Haunted Places in Coon Rapids, Iowa



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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    According to local legend there is a small headstone with an eerie ability: If you position yourself the right way in front of it, after a few minutes it will begin to glow.


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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    16.3 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    It is said that those who sit in the cement chair will receive a spell of bad luck. The Devil's Chair has no markings, and sits between the Peterson and Miller graves. According to reports, the chair has been believed to be cursed for at least 35 years.


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    Rainbow Bridge

    Lake City, Iowa

    25.1 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    A chocolate-loving spirit resides at this old bowstring bridge. Stories say that if you bring an unopened chocolate bar to the bridge at midnight, lay it in the center of the bridge, and exit the bridge, after 5 minutes you will find an unopened and intact wrapper, but the chocolate ...


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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    28.7 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    The Klondike Hotel was built on the street that in 1897 was named Railroad Street. It faced to the west toward the bustling Milwaukee tracks and depot. An access road was completed shortly after the hotel was built which directly connected the Hotel with the Depot. The ...


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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    37.1 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    The Earling Exorcism

    Earling, Iowa

    38.6 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Earling is famous for a 1928 exorcism that lasted more than 3 weeks. A local Franciscan convent was the setting for the ceremony; the target was the demons inhabiting Emma Schmidt. As Roman Catholic Capuchin Theophilus Riesinger worked, Emma is said to have flown across the room and clung to ...


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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    38.7 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Local legend tells the tale of 15-year-old Kate Shelley, who in 1881 crawled across a badly damaged bridge during a terrible storm to warn an oncoming train that the bridge was out. This bridge, built in 1901, is said to be her ghost's home. Phantom trains also have been seen ...


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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    43.1 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Dating back to 1907, the historic former masonic temple and museum may have a resident ghost. Known as 'Frank', the poltergeist frequently slams doors and turns on lights after the place has been closed up for the night. Disembodied footsteps have also been heard on the second floor, and ...


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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    44.1 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Employees who work late have heard unexplained footsteps and, at times, have heard their names called. The phenomena seem to occur only when the place is nearly empty of people.


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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    44.3 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger

    Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn
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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    44.5 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Bannwell Bridge - Terror Bridge

    Barnum, Iowa

    47 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Local legend maintains that a woman once killed her 3 kids here. Some reports say she hung them from the bridge and they were hit by a train coming through. Her ghostly head is said to follow you down the road, and if you don't have your doors and windows ...


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    Vegors Cemetery

    Lehigh, Iowa

    48.7 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    The cemetery is said to be haunted by the spirits of restless Native Americans and Mrs. Henry Lott, the wife of a man who was known to cheat the Native Americans and steal their horses. She was killed while trying to escape from angry Native Americans seeking revenge, although her ...


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    Old Highway 83

    Shelby, Iowa

    49.9 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Different witnesses have reported seeing two young girls playing in the middle of the highway late at night. They wear flowing white dresses and are bathed in a glowing light.


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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    51 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    This historic theatre is believed to be haunted by the apparition of a young girl who was murdered nearby. Witnesses claim to have seen her sitting in the hall after hours, and have felt her brush past them in the corridors. The chandelier at the entrance also moves of ...


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    Hawkeye Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    51 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Reports say visitors to the theater get the feeling of being watched, and have seen a ghostly little girl. Also, some say if you are alone here you will feel the not-so-gentle touch of an invisible hand.


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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    53 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Stage Coach Inn

    Ida Grove, Iowa

    53 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    The Stage Coach Inn was built in 1856 by John and Martha Moorhead; The Inn served a stage coach stop and the first court house in Ida County Iowa and was also the church, School as well as the first hospital in Ida grove were amputations sometimes accrued on the ...


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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    53.2 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    53.7 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    53.8 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Iowa State University - Memorial Union

    Ames, Iowa

    54.1 miles from Coon Rapids, 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

    54.2 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

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


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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    54.4 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    54.4 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    54.4 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Old Red Horse Armory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    55.8 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    56.1 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    56.6 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    57.8 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    58 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Swope Hall - Buena Vista University

    Storm Lake, Iowa

    59.8 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    A ghost named Mary is said to haunt this hall. Legend says her house once stood in the very spot where Swope Hall stands today. She died of lead poisoning, which caused her to become mentally unstable and leap from a 3rd-story window. Phenomema experienced here involve the opening and ...


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    Humboldt County Historical Museum

    Humboldt, Iowa

    63.9 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Lights are seen in the building at night and some people claim the ghost of a man who drowned in the nearby river has also been spotted roaming the grounds.


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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    64.6 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Villisca Axe Murder House

    Villisca, Iowa

    66.8 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    In 1912 an entire family was murdered here by axe, and it is said that the house is still haunted by their spirits. The house has been investigated and featured on the TV show Ghost Adventures.


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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    67.3 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    67.5 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    68.3 miles from Coon Rapids, 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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    Lewis and Clark Park

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    72.5 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Unexplained feelings of sickness and disorientation have been reported by those who come to this park that honors the historic explorers.


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    Fairview Cemetery

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    73.5 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    The Black Angel statue is said to follow visitors with their eyes, and may curse visitors with sickliness. Also reported here have been lights in the trees behind the older graves, and a feeling of being closely followed.


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  • World Famous Ghosts
    Gregory Branson-Trent
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    General Dodge House

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    74 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Folks say General Dodge himself is still hanging about the grounds. If you take a guided tour through the building, you may catch a glimpse of him sitting in his rocking chair. Around the grounds, light flashes and the smell of fire have been reported. Another strange occurrence that may ...


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    Union Pacific Railroad Museum

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    74 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    This museum has been completely restored and renovated, but it was once the town library. Locals say that in the basement, books would often fly off the shelves, and shadowy figures have been seen. Also, items would disappear only to turn up again later.


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    Squirrel Cage - Old Pottawattamie County Jail

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    74 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Built in 1885 and an innovation in jail cells for its time, this jail utilizes a "lazy susan" design, where the jail block is round and the cells form individual wedges like slices in a pie. With only one door leading in, the cells would be rotated by a ...


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    Hummel Park

    Omaha, Nebraska

    74.7 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    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 ...


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    American Theatre

    Cherokee, Iowa

    75.4 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Staff at the theatre maintain that it is haunted by previous owner Mr. Goldie. A seat has been seen rocking, slowly, all by itself, and it is said that the theatre's employees have many more stories to tell.


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    Malvern Manor

    Malvern, Iowa

    76.3 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Built in the late 1800's as a hotel initially to service the railroad. Was eventually turned into a nursing home and then a group home for the mentally handicapped. It serviced everyone from those with Down's Syndrome to the more exotic of diseases like multiple personalities and schizophrenia. The building ...


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    Grotto of the Redemption

    West Bend, Iowa

    76.5 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    This sacred site was constructed over a 42-year period, beginning in 1912, using semiprecious stones from every state in the U.S. and every world region. The Christmas Chapel contains a 300-lb. amethyst, and Bethlehem Cave contains 65 tons of petrified wood. The spiritual place has tons of statues depicting the ...


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    Cherokee Mental Health Institute Cemetery

    Cherokee, Iowa

    76.8 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Behind the MHI on the north side there Is a locked gate about 4 feet tall, if you follow that path down about a foot ball field distance you should cross a small bridge,and there is a small cemetery that is home to nameless graves. It is said that if you ...


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    Mystery Manor

    Omaha, Nebraska

    77.5 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    Built in 1887, Mystery Manor was home to William and Greta Hall. Reports say that when the stock market crashed on October 23, 1929, William Hall lost his fortune and went insane. He attacked Greta with an axe then buried her in the front yard. A week later, Greta's brother ...


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    O'Connor's Irish Pub

    Omaha, Nebraska

    77.6 miles from Coon Rapids, IA

    At O'Connor's Irish Pub, which opened in 2003, shadow figures and unexplained footsteps are seen and heard in the kitchen as well as in the second-floor bar area.


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