Haunted Places in Leighton, Iowa



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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    8.1 miles from Leighton, 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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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    21.7 miles from Leighton, 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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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    23.9 miles from Leighton, 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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    Newton Community Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    27.6 miles from Leighton, 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

    28 miles from Leighton, 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

    28.4 miles from Leighton, 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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    Bucksbaum Center - Grinnell College

    Grinnell, Iowa

    28.5 miles from Leighton, 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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    Newton Daily News

    Newton, Iowa

    28.6 miles from Leighton, 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

    28.6 miles from Leighton, 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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    Ottumwa Cemetery

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    28.8 miles from Leighton, IA

    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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    The Mud Man of Metz Bridge

    Newton, Iowa

    29 miles from Leighton, 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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    Hotel Ottumwa

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    29.4 miles from Leighton, IA

    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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    Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery

    Newton, Iowa

    29.7 miles from Leighton, 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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    Clubb House Restaurant

    Sigourney, Iowa

    30.2 miles from Leighton, IA

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


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    Mars Hill Church

    Bloomfield, Iowa

    37.6 miles from Leighton, 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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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    39.8 miles from Leighton, 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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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    40.3 miles from Leighton, 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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    Centerville Railroad Tracks

    Centerville, Iowa

    42.7 miles from Leighton, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    44.1 miles from Leighton, 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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    Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel

    Tama, Iowa

    45.9 miles from Leighton, IA

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


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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    46.6 miles from Leighton, 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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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    46.7 miles from Leighton, 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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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    47.8 miles from Leighton, 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

    48.3 miles from Leighton, 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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    Top of the Rock Grille

    Fairfield, Iowa

    48.4 miles from Leighton, 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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    Old Red Horse Armory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    48.6 miles from Leighton, 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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    Machinist's Hall

    Conroy, Iowa

    49.1 miles from Leighton, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    49.9 miles from Leighton, IA

    Dr. Robert Morehouse was the first chairman of the Astronomy and Physics department, and he discovered a comet in the 1920s. He also haunts the observatory, according to local legend, perhaps because the remains of Dr. Morehouse and his wife are buried in the entryway wall. Students working in the ...


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    50.2 miles from Leighton, 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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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    50.4 miles from Leighton, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    50.7 miles from Leighton, IA

    Locals say a cloudlike presence occurs here, and it smells of kerosene. Sometimes within the cloud is the form of a man or several tiny flickering lights. Reports tell of a man who died nearby in 1881 as a result of his kerosene-soaked clothes catching fire.


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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    51.4 miles from Leighton, IA

    This museum is allegedly haunted by the ghost of the young daughter of the original owner. She died when she was three years old after falling from the stair railing she was sliding down and breaking her neck. People claim they still see and hear her playing throughout the ...


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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    51.4 miles from Leighton, IA

    The mall and its tower are rumored to be built over a monastery that was closed in the 1950s. According to the stories, some nuns became pregnant and had miscarriages, and the babies were buried in unmarked graves at this site. Reports say ghosts of both nuns and infants have ...


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    Mary Wright - Granny Sprague Cemetery

    Homestead, Iowa

    54.9 miles from Leighton, 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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    Indian Dam - Indian Fish Trap State Preserve

    Homestead, Iowa

    55.4 miles from Leighton, 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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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    61.6 miles from Leighton, IA

    First seen in 1903, the Van Meter Creature is a monster with batlike wings and a horn on its head that glows with blinding light. It may also manifest as a hovering spot of light. Shortly after it began to terrorize the townsfolk, strange sounds started coming from a coal ...


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Riverside, Iowa

    63.5 miles from Leighton, 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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    Greencastle Cemetery

    North Liberty, Iowa

    64.1 miles from Leighton, 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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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    64.5 miles from Leighton, IA

    A friendly ghost, C.Y. Stephens himself, in fact, is known to haunt this auditorium. He has been seen in the basement tunnels or sitting in the back right corner of the 3rd balcony. He also makes himself known by cold spots and the sound of footsteps. When performers see him, ...


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    Mason House Inn and Caboose Cottage

    Keosauqua, Iowa

    64.5 miles from Leighton, 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

    64.5 miles from Leighton, 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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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    64.5 miles from Leighton, IA

    The ghost of a child named Sara resides at this cemetery. She and four other children from her family are buried near the back. Sara is said to follow around visitors and ask for someone named Ree. She is also known to touch people and tug at clothing if her ...


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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    64.5 miles from Leighton, IA

    Named for contributor J.W. Fisher, the 1974 theater is rumored to be haunted by Frederica Shattuck, another university theater department contributor. So the story goes, the ghost took up residence in the Fisher Theatre after her Shattuck Theater was demolished.


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    Iowa State University - Memorial Union

    Ames, Iowa

    64.9 miles from Leighton, IA

    The hall is a tribute to graduate soldiers who died at war. According to reports, a strange low moan can be heard constantly here. Some say is it the voice of the only woman who ever graduated from the school who died in World War I.


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    Farm House Museum

    Ames, Iowa

    65 miles from Leighton, IA

    The spirits of two sisters are believed to reside at the museum; details of the hauntings are unknown.


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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    65.1 miles from Leighton, IA

    One dormitory room is nicknamed Satan’s Legion. Rumor has it that a student killed himself there, and everyone who is assigned to that room either dies or disappears. Reports say many students are afraid to go into the room, and some maintain that because of this, the university stopped assigning ...


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    J L Reece Memorial Park

    New Providence, Iowa

    66.8 miles from Leighton, IA

    According to reports, a young woman committed suicide in the cornfield at this site. Witnesses have seen her appear in the field and have heard her screaming.


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    Parkers Grove Cemetery

    Shellsburg, Iowa

    67.4 miles from Leighton, 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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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    67.9 miles from Leighton, IA

    Since the 1850's, the Van Fossen cemetery has had many names, from Rodenbaugh Cemetery, the Old Adel Cemetery, to the "official" name recorded by the state, the Gibson Cemetery. Along old highway 6, the cemetery is sometimes just called the Bilderback Cemetery, after the massive headstones that mark the ...


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    Slater Hall - University of Iowa

    University Heights, Iowa

    68 miles from Leighton, 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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