Haunted Places in Grand River, Iowa



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    Terre Haute Cemetery

    Decatur City, Iowa

    10.3 miles from Grand River, 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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    Tedrow Cemetery

    Kellerton, Iowa

    13.3 miles from Grand River, 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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    Davis City Cemetery

    Davis City, Iowa

    14.4 miles from Grand River, 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

    27.5 miles from Grand River, 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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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    43 miles from Grand River, 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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    Stoneking Cemetery

    Russell, Iowa

    48 miles from Grand River, 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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    The Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    48.8 miles from Grand River, 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

    51.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    52.5 miles from Grand River, 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

    52.8 miles from Grand River, 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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  • Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn

    Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger
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    Villisca Axe Murder House

    Villisca, Iowa

    53.4 miles from Grand River, 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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    Avon Railroad Tracks

    Carlisle, Iowa

    54.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    54.8 miles from Grand River, 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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    Terrace Hill

    Des Moines, Iowa

    55.2 miles from Grand River, 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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    Drake Municipal Observatory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    55.5 miles from Grand River, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    55.6 miles from Grand River, 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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    Spooky Table at the Weaver House

    Des Moines, Iowa

    57.3 miles from Grand River, 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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    Merle Hay Mall

    Des Moines, Iowa

    57.6 miles from Grand River, 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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    Old Red Horse Armory

    Des Moines, Iowa

    57.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Centerville Railroad Tracks

    Centerville, Iowa

    57.9 miles from Grand River, 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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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Maple Hill Mansion

    Monroe, Iowa

    65.3 miles from Grand River, 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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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    65.5 miles from Grand River, 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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    Penguin Lady of Graham Hall

    Pella, Iowa

    67.5 miles from Grand River, 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

    71.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Mt Hope Cemetery

    Madrid, Iowa

    72.6 miles from Grand River, 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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    Sugar Grove Cemetery - Metz Cemetery

    Newton, Iowa

    73 miles from Grand River, 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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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    73.8 miles from Grand River, 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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    Farrar Schoolhouse

    Maxwell, Iowa

    74.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Children's Forest

    Newton, Iowa

    76.5 miles from Grand River, 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

    77 miles from Grand River, 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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  • Historic Haunted America
    Michael Norman
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    Newton Daily News

    Newton, Iowa

    77 miles from Grand River, 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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    Newton Community Theatre

    Newton, Iowa

    77.2 miles from Grand River, 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

    77.2 miles from Grand River, 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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    Iowa State University - C.Y. Stephens Auditorium

    Ames, Iowa

    84.6 miles from Grand River, 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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    Glore Psychiatric Museum

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    84.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Fisher Theatre - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    84.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Friley Hall - Iowa State University

    Ames, Iowa

    84.7 miles from Grand River, 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 - Memorial Union

    Ames, Iowa

    84.8 miles from Grand River, 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

    85.1 miles from Grand River, IA

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


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    Kate Shelly High Bridge

    Boone, Iowa

    85.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    The Boone News-Republican

    Boone, Iowa

    85.7 miles from Grand River, 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

    85.9 miles from Grand River, 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 Social Parlor

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    86.4 miles from Grand River, 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

    86.6 miles from Grand River, 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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    Pink Rosebud Bed and Breakfast

    Plattsburg, Missouri

    90.7 miles from Grand River, 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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    Bucksbaum Center - Grinnell College

    Grinnell, Iowa

    90.8 miles from Grand River, 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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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    99.1 miles from Grand River, 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

    100.3 miles from Grand River, 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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    The Jesse James Farm

    Kearney, Missouri

    100.4 miles from Grand River, IA

    The Jesse James Farm is where well-known outlaw Jesse James grew up, and it's rumored to be haunted. Jesse James’ parents moved there in 1842, and Jesse's and brother Frank's James Gang terrorized the West from 1860 to 1882, stealing an estimated $200,000. Jesse was killed in 1882 when Bob ...


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    Riverside Cemetery

    Marshalltown, Iowa

    101.3 miles from Grand River, 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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