Haunted Places in Ellston, Iowa



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    Tedrow Cemetery

    Kellerton, Iowa

    11.7 miles from Ellston, IA

    Rumor has it that it is not actually the small cemetery, but the surrounding woods, that are haunted. Phenomena experienced here include glowing lights coming from the woods, shadowed apparitions, and the sounds of footsteps, moaning, and other strange noises.


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    Terre Haute Cemetery

    Decatur City, Iowa

    16.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Davis City Cemetery

    Davis City, Iowa

    20.5 miles from Ellston, IA

    It is said that visitors to the cemetery may exoerience a sudden feeling of pressure as they enter. Shooting lights also have been reported streaming across the grounds very late at night.


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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    30.4 miles from Ellston, 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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    Villisca Axe Murder House

    Villisca, Iowa

    45.6 miles from Ellston, IA

    In 1912 an entire family was murdered here by axe, and it is said that the house is still haunted by their spirits. The house has been investigated and featured on the TV show Ghost Adventures.


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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    46 miles from Ellston, 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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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    48.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    53.3 miles from Ellston, 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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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    53.3 miles from Ellston, 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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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    53.4 miles from Ellston, 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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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    54.4 miles from Ellston, 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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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    54.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    56.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    56.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    56.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    57.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    58.5 miles from Ellston, 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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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    58.6 miles from Ellston, 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

    59 miles from Ellston, 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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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    61.3 miles from Ellston, 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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    Centerville Railroad Tracks

    Centerville, Iowa

    65.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    68.9 miles from Ellston, 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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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    69.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    72.4 miles from Ellston, 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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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    73 miles from Ellston, 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 Mud Man of Metz Bridge

    Newton, Iowa

    75.4 miles from Ellston, 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

    76.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    76.9 miles from Ellston, 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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    Malvern Manor

    Malvern, Iowa

    77.9 miles from Ellston, IA

    Built in the late 1800's as a hotel initially to service the railroad. Was eventually turned into a nursing home and then a group home for the mentally handicapped. It serviced everyone from those with Down's Syndrome to the more exotic of diseases like multiple personalities and schizophrenia. The building ...


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    High Creek Cemetery

    Watson, Missouri

    79.9 miles from Ellston, IA

    Upon finding this website, I was shocked to find this location was not listed, as it is "well known" by locals to be noted as haunted. The experience I had there happened about 10 years ago. A friend and I were hanging out one night and decided to ...


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    Children's Forest

    Newton, Iowa

    80.3 miles from Ellston, 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

    80.8 miles from Ellston, 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

    80.9 miles from Ellston, 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

    81 miles from Ellston, 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

    81.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Glore Psychiatric Museum

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    82.2 miles from Ellston, IA

    The Glore Psychiatric Museum is rumored to be haunted by long-dead patients who are still hoping that their mental illness can be cured. Apparitions seen here include a sharply dressed man and an elderly man, and in the basement, the motion detector is often set off when no one is ...


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    The Social Parlor

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    83.8 miles from Ellston, IA

    The Social Parlor is a century-old building that held small businesses, such as a furrier's shop, which catered to the town's wealthy in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The ghost believed to haunt the building is, in fact, a furrier. Reports say the building is not currently in ...


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    Barbosa's Castillo

    Saint Joseph, Missouri

    84 miles from Ellston, IA

    A Mexican restaurant specialising in authentic cuisine is housed inside this 1891 historic castle, which was formerly owned by a J.B Moss and his family. Staff nowadays working at the establishment have reported various instances of poltergeist activity, but little else is known about the hauntings and their origin. (Submitted ...


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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    84.6 miles from Ellston, 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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    Old Highway 83

    Shelby, Iowa

    84.7 miles from Ellston, 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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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    85.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    85.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    85.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    85.2 miles from Ellston, 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

    85.2 miles from Ellston, 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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    Boone County Historical Society - Masonic Temple

    Boone, Iowa

    85.2 miles from Ellston, 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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    Farm House Museum

    Ames, Iowa

    85.5 miles from Ellston, IA

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


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    Pink Rosebud Bed and Breakfast

    Plattsburg, Missouri

    90.2 miles from Ellston, IA

    This 1878 bed and breakfast has always had a neighbourhood reputation as a 'haunted house', but it wasn't until recently that the current owners suspected that something otherworldly was going on at the inn. Paranormal activity reported at this location includes doors opening and closing of their own accord, ...


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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    93.1 miles from Ellston, 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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    The Earling Exorcism

    Earling, Iowa

    93.7 miles from Ellston, 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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