continuation of the first, which elaborates on the hostile takeover of the New World Order. No matter how you interpret the piece, it is undisputedly ominous and carries a bleak message.
The final mural delivers an empowering message of hope. The piece features a diverse crowd of people hailing from all reaches of the globe representing their respective nations with pride. Flashing a banner of peace, the crowd victoriously stands over the soldier featured in the first mural, symbolizing humanity overcoming our divisive and violent tendencies while defeating the environmental threat. Despite its wholesome conclusion, the mural collection nonetheless features some disturbing imagery and rightfully raises some questions under such conspiracies.
What's Up with the Runway?
The runway configuration of Denver International Airport has also spurred some seriously outlandish claims over the years. At first glance, the layout vaguely resembles the Nazi Swastika, leading theorists to label the airport a secret fascist headquarters. In reality, the design was implemented in order to prevent complete runway closure during inclement weather, of which Denver has no small share. With this design in mind, the
more radical theorists suggest that Hitler escaped to the Denver area following World War II, a claim easily debunked by Hitler’s suicide report. Still, the Swastika theory holds some warrant when looking at a severely oversimplified layout of DIA.
This is Some Serious BS
The dedication capstone of DIA, found near the entrance, contains an inscription of the Masonic emblem and lists the members of the airport's founding board: the New World Airport Commission. The FreeMasons, a fraternal organization hailing from the middle ages, have remained the target of conspiracy-theory junkies for decades, due to their enigmatic origins and jaded belief system. So, DIA’s association with the FreeMasons only amplified the flood of online conspiracies. What's more, many theorists have “exposed” the New World Airport Commission as a guise for the nefarious and nebulous New World Order, who allegedly operate secretly in DIA's underground tunnels. However, the New World Airport Commission certainly did exist, although only briefly, during the airport's early construction. Evidence of the commission's existence, in the form of archival documents, are housed in Denver’s Western History and Genealogy department. And these documents certainly do not indicate any connection to the Third Reich, nor do they outline global annihilation.
Pathogen Annihilation
In addition to the dedication capstone, a second “coded” inscription dots the terminal floors. The engraving features a minecart with the atomic symbols “Au” and “Ag” marked on the side, an allusion to the city’s mining history. However, amateur internet sleuths seize the opportunity to misconstrue the design as a reference to the mysterious “Australian Antigen”, a supposed lethal pathogen capable of eradicating humanity. Note that an antigen activates the immune system rather than compromising it, just one of many plot holes in this theory. It is worth mentioning that the Australian Antigen is an actual toxin, which is used to treat Hepatitis B; the antigen earned its name from the Australian Aborigines, the first humans to naturally carry the toxin. However, the Australian Antigen is certainly incapable of global extinction.
Who the Heck Even Comes Up With this?
Make your way to baggage claim, and you’ll stumble upon the Denver Gargoyles, inspired by the stone gargoyles of France’s Notre Dame Cathedral. Since gargoyles are generally associated with protection, it is quite simple to derive their intended purpose in the baggage claim area: to ensure your luggage arrives safely. However, this seemingly straightforward reasoning has not deterred conspirators from crafting an amalgamation of ludicrous theories. Some suspect that DIA and Notre Dame act as tandem operating centers for the Illuminati who plan to animate an army of petrified gargoyles and unleash them on humanity. They claim the Illuminati has linked the Cathedral and DIA with an elaborate system of underground tunnels stretching 4,881 miles across the Atlantic.
