Colorado Springs is a small town that shares quite a lot with the titular setting of Gideon Falls. Disclaimer, all of this is mainly speculation as I think writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino put stuff together. All of it just happens to coalesce into a point where it closely matches despite anachronisms. Also obviously there are spoilers ahead so read with discretion.
What’s Gideon Falls?
Gideon Falls is the story of a barn in the titular setting as a source of evil. This Eldritchian barn has the power to influence a lot of people including the new priest and a man driven to repair it. An inventor by the name of Norton Sinclair used this barn as a place for one of his inventions; but in the process, he let in an other worldly evil. Now, a select few people have to try and solve the mystery surrounding this barn in order to prevent the evil from spreading. Apparently it already has to a few worlds based on different genres.
Why Colorado Springs?
It’s during these alternate reality (time?) travels that I notice a few landmarks that closely resemble Colorado Springs.
One picture has what looks like Monument Valley; while this place is on the border between Utah and Arizona, Colorado isn’t that far away. Besides, Monument Valley Park is still a pretty good place to see.
Also there are a number of other elements that suggest Gideon’s Falls connection.
Remember that inventor I mentioned, Norton Sinclair? Well he shares a few similarities to the real life mad scientist Nikola Telsa. Wouldn’t you know it but Tesla set up a laboratory in Colorado Springs. This Experimental Station remains today as a landmark for Tesla’s electrical experiments. Unlike Sinclair, Tesla’s experiments just advance radio technology.
Anything Else
The rest of my examples are more circumstantial than anything else.
Colorado Springs has a number of companies that make use of blimps. While they’re not quite the steampunk stuff you might see in Gideon Falls they are still a sight. A lot of people don’t use blimps anymore with advancements in drones. But for dryer climates full of open fields, blimps of varying sizes are still around. Which is more than I can say for the cyberpunk world of Gideon Falls.
Much like the rest of the world, Colorado Springs has its fair share of security advancements. From License Contracts, airports, and cybersecurity, a number of companies can put the fear of cyberpunk into people. But hey, blimps still play a role in that development so there’s that.
There’s also a number of British flags and buses around. Maybe that’s because of alternate British colonial eras. Or it could be a reference to the British food, maybe the swim school?
Is Gideon Falls Really Colorado Springs?
Hotels in Colorado Springs: Cheap hotels
| Hotel | Stars | Discount | Price before and discount | Select dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Broadmoor | ★★★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| The Mining Exchange, A Wyndham Grand Hotel & Spa | ★★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| The Antlers, A Wyndham Hotel | ★★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Best Western Plus Peak Vista Inn & Suites | ★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Spurs n Lace Bed & Breakfast Inn | ★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Mel Haven Motel | ★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Staybridge Suites Colorado Springs North, an IHG Hotel | ★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Colorado Springs Downtown Central, an IHG Hotel | ★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Hampton Inn & Suites Colorado Springs/I-25 South | ★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
| Radisson Hotel Colorado Springs | ★★★ | - | - | View hotel |
Gideon Falls surely does share quite a lot of similarities with Colorado Springs. But until I see a barn house that compels people to it, they’re all a coincidence. So what do you all think? Is there some kind of a connection to all this? Maybe a visit to this place to confirm?
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.