Haunted Places in Grinnell, Iowa



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    Bucksbaum Center - Grinnell College

    Grinnell, Iowa

    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 Community Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    16.4 miles from Grinnell, 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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    David Ryan House

    Newton, Iowa

    16.9 miles from Grinnell, 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

    17.3 miles from Grinnell, 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

    17.3 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Children's Forest

    Newton, Iowa

    17.4 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel

    Tama, Iowa

    17.7 miles from Grinnell, IA

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


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    Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery

    Newton, Iowa

    22 miles from Grinnell, 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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    The Mud Man of Metz Bridge

    Newton, Iowa

    22.8 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    23.9 miles from Grinnell, 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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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger

    Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn
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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    25.7 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    25.8 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    33.6 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Machinist's Hall

    Conroy, Iowa

    37.5 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Clubb House Restaurant

    Sigourney, Iowa

    39 miles from Grinnell, IA

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


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    Mary Wright - Granny Sprague Cemetery

    Homestead, Iowa

    42.8 miles from Grinnell, 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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    J L Reece Memorial Park

    New Providence, Iowa

    42.9 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Indian Dam - Indian Fish Trap State Preserve

    Homestead, Iowa

    42.9 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    43.2 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Evergreen Cemetery

    Vinton, Iowa

    46.5 miles from Grinnell, IA

    This cemetery is home to a ghostly woman on horseback who wears a white dress and rides up and down the train tracks. There are also reports of strange phenomena surrounding a statue and apparitions of military men who wander in the portion of the cemetery for unknown soldiers.


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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Parkers Grove Cemetery

    Shellsburg, Iowa

    47.3 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    48.4 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Old Red Horse Armory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    48.5 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    49.1 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    49.2 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Shellsburg Cemetery

    Shellsburg, Iowa

    49.4 miles from Grinnell, IA

    In the cemetery stands a statue of an angel, which marks the grave of two children who died in the 1940s. Locals say the angel statue will cry real tears at night.


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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    49.6 miles from Grinnell, 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

    50.1 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    50.7 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    50.8 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    50.9 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    50.9 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    51.1 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Iowa State University - Memorial Union

    Ames, Iowa

    51.3 miles from Grinnell, 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

    51.3 miles from Grinnell, IA

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


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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    51.5 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    51.5 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Ottumwa Cemetery

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    51.6 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Hotel Ottumwa

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    52.6 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Greencastle Cemetery

    North Liberty, Iowa

    53.2 miles from Grinnell, 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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  • Haunted Battlefields of the South
    Thomas Freese Bryan Bush
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    Walmart - Flammang Drive

    Waterloo, Iowa

    53.4 miles from Grinnell, IA

    Even Wal-Mart is not immune to spirits. Employees say Jeremiah, a 12-year-old boy, haunts the store by playing pranks, moving merchandise and tugging on the employees' smocks. He also taps them on the shoulder at times. Those who have seen him say he is pale, thin, and wears black pants ...


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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    53.7 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Pleasant Ridge Cemetery

    Palo, Iowa

    53.8 miles from Grinnell, IA

    Locals will point out that there are 13 stairs that lead up a hill into this cemetery. Unexplained voices have been captured on tape here, and visitors have seen apparitions and felt the touch of something unseen.


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    Hazel Green Cemetery

    Ackley, Iowa

    54.2 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Strayer-Wood Theatre

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    54.9 miles from Grinnell, IA

    Zelda is the nickname students have for a ghost who plays the piano, makes strange noises, or causes some of the equipment to work by itself.


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    Lawther Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    55.1 miles from Grinnell, IA

    According to some reports, a soldier named Augie is said to haunt the building. It is said that he passed away there when the hall was used as the infirmary. Students have reported cold spots, strange sounds, and moving objects. Other reports say that the place was never an infirmary ...


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    Bartlett Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    55.1 miles from Grinnell, IA

    Students tell of a Halloween haunted house that was to be set up in the hall, but the resident spirits must have liked the idea and were willing to lend a ghostly hand. During the setup, so many eerie things happened, flickering lights, slamming doors, temperature changes, that the students ...


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    Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

    Cedar Rapids, Iowa

    56.8 miles from Grinnell, IA

    The building was the town library until 1985. According to stories told by locals, one day in the 1960s a regular patron named Hazel visited the library. She was seen walking through the rooms by patrons and employees alike. However, it was soon realized that Hazel had passed away in ...


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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    57 miles from Grinnell, 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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    Coe College

    Cedar Rapids, Iowa

    57.3 miles from Grinnell, IA

    The resident ghost here is Helen, a student who died of influenza in 1918. A grandfather clock located here is said to have been donated by her parents; it used to be in her dorm. Some say the clock is where her spirit lives, but she may come out at ...


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  • Historic Haunted America
    Michael Norman


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