Haunted Places in Portland, Iowa



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    Buddy Holly Memorial

    Clear Lake, Iowa

    14.5 miles from Portland, 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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    Riverside Cemetery

    Charles City, Iowa

    22.3 miles from Portland, IA

    Visitors here have reported dark figures and a feeling of being watched. The ghost of a Native American is said to have been seen -- perhaps it is he who keeps an eye on the place.


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    Children of Iron Hill

    Charles City, Iowa

    23.7 miles from Portland, IA

    According to local lore, in the 1920s there was a fiery train crash that killed many passengers. One car was full of orphan children who perished in the fires. It is said that the ghost children can still be heard crying, and sometimes the smell of burning is detected. Some ...


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    Thompson Hall Dormitory

    Iowa Falls, Iowa

    42.1 miles from Portland, 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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    Satan's Hollow Bridge

    Shell Rock, Iowa

    42.4 miles from Portland, IA

    According to reports, those who go underneath the bridge may see tall white figures and hear strange sounds. The figures and a feeling of general unease are said to follow you the further you go.


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    Hazel Green Cemetery

    Ackley, Iowa

    45 miles from Portland, 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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    Camp Ingawanis

    Waverly, Iowa

    46.9 miles from Portland, IA

    It is said that a 12-year-old boy died here when he jumped from a swing and hit his head on a rock. Folks in the area have noted a moving swing when there is no breeze, and some have heard the boy's giggle.


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    Lawther Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    54 miles from Portland, 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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    Strayer-Wood Theatre

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    54 miles from Portland, 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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    Bartlett Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    54 miles from Portland, 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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  • Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn

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

    Algona, Iowa

    54.1 miles from Portland, 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

    54.7 miles from Portland, 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

    57.4 miles from Portland, 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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    J L Reece Memorial Park

    New Providence, Iowa

    60.4 miles from Portland, 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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    Humboldt County Historical Museum

    Humboldt, Iowa

    60.9 miles from Portland, 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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    Walmart - Flammang Drive

    Waterloo, Iowa

    61.3 miles from Portland, 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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    Conover Road Ghost Family

    Ridgeway, Iowa

    61.8 miles from Portland, IA

    Acoording to local lore, a family of four once died near a group of evergreen trees along the road. Their four shadowy apparitions have been seen near the place.


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    It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

    Owatonna, Minnesota

    66.2 miles from Portland, IA

    The bar called It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere is said to be haunted. Reports say the apparition of a man in old-fashioned duds and a puddle of blood appear out of nowhere. The bar was a funeral home and a used furniture store in past incarnations.


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    West Hills

    Owatonna, Minnesota

    66.6 miles from Portland, IA

    Ghosts of orphaned children are rumored to linger in this former orphanage, laughing audibly. Witnesses also have seen the floor move and warp and smelled phantom cigar smoke. Books also have moved, temperature has been known to change drastically, and phone calls have been made to the police department from ...


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    West Union Hardee's

    West Union, Iowa

    67.2 miles from Portland, IA

    Reports say that highways were built over the old cemetery, which lies about where the Hardee's stands. Employees have heard their names being called when they were alone, have felt cold spots, and have had things misplaced. Some accounts tell of a Ouija board incident in which a spirit inhabited ...


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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger
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    Mantorville Opera House

    Kasson, Minnesota

    67.4 miles from Portland, IA

    Built in 1918, the Mantorville Opera House building has been a club, a speakeasy, a silent movie house, a skating rink, a city hall and a civic center. It is believed to be haunted by several spirits, including former actors and entertainers and a woman who the staff nicknamed Ellen. ...


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    Regents Center - Luther College

    Decorah, Iowa

    67.5 miles from Portland, IA

    Students tell the story of an unfortunate janitor at this sports facility who committed suicide in the 1990s. Staff members have reported seeing his ghost.


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    Larsen Hall - Luther College

    Decorah, Iowa

    67.5 miles from Portland, IA

    The third floor is said to be haunted by Gertrude, a ghost who likes to pull fire alarms and hide students' belongings, or replace students' clothing with old-fashioned versions. She is reported to be the spirit of a prospective student of the college who was killed by a car while ...


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    Grotto of the Redemption

    West Bend, Iowa

    67.7 miles from Portland, 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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    Porter House Museum

    Decorah, Iowa

    68.2 miles from Portland, IA

    Actual details of this haunting are vague and hard to come by. Most accounts simply refer to "playful spirits" who inhabit this estate, without any specifics on the actual details. If you've encountered any ghostly activity while visiting the museum, drop us a line and share some details!


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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    68.6 miles from Portland, 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

    68.6 miles from Portland, 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

    69.8 miles from Portland, 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 Kahler Hotel

    Rochester, Minnesota

    70 miles from Portland, IA

    The ghosts of former Mayo Clinic patients are said to haunt the hotel, causing eerie sounds and smells and quick temperature changes.


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    Mrs B's Bed and Breakfast Inn

    Lanesboro, Minnesota

    70.6 miles from Portland, IA

    It just wouldn't be a haunted inn without a famous ghost, and this delightful historic bed and breakfast is allegedly haunted by Buffalo Bill, where he stayed the night on several occasions. In Room #001 (River Song Room), a curious apparition has been reported. Guests have reported seeing a shadowy ...


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    Quarry Hill Nature Center

    Rochester, Minnesota

    71.3 miles from Portland, IA

    The wooden "dead man's bridge" is, according to local legend, where a man hanged himself in the 1960s. Other eerie things on the premises are a small cemetery and several caves that are rumored to be haunted.


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    74.7 miles from Portland, 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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    Bannwell Bridge - Terror Bridge

    Barnum, Iowa

    75.4 miles from Portland, 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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    Buchanan County Court House

    Independence, Iowa

    77.4 miles from Portland, IA

    It is said that in the late 1800s or early 1900s a man was hung here, but something went awry with the process and he died a slow, painful death. His ghost is said to haunt the place at night; it has been seen hanging from a rope.


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    Le Sueur County Historical Society Museum

    Elysian, Minnesota

    79 miles from Portland, IA

    Some odd things have been reported at this museum: disembodied voices, a typewriter and a record player that worked by themselves, and a service bell that rang on its own.


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    Farm House Museum

    Ames, Iowa

    80.6 miles from Portland, IA

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


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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    80.8 miles from Portland, 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

    80.8 miles from Portland, 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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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    80.9 miles from Portland, 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 - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    80.9 miles from Portland, 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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  • Haunted Battlefields of the South
    Thomas Freese Bryan Bush
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    Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel

    Tama, Iowa

    81.6 miles from Portland, IA

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


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    Minnesota State University Mankato

    Mankato, Minnesota

    82.9 miles from Portland, 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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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    82.9 miles from Portland, 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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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    83.1 miles from Portland, 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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    R.D Hubbard House Museum

    Mankato, Minnesota

    83.9 miles from Portland, 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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    Calvary Cemetery

    Mankato, Minnesota

    84 miles from Portland, 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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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    85.5 miles from Portland, 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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    Evergreen Cemetery

    Vinton, Iowa

    87.4 miles from Portland, 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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    St. Olaf College

    Northfield, Minnesota

    92.1 miles from Portland, IA

    The four buildings rumored to be haunted at St. Olaf College are Hilleboe Hall, where children singing and playing piano have been heard; Kelsey Theater, where deceased Miss Kelsey has been witnessed playing the piano onstage; Melby Hall, where the apparitions of a man and a woman in Victorian clothing ...


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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    92.3 miles from Portland, 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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  • Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting
    Christopher Balzano


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