Haunted Places in Otranto, Iowa



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    Buddy Holly Memorial

    Clear Lake, Iowa

    25.8 miles from Otranto, 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

    30.3 miles from Otranto, 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

    31.2 miles from Otranto, 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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    Mantorville Opera House

    Kasson, Minnesota

    43.6 miles from Otranto, 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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    It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

    Owatonna, Minnesota

    44.9 miles from Otranto, 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

    45.4 miles from Otranto, 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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    The Kahler Hotel

    Rochester, Minnesota

    46.9 miles from Otranto, 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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    Quarry Hill Nature Center

    Rochester, Minnesota

    48.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    Mrs B's Bed and Breakfast Inn

    Lanesboro, Minnesota

    53.6 miles from Otranto, 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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    Conover Road Ghost Family

    Ridgeway, Iowa

    56.7 miles from Otranto, 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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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Satan's Hollow Bridge

    Shell Rock, Iowa

    57.7 miles from Otranto, 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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    Regents Center - Luther College

    Decorah, Iowa

    60 miles from Otranto, 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

    60.1 miles from Otranto, 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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    Camp Ingawanis

    Waverly, Iowa

    60.4 miles from Otranto, 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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    Porter House Museum

    Decorah, Iowa

    61 miles from Otranto, 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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    Le Sueur County Historical Society Museum

    Elysian, Minnesota

    61.7 miles from Otranto, 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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    Thompson Hall Dormitory

    Iowa Falls, Iowa

    65.9 miles from Otranto, 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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    Plum Creek Pits

    Algona, Iowa

    66 miles from Otranto, 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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    Little Africa - Geigel Woods

    Algona, Iowa

    67 miles from Otranto, 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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    Gypsy Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Algona, Iowa

    67.8 miles from Otranto, 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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  • Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn

    Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger
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    Hazel Green Cemetery

    Ackley, Iowa

    67.9 miles from Otranto, 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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    West Union Hardee's

    West Union, Iowa

    68.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    Minnesota State University Mankato

    Mankato, Minnesota

    69.4 miles from Otranto, 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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    St. Olaf College

    Northfield, Minnesota

    70 miles from Otranto, 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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    Calvary Cemetery

    Mankato, Minnesota

    70 miles from Otranto, 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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    Lawther Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    70.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    Bartlett Hall - University of Northern Iowa

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    70.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    R.D Hubbard House Museum

    Mankato, Minnesota

    70.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    Strayer-Wood Theatre

    Cedar Falls, Iowa

    70.4 miles from Otranto, 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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    Quill and Quilt Bed and Breakfast

    Cannon Falls, Minnesota

    72.7 miles from Otranto, IA

    Built in 1897 for a prominent local physician, this bed and breakfast inn appears to now be a private residence. During the establishments heyday, guests reported catching glimpse of a shadowy apparition in the Quilters Haven Room. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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  • Historic Haunted America
    Michael Norman
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    Montgomery Golf Club

    Montgomery, Minnesota

    74.7 miles from Otranto, IA

    Montgomery Golf Club is home to two ghosts, maybe more. One's identity has been traced to a farmer who once lived on the land and is said to be buried on the first hole of the golf course. His apparition has been spotted in a hat and overalls. The other ...


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    St. Mary's College - Heffron Hall

    Winona, Minnesota

    76.2 miles from Otranto, IA

    Heffron Hall at St. Mary's College is known to have a ghost, that of Father Louis Lesches, who murdered Bishop Patrick Heffron in 1915, and who may have been involved in the suspicious burning death of Rev. Edward Lynch in 1931. Witnesses have seen apparitions, experienced cold spots, and had ...


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    Walmart - Flammang Drive

    Waterloo, Iowa

    76.6 miles from Otranto, 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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    362 Cummings Street

    Winona, Minnesota

    77.6 miles from Otranto, IA

    The house at 362 Cummings Street is rumored to be haunted. Some of the things witnesses have experienced here include shadowy figures, moving objects, locked doors opening on their own, crashing sounds, and banging from the basement.


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    Winona State University

    Winona, Minnesota

    78.4 miles from Otranto, IA

    At Winona State College, two halls are rumored to be haunted. On Lourdes Hall's 3rd floor, posters and pictures have been moved or taken off the wall, doors close and lock on their own, and voices can be heard when no one is there. On the 4th floor, which was ...


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    Pieces of the Past

    Winona, Minnesota

    78.9 miles from Otranto, IA

    Pieces of the Past is an antique store housed in an 1850s building that's the setting for many a local legend. It has housed many businesses, including a law office and a brothel (and at the same time). At the brothel, so the stories say, one of the women was ...


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    Humboldt County Historical Museum

    Humboldt, Iowa

    79.3 miles from Otranto, 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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    Anderson House Hotel

    Wabasha, Minnesota

    79.6 miles from Otranto, IA

    Parts of this historic bed and breakfast inn date back to the 1850's, and it's not surprise that the place is said to be haunted. The most famous ghost in the old-fashioned establishment is a female spirit known as 'Sarah'. It is said that she was under the impression ...


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    St. James Hotel

    Red Wing, Minnesota

    79.7 miles from Otranto, IA

    The hotel building was built in 1875, and several spirits are believed to haunt it. The first is a hostile entity that haunts all floors of the building, and which has been known to attack guests and to slam doors. The second apparition is that of a lady in a ...


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    Green Lawn Cemetery - CSAH 20 Cemetery

    St. Peter, Minnesota

    79.9 miles from Otranto, IA

    Green Lawn Cemetery, aka CSAH (County State Aid Highway) 20 Cemetery and Traverse de Sioux Cemetery, is rumored to be haunted and a spot for animal sacrifices. People have reported apparitions, photo anomalies and other strange phenomena here.


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  • Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting
    Christopher Balzano
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    Grotto of the Redemption

    West Bend, Iowa

    81 miles from Otranto, 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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    Treasure Island Resort and Casino

    Welch, Minnesota

    82.7 miles from Otranto, IA

    One night after leaving the Treasure Island Resort and Casino, a man pulled over to take a nap. A few moments later, he heard footsteps coming toward his car, sounding like the walker was dragging one leg. The man looked out his car window and saw a bony old ghost ...


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    J L Reece Memorial Park

    New Providence, Iowa

    83.7 miles from Otranto, 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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    Buchanan County Court House

    Independence, Iowa

    87.9 miles from Otranto, 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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    William G. LeDuc House

    Hastings, Minnesota

    88 miles from Otranto, IA

    Civil War quartermaster General William Leduc's home, built in 1865, and his family reportedly dabbled in spiritualism. Many spirits are said to reside here, and the apparition of General Leduc himself has been spotted. His daughter Alice and family friend Carroll Simmons are believed to be here as well, and ...


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    Rosewood Inn Bed and Breakfast

    Hastings, Minnesota

    88.8 miles from Otranto, IA

    People have reported seeing a strange glowing apparition walking around the grounds and inside the historic inn. When the inn was abandoned for a period of time, people were reportedly chased by the spirit on various occasions. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Treat Me Sweet

    Hastings, Minnesota

    89.1 miles from Otranto, IA

    Treat Me Sweet was a restaurant (no longer open) rumored to be haunted by a former owner who committed suicide in the kitchen.


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    Hawkeye Community Theatre

    Fort Dodge, Iowa

    89.1 miles from Otranto, 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

    89.1 miles from Otranto, 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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    Andy's Market Hill - Scott Park

    Apple Valley, Minnesota

    89.6 miles from Otranto, IA

    At the popular sledding spot called Andy's Market Hill, aka Dead Man's Hill in Scott Park, legend has it that a little boy named Dameon was sledding in 1998 when he was killed accidentally by an archer who shot him in the eye. Now, Dameon's sledding apparition is seen here ...


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