Haunted Places in Altoona, Iowa



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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    8 miles from Altoona, 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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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    9.5 miles from Altoona, 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

    9.6 miles from Altoona, 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

    10.4 miles from Altoona, 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

    11.5 miles from Altoona, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    12 miles from Altoona, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    12.2 miles from Altoona, 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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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    12.2 miles from Altoona, 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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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    12.4 miles from Altoona, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    12.6 miles from Altoona, 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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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger

    Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn
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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    15.1 miles from Altoona, 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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    The Mud Man of Metz Bridge

    Newton, Iowa

    16.3 miles from Altoona, 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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    Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery

    Newton, Iowa

    16.9 miles from Altoona, 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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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    19.5 miles from Altoona, 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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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    20 miles from Altoona, 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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    Children's Forest

    Newton, Iowa

    21.5 miles from Altoona, 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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    Capitol II Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    21.6 miles from Altoona, 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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    Newton Daily News

    Newton, Iowa

    21.6 miles from Altoona, 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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    David Ryan House

    Newton, Iowa

    22 miles from Altoona, 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 Community Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    22.5 miles from Altoona, 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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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    23.7 miles from Altoona, 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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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    26.4 miles from Altoona, 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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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    27.5 miles from Altoona, 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

    27.6 miles from Altoona, 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

    27.8 miles from Altoona, 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

    27.9 miles from Altoona, 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

    28 miles from Altoona, IA

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


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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    30.2 miles from Altoona, 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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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    32.9 miles from Altoona, 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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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    35 miles from Altoona, 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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  • Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting
    Christopher Balzano
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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    35.1 miles from Altoona, 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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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    35.9 miles from Altoona, 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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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    38.7 miles from Altoona, 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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    Bucksbaum Center - Grinnell College

    Grinnell, Iowa

    39 miles from Altoona, IA

    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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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    40.2 miles from Altoona, 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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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    41.9 miles from Altoona, 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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    J L Reece Memorial Park

    New Providence, Iowa

    44.6 miles from Altoona, 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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    Meskwaki Bingo Casino and Hotel

    Tama, Iowa

    47.6 miles from Altoona, IA

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


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    Vegors Cemetery

    Lehigh, Iowa

    52.6 miles from Altoona, 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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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    53 miles from Altoona, 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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    Hazel Green Cemetery

    Ackley, Iowa

    60.7 miles from Altoona, 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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    Thompson Hall Dormitory

    Iowa Falls, Iowa

    61.9 miles from Altoona, 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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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    63.3 miles from Altoona, 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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    Clubb House Restaurant

    Sigourney, Iowa

    68.6 miles from Altoona, IA

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


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    Ottumwa Cemetery

    Ottumwa, Iowa

    69.2 miles from Altoona, 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

    69.7 miles from Altoona, 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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    Terre Haute Cemetery

    Decatur City, Iowa

    69.8 miles from Altoona, IA

    The spirit of a little boy can be seen playing on the swingset behind a cabin adjacent to the cemetery. He may motion for you to follow him into the cemetery, where he is buried. Once at his grave, he disappears.


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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    70.3 miles from Altoona, 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

    70.3 miles from Altoona, 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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    Centerville Railroad Tracks

    Centerville, Iowa

    71 miles from Altoona, IA

    Local legend sayd that if you park your car on these railroad tracks and shut it off, an unseen force will push you off the tracks. Reports say you can hear footsteps in the gravel while the spirits of children are pushing your car.


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