This park was known for its lynch mobs who would long ago target African-Americans. This is said to be the reason why the trees all spookily lean to one side. Folks report hearing drums and howling wolves here, and apparitions have been seen as well, according to legend stemming from a nearby Native American burial ground. Another noted site here is the stairway, around which some tales are attached. They say the very old and rickety staircase is nicknamed “Stairway to Hell” and that mysteriously there are always more stairs to count going up than going down. Note: Be very careful if you try the old stairs.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 11808 John J. Pershing Drive
North Omaha, NE
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 41.3664777, -95.95729799999998
- County:
- Douglas County, Nebraska
- Nearest Towns:
- Crescent, IA (5.1 mi.)
Carter Lake, IA (5.6 mi.)
Fort Calhoun, NE (7.1 mi.)
Omaha, NE (7.5 mi.)
Council Bluffs, IA (8.8 mi.)
Loveland, IA (9.7 mi.)
Bennington, NE (10.4 mi.)
Weston, IA (11.4 mi.)
Boys Town, NE (11.6 mi.)
Ralston, NE (12.0 mi.)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
We have investigated Hummel Park now for the last 9 years and we have discovered most of the myths and legends surrounding Hummel is not much more that that. However, up in the park area where the swings are located is very active at night, but the walk from the main road to the top of the hill is not for everyone. Also, on the far back side of the park is were a killer dumped some of his victims back in the 70s if I recall right. That is one area you stay out of after sundown,
There are 2 more haunted spots that I witnessed in Hummel Park. One of them is called Sunken Graves, in which we saw a lantern swinging back & forth in the distance. The other spot was on the way out of the park, it was called the screaming bridge. Legend has it that a man was hung from the bridge for horse stealing. His wife was distraught & told the men that she would come back every full moon. My husband & I with another couple decided to check it out. The men got out of the car & were going to scare us women when a ghostly scream scared the guy’s so bad that they jumped in the car & sped off. The bridge was torn down a few years later & I don’t even want to know if she’s still haunts the area.
The comment regarding lynch mobs is historically inaccurate. Omaha history does have an incident of a lynching in the early 1900’s, but it was nowhere near this park. This park is remote compared to the city. I heard stories of this park growing up in Omaha. I have spent numerous hours in the park after dark and never experienced anything paranormal.
Last Saturday Jan 17 2015 I was in Hummel Park with a friend doing some ghost hunting I’m not sure in what part of the park we were in for sure, but was told it was were Kenyatta Bush’s body was found. I took several pictures of the area 3 of this one particular tree. The first 2 pictures were just normal pictures of the tree, but I notice on the 3rd picture the was something blurry next to the tree that wasn’t on the first 2 pictures. I enlarged the picture and there next to the tree was Kenyatta. At least it looked like her. You get a good view of her hair, head & face, one shoulder, part of her left arm and left leg. Her body is a blurry, but you could see through it.
Show the pics than
Me and my friends went to Hummel last night, and spooky things happened. We heard a woman screaming in the distance, we heard a pack of dogs howling, random lights were always flashing
I went to the park recently with a group of friends. For several hours we never saw or heard anything. But then we began smelling the most evil rotten egg/sewer smell ever followed by what almost seemed to be stifled giggling. Freaky!
theres a house somewhere in hummel park where the lynch mobs actually lived its believed that cannabal people live u there go stay the night if u want proof we do every summer!! thats the real proof!!
I have lived in Omaha Ne all my life and grew up close to Hummel Park. My Uncle was the Caretaker at Dodge Park in the 1980’s and lived onsite. Dodge Park is across the street from Hummel Park. I would babysit for them back in the day. My Uncle was tight with the man that caretook for Hummel Park so I have heard all kinds of stories. But first I want to say for some reason there are people that are total freaky, strange and disturbed. These people do wander this area and once in a while would show up knocking on the front door needing a ride or use the phone. This happened several times so these freaky people, crack heads, homeless do frequent this whole area keep this in mind when ghost hunting here.
As far as I know the Lynch Mob Story is not true.. There were a few stories in our history of lynch mobs but never at the Park itself/ Hummel Park does have a history of bodies being found however. Our history is full of murders and rapists attacking their victim and then dumping the body in the park. Not so much now but from the 50;s through the ;80s there are several incidents of bodies being found dumped. Now the area or house people think was a lynch mob home was actually a small gated community. We had a community of people living there and they were Albino’s. They have moved the community since but sorry to say, alot of the strange lights and noises people have experienced in the Park was most likely the Albino’s trying to scare them off. This is 100% true. I happen to have two friends that are part of the community. It was a perfect location since it was no where near town and always dark deep in the trees where little sun gets through , what does is filtered enough. The sun will harm and or eventually kill an albino. Also everything needed to survive was close but as the city grew the community began to have problems. People kids usually would vandalize their out buildings, harass them when/if seen, etc so basically they were forced out of their homes and are no longer here in Omaha.
The story about the man who stole the horses and was hung, this is true story but you didnt finish. The wife did approach the men who hung her husband and during the encounter the men killed her and cut off her head where they placed it with her husband right where he was hung. Only on a full moon night each month you can hear a faint wailing of a woman though the trees and some crying. Also some have stated they have seen her walking on the bridge with no head asking where is my head? I myself have spent a ton of time there and never heard words but I will attest to the wailing and crying it is very soft and sad. The bridge is gone now its footings are still there but the stairway to hell is close to the bridge and if you count them the statement is true. Its always off by one at least could be more even but for me always off by one! This one has me stumped.
Sunken Graves is really a cool place and there have been strange lights. shadow sightings and drum noises sounding like an Native American singing to the spirits ceremony style. Maybe a funeral?
The comment about the swing area yes that area is haunted as hell. I have watched the swings start swinging quite high always two together when there is no wind whatsoever. This I have seen several different times and during different phases of the moon. Giggling of several kids too. Thewind is strange up there it will swirl alot like a mini tornado kind of and once in a while if you catch a strong one you might see a small flash of a pure white brite light at the top and then its just gone even the wind. Lots of noises sounding like wailing of a person does happen but only on real windy days so Im not thinking that is anything but the wind in all those trees. This whole area right at the top is the opening to Devil’s Slide. Hummel Park is a larger mountain as mountains go in Omaha Nebraska. Basically a huge hill that has had much weather eroding happen. This has created holes coming down the front of the hill. If you are to look at the whole side from below or across the street it looks like a devil face with two big holes as eyes and an evil smile shaped hole under the eyes. Its changed much over the years but 1985 it was resembling a Devil face. Rumor has is in the right eye a group of Devil Worshipers would sacrifice small animals right there. If you walk down the trail leading to the eyes and go down inside that eye the dirt has been cut out and there is what could be used as an alter there and some darker dirt as if stained. This I have seen and its pretty freaky and the feeling that is there is really troubled. Its not a good aura. I felt very heavy, deep sadness and massive hate. Its more of the spiritual feelings right there than being scary or spooky. Its like pure evil and that’s it.
So being a local with a lot of history here and a lot of first hand encounters I have to say Hummel Park is haunted but most of the stories are just that. The couple unexplained issues make it a very strange place to go but as for scary. Not so much just don’t get caught on Devils Slide after midnight on a full moon or by the stairs at the bottom smack in the middle of the woods because thing do go BUMP in the night!
I go camping here every summer and never had been scared. I know the explanation for the stairs. Some stairs are very small like broken pieces of stone and some are big or long. I’ve been on the stairs before and noticed I counted two steps on the long ones.
Yes, you are right going up the stairs one big step looks like two, then going down that step counts as one, I knew this back in the eighties.
I was at the spot with the gazebo thing and two fire places at the park. Late at night, and everytime I went near it I smelled a fresh lit fire, and when I move away it’s gone. I did this multiple times and smelled the fire each time. Not scary but kinda spooky
Anyone know anything about this site!?!
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