Denver International Airport Installs Talking Gargoyle as a Nod to Conspiracy Theories

The scariest parts of most airports are the long security lines and baggage fees. At the Denver International Airport in Colorado, travelers are also confronted with disturbing art, strange markers on the ground, and a demonic horse statue that killed its creator (no, really). These quirks have given rise to conspiracy theories that the airport is a center of illuminati activity, and now Denver International is leaning into these rumors with a new gargoyle that talks to customers, the Denver Post reports.

Gargoyles are traditionally thought to protect buildings, and Denver already had gargoyles stationed in its baggage claim areas to ensure the "safe arrival of baggage." Like those statues, the new gargoyle, installed in the airport's concourse in honor of its 24th anniversary on February 28, looks like a normal stone statue from far away. But when guests approach it, it comes to life, reacting to their comments and holding conversations with them in real time.

As the video below shows, the wise-cracking character didn't avoid bringing up the airport's reputation. "Welcome to Illuminati Headquarters … I mean, Denver International Airport," he tells one passerby. He also says he's 243 years old, and the first Illuminati met in Bavaria in 1776, 243 years ago.

The gargoyle is part of a larger campaign from the airport that embraces the conspiracy theories surrounding it. Last year, Denver International hung posters referencing aliens, freemasons, and lizard people outside an off-limits construction zone