Haunted Places in Alta, Iowa



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    Swope Hall - Buena Vista University

    Storm Lake, Iowa

    4.7 miles from Alta, 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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    American Theatre

    Cherokee, Iowa

    14.2 miles from Alta, 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

    15.9 miles from Alta, 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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    Stage Coach Inn

    Ida Grove, Iowa

    23.9 miles from Alta, 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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    Moose Pond

    Spencer, Iowa

    32.4 miles from Alta, 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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    Rainbow Bridge

    Lake City, Iowa

    41.1 miles from Alta, 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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    Lot Behind Nauss Oil

    Emmetsburg, Iowa

    43.6 miles from Alta, 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

    47.3 miles from Alta, 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

    49.5 miles from Alta, 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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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    54.2 miles from Alta, 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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    Oak Hill Cemetery

    Estherville, Iowa

    54.7 miles from Alta, 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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    Graceland Park Cemetery

    Sioux City, Iowa

    55.8 miles from Alta, 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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    Humboldt County Historical Museum

    Humboldt, Iowa

    55.9 miles from Alta, 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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    Dimmitt Hall - Morningside College

    Sioux City, Iowa

    56.3 miles from Alta, 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

    56.3 miles from Alta, 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

    57.1 miles from Alta, 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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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    57.4 miles from Alta, 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

    57.4 miles from Alta, 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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    Sioux City Municipal Auditorium

    Sioux City, Iowa

    58.2 miles from Alta, 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

    59.5 miles from Alta, 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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    Loon Lake Cemetery

    Jackson, Minnesota

    59.8 miles from Alta, 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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    Gypsy Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Algona, Iowa

    61.3 miles from Alta, 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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    Little Africa - Geigel Woods

    Algona, Iowa

    61.3 miles from Alta, 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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    The Earling Exorcism

    Earling, Iowa

    62.4 miles from Alta, 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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    Plum Creek Pits

    Algona, Iowa

    62.6 miles from Alta, 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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    Akron Area Museum

    Akron, Iowa

    65 miles from Alta, IA

    The Akron Area Museum, formerly the home of the Ross Family is haunted some say by the Materiach, Mrs. Lucille Ross. The 100% volunteer staffed museum has had many members experience cold drafts, noises and a feeling of a presence around the main stairway and formal dining room ...


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    Akron Gold and Silver

    Akron, Iowa

    65.3 miles from Alta, IA

    Some say not all the guests are going home at closing time at Akron Gold and Silver, a fine antiques and estate collectable shop in downtown Akron Iowa. A neighboring business owner heard a male voice after hours calling their dog by it's name "Sandy" after hours when the building ...


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    Blackbird Hill

    Alta, Nebraska

    65.5 miles from Alta, 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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    Lottie's Grave - Taylor Cemetery

    Homer, Nebraska

    66.2 miles from Alta, IA

    Some say Lottie haunts the cemetery and that a curse will befall those who visit her gravesite. In some stories, Lottie was murdered, was a witch, or was run over by a car. Many tales abound, such as one that says shortly after her burial, thieves tried to dig up ...


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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    71.6 miles from Alta, 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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    Vegors Cemetery

    Lehigh, Iowa

    72.9 miles from Alta, 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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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    79.7 miles from Alta, 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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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    79.9 miles from Alta, 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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    Ghost Bridge of Logan Creek

    Pender, Nebraska

    81.3 miles from Alta, IA

    Local legend tells of an early-1900s train that was held up by vigilantes chasing down a hired hand who murdered the family that employed him. The train bridge used to cross the Logan Creek, and from this former trestle, the man was hanged. Residents say sometimes a ghost bridge appears ...


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    Palace Theatre

    Luverne, Minnesota

    82.1 miles from Alta, 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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    Old Highway 83

    Shelby, Iowa

    82.8 miles from Alta, 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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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    83.5 miles from Alta, 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

    84.6 miles from Alta, 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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    Gitchie Manitou State Preserve

    Larchwood, Iowa

    86.5 miles from Alta, IA

    The 1973 Gitchie Manitou Murders involved an attack on a group of five teenagers at Gitchie Manitou State Preserve in Lyon County, Iowa. Four of the teenagers were killed and a fifth was raped. We have been there several times and have got many voices and apparitions. I was ...


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    Dana College

    Blair, Nebraska

    89.4 miles from Alta, 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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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    93.8 miles from Alta, 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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    715 South Phillips Avenue

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    94 miles from Alta, IA

    This historic apartment block is believed to be haunted by the apparition of a barefooted man, who has been seen wandering through the corridors. Other paranormal activity reported includes disembodied footsteps, cold spots, ghostly voices and bizarre knocking noises. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Washington Pavilion

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    94.2 miles from Alta, IA

    Locals tell of a construction worker who died after falling into an elevator shaft. Witnesses have described the unexplained sound of ghostly footsteps and an eerie feeling of being watched.


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    Orpheum Theatre Center

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    94.4 miles from Alta, IA

    At the 1913 Orpheum Theater, a deceased actor's ghost is said to linger. Nicknamed Larry, the unknown and angry ghost was first noticed by living actors around 1960. Larry was known to blow fuses and drop sandbags onto living actors. And in 1972, a technical director heard a loud noise ...


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    Old Minnehaha Courthouse Museum

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    94.6 miles from Alta, IA

    This historic courthouse is now the county museum, and is believed to be haunted by many different spirits. Staff and visitors claim to have heard someone falling down the stairs, and have heard disembodied footsteps walking between various rooms. Various visitors have also seen an elderly man sweeping one of ...


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    Pettigrew House Museum

    Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    94.6 miles from Alta, IA

    This historic mansion was built in 1889, and those on guided tours of the building may get more than they bargained for. The building is rumoured to be haunted by the wife of a former attorney who owned the building. Staff claim to have seen her inspecting the building, and ...


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    Hummel Park

    Omaha, Nebraska

    96.6 miles from Alta, IA

    This park was known for its lynch mobs who would long ago target African-Americans. This is said to be the reason why the trees all spookily lean to one side. Folks report hearing drums and howling wolves here, and apparitions have been seen as well, according to legend stemming from ...


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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    97.2 miles from Alta, 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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    The Hotel Cafe and Saloon

    Scribner, Nebraska

    99 miles from Alta, IA

    The 1901 Hotel Cafe and Saloon, now operating as a restaurant, is believed to be haunted by victims of murders or suicides thought to have occurred in the building. On the second and third floors, witnesses have seen shadow figures, heard unexplained voices and felt cold spots.


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    Lewis and Clark Park

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    99.1 miles from Alta, IA

    Unexplained feelings of sickness and disorientation have been reported by those who come to this park that honors the historic explorers.


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