The building started out in 1915 as a meat-packing plant, but changed hands to a packing operation. In 1949 a gas leak and resulting explosion killed several people. Later on, the spot became a shopping center, and it is here that strange happenings have been reported. Lights turn on by themselves. Elevators seem to be moving when they aren’t. It is said that for several years, brochures were printed with “Paul Pulaski, our in-house ghost, welcomes you.” *Note* A 2007 report states that the site caught fire in 2006, is now unsafe to enter, and is slated for demolishment.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 2001 Leach Ave
Sioux City, Iowa
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 42.48831817321491, -96.38361078518068
- County:
- Woodbury County, Iowa
- Nearest Towns:
- Sioux City, IA (1.2 mi.)
South Sioux City, NE (1.8 mi.)
Dakota Dunes, SD (5.2 mi.)
Dakota City, NE (5.3 mi.)
North Sioux City, SD (5.7 mi.)
Sergeant Bluff, IA (6.0 mi.)
Jackson, NE (9.6 mi.)
Bronson, IA (10.2 mi.)
Lawton, IA (10.2 mi.)
Hinton, IA (10.7 mi.)
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I lived in Sioux City in the early ’90s. My wife, kids & I liked to go to a Mexican restaurant on pay days. One day the elevator took us to a different floor. It looked like construction was going on, painting… plastic drop cloth draped here & there. There were drop lights in rooms & buckets. Around a left corner was a carosel. We were looking at it (& other attractions) when a big guy dressed in coveralls came out of nowhere. He was nice & was telling us about the history of the place, etc. A “matter of fact” looking lady dressed in a black & white business dress came out from another door. She moved quickly & the big guy was scared of her. She told him to get us out if there & asked us how we got in there. I explained that it was the elevators fault & the big guy led us back. The kids were SCARED of him, but he was really cool. We got back in the elevator & it took us to the floor we were wanting to go to. Very different.
When I was younger, about 14. I was with my parents and their friend who had a business in the building. We were there to help move her office out because that part of the building had been tagged I believe. The shops were closed up and we were the only ones at the time in that section of the building. Well as I was being more of a nuisance than a help; I was prompted to go entertain myself. Which in a place like that was not hard to do. Now at the end of the walkway where the businesses were there was a room with glass windows and I could see all the meat hooks hanging up above. The hooks were visible but beyond that in the room there was just blackness. It creeped me out a bit, but I continued my exploration. As I was walking I was hearing moans and groans of the place and as I ventured further away from my parents, the more I was beginning to feel uneasy. I came across an old freezer compartment which happened to be open. So I went in and I’m sure it was empty but the darkness in there felt heavy and almost alive with some sort of energy. The door had swung back shut and I felt a frigid blast if air and the sound of someone cackling. Well then it was over for me I screamed and pushed the door and it wouldn’t budge. I screamed for my parents and it kept getting colder. After a couple minutes if hysterics I tried to open the door anyway I could. The door wouldn’t budge and I shoved with everything I had. I felt and found the door latch and it felt like some sort of knob and I pushed that nothing was working. So I sat down and started to cry. I was sitting there for only a couple minutes but it felt like an eternity, then I began to notice the room was warmer and the strange heaviness in the darkness was gone. I stood up leaned against the door and it popped open. I ran out of there back to my parents and did not leave their side till we left.
When I was a teenager my friends and I were riding the elevator and it stopped on an unknown floor. The doors open and it was just pitch black. I’m somewhat sensitive to paranormal(U get pictures in my head of what no one else can see). I had this image of several ghosts were on that floor and we disturbed them. They were not happy. I pushed the close door button fast. My friends had no clue why. Later in my adult years in Iowa haunting books I learned that was one of the claims(elevators stopping on other floors).
Does anyone know what relation Paul Pulaski has to the building?
I seems he had died in the explosion, back in ’49.
Building was demolished in 2010.
The building was not demolished in 2010. It is still there but closed.
Building was not demolished. It’s still there but not open.
Jo what are you talking about that place is an empty lot now. Wikipedia even has a picture of said empty lot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swift_Packing_Company_building_%28Sioux_City%2C_Iowa%29?wprov=sfla1
Long memory’s of the KD station. We used to go down there all the time and roam the floors it was an amazing place. So much history at one time it was a slaughter house. Ruth’s casina was in there, the bowling alley, games, whiskey creek pottery, the old trains. Would love to go back in it. I think the guys name was Kermit who owned it at one time.