Haunted Places in Marathon, Iowa



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    Swope Hall - Buena Vista University

    Storm Lake, Iowa

    19 miles from Marathon, 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

    20.1 miles from Marathon, 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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    Lot Behind Nauss Oil

    Emmetsburg, Iowa

    23.4 miles from Marathon, 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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    Grotto of the Redemption

    West Bend, Iowa

    28.1 miles from Marathon, 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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    American Theatre

    Cherokee, Iowa

    29.8 miles from Marathon, 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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    Cherokee Mental Health Institute Cemetery

    Cherokee, Iowa

    31.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Oak Hill Cemetery

    Estherville, Iowa

    37.7 miles from Marathon, 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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    Bannwell Bridge - Terror Bridge

    Barnum, Iowa

    40.7 miles from Marathon, 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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    Gypsy Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Algona, Iowa

    41.2 miles from Marathon, 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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    Humboldt County Historical Museum

    Humboldt, Iowa

    41.2 miles from Marathon, 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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  • Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn

    Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Little Africa - Geigel Woods

    Algona, Iowa

    42 miles from Marathon, 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

    42.8 miles from Marathon, 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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    Stage Coach Inn

    Ida Grove, Iowa

    43 miles from Marathon, 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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    Rainbow Bridge

    Lake City, Iowa

    45.2 miles from Marathon, 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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    Loon Lake Cemetery

    Jackson, Minnesota

    46.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    47.3 miles from Marathon, 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

    47.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Vegors Cemetery

    Lehigh, Iowa

    64.9 miles from Marathon, 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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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    68.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Graceland Park Cemetery

    Sioux City, Iowa

    74.8 miles from Marathon, IA

    It is said that orbs of light can be seen here, but visitors trying to take pictures report that they feel a bit disoriented and find that their cameras mysteriously fail to work until they leave the area.


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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger
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    Dimmitt Hall - Morningside College

    Sioux City, Iowa

    75.1 miles from Marathon, IA

    Residents of this dorm have reported hearing a girl choking and gagging at night. Also, an apparition of a crying woman has been seen walking down the hall. She is said to be the ghost of a girl who committed suicide by hanging herself from the heating pipes in her ...


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    Leflur / Lefler House

    Sioux City, Iowa

    75.1 miles from Marathon, IA

    Reports may differ as to spell the name of the locally famous haunted house, but its merit as a haunted site is hard to argue. Several murders have taken place on the premises. Phenomena reported include a red glow seen upstairs, a very cold attic (even in the heat of ...


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    KD Station

    Sioux City, Iowa

    75.7 miles from Marathon, IA

    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 ...


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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    75.7 miles from Marathon, 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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    Sioux City Municipal Auditorium

    Sioux City, Iowa

    76.7 miles from Marathon, IA

    Legend has it that Rodriguez, an electrician who was electrocuted in the 1940s during the building of the auditorium, haunts the area by flickering the lights and turning them off and on. There are also cold spots felt near the site of his death. The ghost of a 12-year-old boy ...


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    Calvary Cemetery

    Sioux City, Iowa

    77.8 miles from Marathon, IA

    Visitors to this cemetery have experienced an unexplained ringing in their ears and the feeling of cobwebs draped over their faces. It is said that these sensations strengthen the closer one gets to a certain grave, one that has a headstone carved from part of a tree. Local legend has ...


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    The Earling Exorcism

    Earling, Iowa

    78.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    78.8 miles from Marathon, 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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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    79 miles from Marathon, 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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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    79.8 miles from Marathon, 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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  • Haunted America
    Michael Norman
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    Palace Theatre

    Luverne, Minnesota

    82.5 miles from Marathon, IA

    The Palace Theater was built by Herman Jochims in 1915, and his wife Maude played piano to accompany the silent films shown there. Her ghost is said to remain here playing the pipe organ, even though it no longer works. Both Herman and Maude have been seen as apparitions, and ...


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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    85.4 miles from Marathon, 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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    Blackbird Hill

    Marathon, Nebraska

    85.8 miles from Marathon, IA

    The burial place of Omaha Indian Chief Blackbird, said to be buried here sitting upright on his horse, is rumored to be haunted. And it's old -- folks say in 1804, famed explorers Lewis and Clark visited this gravesite, leaving behind decorations to commemorate him. But the ghost here is ...


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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    89.2 miles from Marathon, 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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    Farm House Museum

    Ames, Iowa

    89.3 miles from Marathon, 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 - Memorial Union

    Ames, Iowa

    89.4 miles from Marathon, 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

    89.8 miles from Marathon, 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 - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    89.9 miles from Marathon, 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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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    91 miles from Marathon, 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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    Old Highway 83

    Shelby, Iowa

    98.7 miles from Marathon, 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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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    98.8 miles from Marathon, 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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    Minnesota State University Mankato

    Mankato, Minnesota

    101.6 miles from Marathon, IA

    Minnesota State University Mankato is said to have a ghost who rings buzzers and another who steals toilet paper in the Crawford Dorm. And in the Crawford-McElroy Complex, there is a ghost stuck in the 1960s who goes on panty raids.


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    R.D Hubbard House Museum

    Mankato, Minnesota

    102.3 miles from Marathon, IA

    This historic mansion is currently operated as a museum by the Blue Earth County Historical Society, and staff claim that even after the building has closed down for the night, some still walk the halls of the old house. Visitors claim to have heard ghostly laughter, running footsteps in ...


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    Pipestone County Museum

    Pipestone, Minnesota

    103.3 miles from Marathon, IA

    Housed in a building that was once the city hall, the museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of a little blonde girl who appears wearing a blue 19th-century dress and white apron. Footsteps and stomping are also heard, and reports say the ghost of the old doctor ...


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    Calumet Historic Hotel

    Pipestone, Minnesota

    103.3 miles from Marathon, IA

    This historic hotel was erected during the nineteenth century to serve as a railroad stopover for the railway industry which at the time was the lifeblood of the township. The hotel featured two especially haunted rooms, which are always in demand by paranormal investigators and enthusiasts visiting the very ...


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    Lambrecht's Gift Store

    New Ulm, Minnesota

    103.7 miles from Marathon, IA

    This gift store is housed in a historic building, which has a darker history in relation to the murder of a woman that occurred in the building many years before. The apparition of a pale-faced woman with a terrified expression has been seen knocking on the window of the ...


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    Calvary Cemetery

    Mankato, Minnesota

    103.8 miles from Marathon, IA

    At Calvary Cemetery, you can find the visuals for many stories told by school kids. There are several about an evil doctor who appears as a ghost-devil, and some about Hell Road, a nearby path where animal sacrifices were allegedly performed. Ghost hunters determined that no such devilish behavior really ...


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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    106.3 miles from Marathon, 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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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    107.4 miles from Marathon, 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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    Dana College

    Blair, Nebraska

    108.8 miles from Marathon, IA

    Dana College dates back to 1884, but was recently shut down and sold in 2010 due to financial problems. Latest word has it that the college will be refurbished and reopened around 2015-2016. Back in its heyday though, there were a number of places on campus said to be haunted. ...


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