Haunted Places in Ottumwa, Iowa



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    Hotel Ottumwa

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    An apparition of a lady in white haunts the hotel basement, which formerly served as a ballroom. The ghost of a man in a suit haunts the hallways of the hotel. Strange noises and voices have been heard. The face of a man has also been seen in the hotel ...


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    Ottumwa Cemetery

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    Night visitors to the cemetery have seen shadowed figures sitting on tombstones or running behind trees, and heard whispering and footsteps in the grass. There has also been reported a white cat who will run in circles around your feet, and then vanish.


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    Mars Hill Church

    Bloomfield, Iowa

    8.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This old log cabin church is actually a restoration using salvaged timber from vintage barns. The church had been in existence from 1856 til 2006 when some dirtbag arsonist decided to burn the place to the ground. Rumors of it being haunted however have become something of local ...


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    Top of the Rock Grille

    Fairfield, Iowa

    23.3 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The origin of the hauntings at this restaurant is uncertain. What IS certain, is that it's haunted. Witnesses have seen objects moving by themselves in the kitchen and heard whispering and voices in the bathrooms. They have also heard the sound of people walking on the upper floors when no ...


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    Clubb House Restaurant

    Sigourney, Iowa

    24.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Lots of orbs and ghosts, pans falling off shelves! Customers feeling people touching them. (Submitted by Debbie and Justin)


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    Centerville Railroad Tracks

    Centerville, Iowa

    31.4 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Local legend sayd that if you park your car on these railroad tracks and shut it off, an unseen force will push you off the tracks. Reports say you can hear footsteps in the gravel while the spirits of children are pushing your car.


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    Mason House Inn and Caboose Cottage

    Keosauqua, Iowa

    35.6 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This historic 1846 hotel was also a stop on the Underground Railroad, and several spirits are living here. In Room 5, the ghost of a young boy pulls on people's clothing at night. His apparition has been seen on the landing. In Room 7, a man named Knapp was murdered, ...


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    Mason House Inn and Caboose Cottage

    Keosauqua, Iowa

    35.6 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This historic 1846 hotel was also a stop on the Underground Railroad, and several spirits are living here. In Room 5, the ghost of a young boy pulls on people's clothing at night. His apparition has been seen on the landing. In Room 7, a man named Knapp was murdered, ...


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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    37.2 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    There is a lot of mystery and talk surrounding this cemetery, a family plot near what was once the abandoned house. Some say there are dangerous trees in the back of the cemetery, and those who walked behind them would catch a glimpse of the Stone King sitting on his ...


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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    37.3 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    At Central College in Graham Hall, there is a locked room rumored to be inhabited by someone they've nicknamed the Penguin Lady. Residents there say if you place a sheet of paper under the door, it will be quickly sucked into the locked room. When the staff unlock the door, ...


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    Birthday Bridge - Giblin Bridge

    Mount Pleasant, Iowa

    45.9 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This spot, near where Kentucky Avenue and US 218 meet, is said to be haunted by a local girl who hanged herself from the bridge after having an affair with a married doctor. The day she died was also her birthday. Legend has it that her ghost can be seen ...


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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    50.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This home was picked up and moved in early 2013, to a spot some six miles away from its original location. The man who had purchased the land and house wanted to tear it down and build a new home on the spot, so a preservationist purchased the house ...


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    Bucksbaum Center - Grinnell College

    Grinnell, Iowa

    52.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    A haunted wheelchair is said to reside on the stage in the performing arts building. Sometimes it has been known to roll out onto the stage during rehearsals or performances. Legend has it that it is the spirit of a former theater director paying a friendly visit.


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    Machinist's Hall

    Conroy, Iowa

    53.5 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This meetinghouse was once a school, and it is said to be haunted by flickering lights in the night. Voices have been heard behind the building, as well. Note: Some Internet sites mistakenly call it "Mechanists Hall."


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Riverside, Iowa

    54 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    It is said that many pairs of glowing eyes, belonging to the many graveyard spirits, can be seen by those who drive past.


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    Hotel Baring

    Edina, Missouri

    54.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This historic hotel is believed to be haunted, and was formerly a railroad stopover during the early twentieth century era. The building is believed to be haunted by several apparitions, who are believed to be associated the building as it changed hands and uses over the many years of its ...


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    Newton Community Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    56.5 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    T.G., or Theater Ghost, is said to haunt this building. One board member reported seeing an apparition of a man on the stage, and it is said that actors often have difficulty finding their props. Any such difficulty, of course, is attributed to T.G.


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    Children's Forest

    Newton, Iowa

    57 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Locals will tell you that an antique glass jar was found in these woods and taken to a nearby resident's garage, and shortly thereafter, the spirit of a very sad-looking Native American appeared and walked right through a table. The next day, the jar was taken back to the forest ...


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    David Ryan House

    Newton, Iowa

    57.3 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Actual details of this alleged haunting seem to spring from a single source, a local paranormal group who claims the house is haunted. Alleged haunting is basically hearing footsteps and voices. Some EVPs are claimed by the paranormal group that offers occasional tours of the house for interested ...


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    Newton Daily News

    Newton, Iowa

    57.5 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The Daily News building was built in 1921 specifically for the town newspaper. Over the years, rumors and jokes have been heard from the newsroom to the press room about ghosts haunting the old building. Since inviting members of the Jasper County Paranormal Idealist to investigate the building on Oct. ...


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    Capitol II Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    57.6 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The theater, which first opened in 1927, is said to be haunted by an eerie presence. One employee was forcefully pulled backward by his hair. Paranormal researchers investigated in 2012, and the results turned up unexplained photos, strange sounds, and physical contact from the presence.


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    Mary Wright - Granny Sprague Cemetery

    Homestead, Iowa

    58.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The ghost of Mary Wright, a child of 6 who died in 1854, appears as a pale blue light over her grave, some say. She is said to appear during the final minute of each year.


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    The Mud Man of Metz Bridge

    Newton, Iowa

    58.4 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    As urban legend has it, a mud monster, or Mud Man, lives under the bridge. Some say the Mud Man is a spirit lingering from a fatal car accident that once occurred in the mud near the river; the body was never found. Others assert the tale was created by ...


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    Indian Dam - Indian Fish Trap State Preserve

    Homestead, Iowa

    58.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The restless spirits of the Sauk Nation people who build the dam are said to haunt this area during full moons. The sounds of chanting and drums have been heard.


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    Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery

    Newton, Iowa

    59.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This old cemetery is known for a glowing tombstone, purportedly owned by Charles M. Baker, who died April 17, 1881. According to urban legend, when vehicle headlights shine into the cemetery from a nearby interstate bridge, the tombstone emits an eerie glow. No one knows the reason behind this phenomenon.


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    Slater Hall - University of Iowa

    University Heights, Iowa

    62.9 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    It is reported that on the ninth floor a student once jumped to his death. Students say his ghost roams the halls carrying an ax, and footsteps and screams may be heard at night.


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    Currier Hall - University of Iowa

    Iowa City, Iowa

    63.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Students like to tell of a triple suicide that occurred on the 4th floor. The reason? Three roommates fell in love with the same man. It is said that if roommates get into arguments, their ghosts will step in to restore harmony. Rumor also has it that the ghost of ...


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    Greencastle Cemetery

    North Liberty, Iowa

    63.9 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Something eerie may be going on in this old cemetery. Even though no one has been buried here for a long time, reports say the earth looks freshly dug up. Tombstones are said to move about, and some have seen a teenage witch dressed in black with long, dark hair. ...


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    Watt's Antiques and Collectables

    Iowa City, Iowa

    64 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This address, at the corner of Muscatine Ave. and Dearborn Rd., is now an antique store that is rumored rumored to be haunted. People are said to have heard footsteps, voices, seen apparitions, and felt patches of paranormal feelings (ex. cold spots, uncomfortable feelings...) A great place to visit for ...


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    Black Angel - Oakland Cemetery

    Iowa City, Iowa

    64.4 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Strange phenomona occur here, seemingly revolving around two statues: the Black Angel and a young girl set on a pedestal. Folks have reported seeing strange lights and the Angel walking about as a glowing shape. It is said that the little girl statue will pick out one member of a ...


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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    64.5 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Legend has it that around the turn of the 20th century, a young man, distraught over a love affair, killed himself here. Then in the 1920s, a young woman did the same. Several more people are rumored to have met their ends in this hall, and folks say their spirits ...


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    Hotel Wapello

    Wapello, Iowa

    64.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The old-fashioned hotel, furnished with original antiques, used to be a schoolhouse and a law office. In 1906 the place became the Commercial Hotel, which became the premier place to stay in town after their main rival burnt to the ground. Now a bed and breakfast inn, the place ...


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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    67.2 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Reports say an apparition appears of an old man holding a lantern and walking along the tracks. Before too long, the man simply vanishes.


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    Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel

    Tama, Iowa

    68.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Screams and arguing voices have been heard when no one is around. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Hotel Iowa

    Keokuk, Iowa

    69 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This historic hotel was built in the early twentieth century for workers constructing a nearby lock for the town dam. And according to some reports by guests, they may have never left. Ghostly music, disembodied footsteps, screams and a male apparition in workman clothes have all been reported by staff. ...


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    220 North 4th - Keokuk

    Keokuk, Iowa

    69.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Built by businessman Enos H. Harrison in 1857, this house is reported to be the home of a friendly ghost, according to many witnesses who have seen and heard the spirit.


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    Burlington National Guard Armory

    Burlington, Iowa

    69.6 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Horses' hooves and footsteps can be heard late at night, doors open and close by themselves, and one witness reported seeing a reflection of a man with a handlebar mustache in a computer screen, but when he turned around, no one was there.


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    Highway 34 Ghost

    Burlington, Iowa

    69.7 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The ghost who walks along the highway at night is said to be an escaped slave who died in the 1860s of diptheria and was buried in the basement of a nearby home. He carries a leather bag and walks westward on the north side of the road between 1 ...


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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    69.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This is the gravesite of New Virginia's first settler. As legend has it, the gravestone has been replaced at some time over the years. Locals say an eerie glow will come from the stone at midnight, a protestation from the ghost, angry about the change.


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    The Drake Bar and Restaurant

    Burlington, Iowa

    70 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This upscale restaurant is housed in a historic building, and staff and diners report that the women's restroom is haunted by a lady in an old-fashioned dress, who has been known to walk through the walls. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Stony Hollow Road

    Burlington, Iowa

    70.8 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Spooky tales told here revolve around a ghost named Lucinda. She is said to have committed suicide by jumping off a cliff when her beloved failed to meet her to run away together. There are many reports of people seeing the ghost. Local urban legend also says that if you ...


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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    73.3 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    There are two ghost stories around this airport. Some offices are haunted by a flight attendant, usually in the fall season. The offices used to be the site of a restaurant called the Cloud Room, and the flight attendant wanders there as if looking for her flight. Also, laughing and ...


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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    73.5 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This building, formerly a middle school, has been a private residence since 2008. Please respect the owners' privacy. Witnesses have seen the ghost of a small boy in the stairwell; one has also appeared in a photo sitting on the edge of the auditorium stage. Voices of children talking and ...


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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    73.6 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    According to local legend, behind the bowling alley is an upstairs area that was used for illegal gambling in the 1920s. Reports say if you gain access to a room down the hallway, you may hear people talking, dice rolling, and you may even hear a ghostly disembodied voice calling ...


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    Greenwood Cemetery

    Muscatine, Iowa

    75.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    The Blue Angel is a statue with a legend. Reports say that back in the 1950s, she was thought of as the benevolent spirit of the cemetery, protecting it from vandals. Sometime since then, tales about her have become more sinister. She is said to have once held a rose; ...


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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    75.1 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    At this 1860s historic building, home of the governor of Iowa, the ghost of a little girl has been seen. She is transparent, and some say she likes to work the elevator, even though it is only supposed to operate by the use of codes.


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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    76 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    Local legend has it that when the Weavers purchased a table in 1937, they bought a ghost along with it. The table is said to have made rapping noises and caused other disturbances until a minister's wife quieted it by reading from the Bible. A spiritualist consulted by the Weavers ...


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    Parkers Grove Cemetery

    Shellsburg, Iowa

    76.2 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    According to reports, one gravestone boasts a carving of a face. The stone face is said to cry tears at night.


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    76.3 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    It is said that in the older part of the cemetery there was a chair that looked as if it had been made of wood, although it was concrete. Urban legend said that those who sat in the chair would die within a year. There are contradicting reports as to ...


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    Old Red Horse Armory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    76.4 miles from Ottumwa, IA

    This old cavalry armory is now the housing for city school buses. There have been reports that members of the National Guard, when they occupied the building, heard ghostly sounds from long ago: clopping of horses' hooves and jingling of harnesses. An apparition of an older man in cavalry garb ...


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