“Fascist symbols are located underneath the Denver Airport.”

Rocky Mountain PBS reports that conspiracies about the airport’s art tie it to secret underground networks and plots of terror. The piece explains that with delayed construction “came a web of faulty theories attempting to tie other works of art at the airport, like the mustang sculpture nicknamed ‘Blucifer,’ to rumors of plotted terror.” Artist Leo Tanguma is quoted reacting to people who called his murals satanic or demonic, saying, “I thought and I still think that these people are deranged.” The story emphasizes that the murals were intended to convey messages of peace, justice and hope rather than encode hidden fascist or satanic symbols.

Finally, we cannot forget the claim that the layout of the runways at DIA intentionally call to mind a swastika. This layout, conspiracy theorists maintain, only confirms that an elite group (perhaps aspiring to Nazi fascism to achieve the New World Order) calls the airport home. The airport’s official position and that of most independent observers is that the runways are arranged for operational reasons and that any resemblance to a swastika is coincidental, not evidence of hidden or underground fascist symbols.

One of the more prevalent theories is that the runways at DIA are arranged to form a swastika as a tribute to the fascist New World Order. Another common claim is that there are vast underground bunkers beneath the airport decorated with secret symbols, sometimes described as Nazi or fascist. However, these stories are based on speculation about aerial photos and construction rumors; there is no public evidence of underground rooms containing fascist symbols, and the officially accessible underground spaces are used for airport operations.

Another related legend is that there are miles of underground tunnels and layer upon layer of secret buildings and bunkers beneath the airport, which the members of the aforementioned secret societies plan to use to ride out the coming apocalypse. Some claim there’s a tunnel that runs all the way from DEN to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and that these underground spaces hide sinister or fascist symbols. In reality, DEN confirms that there is a network of tunnels used for its baggage system and other operations; no credible evidence has been produced of hidden underground fascist symbols or Nazi facilities.

For years, conspiracy theorists have claimed there is a secret underground base beneath Denver International Airport, sometimes described as a hub for the Illuminati, Nazis or a future concentration camp. DIA spokesperson Heath Montgomery told 9NEWS that the underground area consists of train tunnels, a failed baggage system and utility corridors. When asked directly about alleged underground symbols or bunkers, he said there is "absolutely nothing like that" below the airport and that the airport has leaned into the rumors with tongue‑in‑cheek art and signs because the stories are so persistent.

Discussing myths about the Denver airport, the University of Denver article notes popular stories “from lizard people running around in underground tunnels to the role of the ‘New World’ Illuminati in creating the airport.” Political science professor Phil Chen states that such elaborate stories “usually stem from much simpler stories: ‘The most boring explanation is almost always the true explanation.’” The piece explains that rumors about underground tunnels being home to aliens or reptiles, or a secret bunker for world elites, largely derive from a failed automated baggage system and misinterpretation of ordinary infrastructure, not from hidden fascist or Illuminati facilities.

This educational resource introduces a video lesson titled “Debunking Denver Airport Conspiracy Theories.” It teaches students to practice lateral reading and evaluate claims such as those involving hidden symbols and sinister underground facilities at the Denver airport. The description frames the conspiracy stories explicitly as misinformation and encourages viewers to examine who is behind such claims and what evidence exists, positioning the claims as unsubstantiated rather than factual.

The official description of Leo Tanguma’s mural states: “Children of the World Dream of Peace is a powerful mural expressing the artist’s desire to abolish violence in society.” It describes imagery of children of many nations coming together and the defeat of war, emphasizing that the mural’s theme is peace and unity. There is no mention of fascism or Nazi ideology; the text presents the work as anti‑violence, not as a fascist symbol or propaganda.

From underground bunkers, aliens, apocalyptic art, and Nazi runways, there's no way the internet doesn't find this airport weird. The Denver airport is home to a 40-piece public art collection which is, of course, a major player in the various conspiracies surrounding the place. These conspiracies point to a variety of meanings and perpetrators, including the Freemasons, Illuminati, New World Order, and Nazis. People tend to focus on the grim images, such as the scary Nazi soldier and the name of a child who died at Auschwitz. According to Heather Kaufman, director of arts and public events at DIA, Mustang's red eyes are an homage to the artist's father who worked neon signs. The red neon is just hindsight. 'Nothing malicious here, folks.'

The article explains that Leo Tanguma’s two murals, “In Peace and Harmony with Nature” and “Children of the World Dream of Peace,” have inspired theories that they hint at an extinction event and a hidden purpose for the airport. It notes that “many believe [they] tell the true story of the airport, or at least offer clues into the actual intended use of the buildings and surrounding land,” including ideas about a mass extinction event and a sanctuary for selected survivors. The piece connects the murals to broader DIA conspiracies but treats these as speculative interpretations by conspiracy theorists, not as documented facts about secret fascist facilities under the airport.

There are reportedly as many as 6 underground levels below the ground floor of DIA, and possibly more that are not even known about. Beyond that, there are theories that tunnels exist from the Colorado Springs Air Force Base to DIA and from the Air Force Base to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in the Rocky Mountains outside of Colorado Springs. Beyond that, looking at a bird’s eye view of DIA, all the runways and terminals together can be construed in the shape of a swastika. There can be interpreted Nazi themes in the artwork previously mentioned, so the layout of the airport seems very curious with both on its grounds.

In this Rocky Mountain PBS video, the narrator describes widespread beliefs that DIA’s murals contain “secret messages about upcoming global disasters, doomsday, just a lot of very dark stuff,” and mentions “rumors of talking about a rise of a new world order and mass destruction stuff.” The video frames these interpretations as conspiracy theories, contrasting them with what “the artist actually said,” namely that the murals are about peace and unity, not coded fascist symbolism or predictions of authoritarian takeover.

The top 4 conspiracy theories at Denver International: **Coming in at number 4**: The Nazi Swastika Seen In The Runway Formation. Basically what is being said here is that people believe the layout of the runways at DIA as a symbol of the nazi mentality. Many people use this as confirmation that the New World Nazis are hiding underneath the airport. The author concludes that there is nothing much to be said about the shapes and that the swastika and underground Nazi base claims are not supported by evidence.

Since the late 1990s, conspiracy literature and online forums have repeatedly claimed that Denver International Airport conceals underground bunkers decorated with Nazi or fascist symbols. However, journalistic investigations, guided tours, and the airport’s own outreach — including exhibits openly mocking these theories — have not uncovered any verified fascist symbols located beneath the airport. The only commonly cited “Nazi” element is the perceived swastika-like runway layout visible in aerial photos, which is above ground and disputed, rather than hidden symbols under the facility.

It has now become home to some of the most talked about conspiracies. Nazi runways, remote locations, underground bunkers, aliens, and artistic depictions of the apocalypse. Just to name a few. Contractors who originally worked on the airport, which went over budget and opened 16 months behind schedule, reportedly saw evidence of bunker entrances and unexplained tunnels. A multi-million dollar automated baggage system failed to work as designed, fueling doubts about the intent and scale of the construction. As seen during a tour of the tunnels provided to The Denver Post, all plumbing and electrical infrastructure appears to end at the underground area’s lowest level; hiding anything else under it would be an engineering feat. No explicit fascist symbols have been documented in these underground areas.

During its construction, part of the project was overseen by the quote New World Airport Commission. This has led some to assume that the airport was merely a front for the so-called New World Order, a shadowy cabal of elites. Many believe that such organizations are controlled by Nazis and that an aerial view of Denver airport exposes a very familiar pattern in its runways. The video describes these as conspiracy theories, noting the lack of hard evidence for underground Nazi or fascist symbols beneath the airport.

The main theme of the Denver New World Airport murals is an apocalypse with massive depopulation extinction of species. The militaristic figure in the mural is clearly wearing a Nazi-style uniform and gas mask, symbolizing fascist rule over the world. These murals, combined with the airport’s underground tunnels and over-budget construction, show that fascist and New World Order symbols are literally built into and beneath the airport.

According to numerous accounts, the Denver International Airport sits on top of huge underground structures supposedly built for secret government or elite use. Some researchers argue that these underground facilities are linked to a future totalitarian regime and that the airport’s design, including the runways that form a swastika from above and the militaristic imagery in the murals, indicates fascist or Nazi influence. The article presents these claims as plausible but does not provide verifiable documentation of actual fascist symbols located underneath the airport.