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0Humboldt County Historical Museum
Humboldt, Iowa
6 miles from Rutland, 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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0Grotto of the Redemption
West Bend, Iowa
16 miles from Rutland, 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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Bannwell Bridge - Terror Bridge
Barnum, Iowa
17.7 miles from Rutland, 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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Hawkeye Community Theatre
Fort Dodge, Iowa
18.1 miles from Rutland, 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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0Hawkeye Theatre
Fort Dodge, Iowa
18.1 miles from Rutland, 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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Little Africa - Geigel Woods
Algona, Iowa
20.2 miles from Rutland, IA
This site is said to be very active with spirits, in part because the old bridge was the site of two hangings. Car accidents have been caused by apparitions standing in the middle of the road. Also, at the old farm house, the husband is said to have killed the ...
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Plum Creek Pits
Algona, Iowa
24.7 miles from Rutland, IA
Locals say a little boy's ghost appears at this popular fishing spot. Some say the boy was once accidentally impaled by a stick when he fell while running nearby. The ghost has been seen walking along the bank of the pit.
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Gypsy Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery
Algona, Iowa
26.5 miles from Rutland, IA
This small gypsy cemetery is said to be haunted by a gypsy queen, who is guarded by a murder of crows. Legend has it that in the 1800s gypsies came through here often with their wagons. If any member of their group was sick and dying, they would simply bury ...
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Lot Behind Nauss Oil
Emmetsburg, Iowa
30.8 miles from Rutland, IA
A motel once stood in this vacant lot, but it has since been demolished. The foundation/drive-/walkway is still there. Locals say the spirit of an old man in a plaid shirt and chinos walks along the way, stopping several times as if he is checking to make sure the motel ...
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Vegors Cemetery
Lehigh, Iowa
35.5 miles from Rutland, 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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0Rainbow Bridge
Lake City, Iowa
43.4 miles from Rutland, 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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0Swope Hall - Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa
47 miles from Rutland, 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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Moose Pond
Spencer, Iowa
49.6 miles from Rutland, IA
Locals tell a story of harrowing events that happen at 8:47 p.m. on December 23. If you visit the iced-over pond on that night, you can hear pounding on the ice and hear the screams of a young boy trapped beneath the ice. According to the story, the young boy ...
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0Kate Shelly High Bridge
Boone, Iowa
51.2 miles from Rutland, 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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Oak Hill Cemetery
Estherville, Iowa
52.3 miles from Rutland, IA
A couple of spooky stories surround this cemetery's hill, and the fact that your car, when put in neutral, will seem to travel up it by itself. According to one story, a car full of football players was in an accident here when the car stalled. While they were pushing ...
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Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple
Boone, Iowa
52.7 miles from Rutland, 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
53.4 miles from Rutland, 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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Thompson Hall Dormitory
Iowa Falls, Iowa
54.7 miles from Rutland, IA
The dorm at Ellsworth Community College and Union Cemetery across the street are both said to be haunted. The spirit of town benefactor Mr. Ellsworth himself has been seen, and footsteps and voices have been heard in the dorm's basement.
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0Buddy Holly Memorial
Clear Lake, Iowa
56.2 miles from Rutland, IA
Buddy Holly may be alive beyond the grave. According to reports, some have seen a phantom plane crashing that matches the one involved in the 1959 tragedy. Also, 3 orbs have been caught on tape in the spot where Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens died.
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Farm House Museum
Ames, Iowa
60.6 miles from Rutland, 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
60.6 miles from Rutland, 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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0Iowa State University - Memorial Union
Ames, Iowa
60.8 miles from Rutland, 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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Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
61.1 miles from Rutland, 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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0Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium
Ames, Iowa
61.2 miles from Rutland, 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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0American Theatre
Cherokee, Iowa
63.6 miles from Rutland, 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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Hazel Green Cemetery
Ackley, Iowa
64.4 miles from Rutland, IA
The gazebo in this old cemetery seems to be the central spot for the spiritual activity. In it, visitors have reported seeing an elderly woman's ghost sitting in a rocking chair, holding a baby. It is said that those who see her feel sadness, rather than fear. Reports say that ...
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Cherokee Mental Health Institute Cemetery
Cherokee, Iowa
65.2 miles from Rutland, 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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J L Reece Memorial Park
New Providence, Iowa
66.2 miles from Rutland, 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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0Stage Coach Inn
Ida Grove, Iowa
66.2 miles from Rutland, 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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Loon Lake Cemetery
Jackson, Minnesota
66.5 miles from Rutland, IA
Loon Lake Cemetery is said to be haunted--and dangerous. According to local lore, three witches were violently executed and were buried here, but not before threatening to curse anyone who desecrated their graves. Mary Jane, beheaded in 1881, was said to be the most powerful of the witches. Legend has ...
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Mt Hope Cemetery
Madrid, Iowa
66.5 miles from Rutland, 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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Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery
Coon Rapids, Iowa
73.2 miles from Rutland, IA
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
75.2 miles from Rutland, 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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The Historic Klondike Hotel
Manilla, Iowa
76.8 miles from Rutland, 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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0Van Fossen Cemetery
Adel, Iowa
80.4 miles from Rutland, 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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Farrar Schoolhouse
Maxwell, Iowa
81.2 miles from Rutland, 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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0Merle Hay Mall
Des Moines, Iowa
83.8 miles from Rutland, 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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Old Red Horse Armory
Des Moines, Iowa
85.4 miles from Rutland, 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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Riverside Cemetery
Marshalltown, Iowa
85.6 miles from Rutland, 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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Smelly Ghost of University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa
85.7 miles from Rutland, 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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Spooky Table at the Weaver House
Des Moines, Iowa
85.9 miles from Rutland, 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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0Drake Municipal Observatory
Des Moines, Iowa
86.2 miles from Rutland, 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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The Van Meter Creature
Van Meter, Iowa
87 miles from Rutland, 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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0Jordan House
West Des Moines, Iowa
87.7 miles from Rutland, 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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0Terrace Hill
Des Moines, Iowa
87.8 miles from Rutland, 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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The Earling Exorcism
Earling, Iowa
88.8 miles from Rutland, 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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0Air Lanes Bowling Center
Des Moines, Iowa
90.2 miles from Rutland, 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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0Des Moines International Airport
Des Moines, Iowa
91.2 miles from Rutland, 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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Avon Railroad Tracks
Carlisle, Iowa
93.8 miles from Rutland, 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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Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery
Newton, Iowa
95.4 miles from Rutland, 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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