Haunted Places in Villisca, Iowa



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    Villisca Axe Murder House

    Villisca, Iowa

    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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    Malvern Manor

    Malvern, Iowa

    32.1 miles from Villisca, 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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    St. Mary's Cemetery

    Hamburg, Iowa

    41.9 miles from Villisca, IA

    A mysterious spirit, that of a woman, has been seen kneeling at the feet of three of the cemetery's Virgin Mary statues. Also reported have been wailing sounds coming from the statues.


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    High Creek Cemetery

    Watson, Missouri

    42.6 miles from Villisca, 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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    Hannah's Grave

    Plattsmouth, Nebraska

    45.5 miles from Villisca, IA

    According to local legend, Hannah was a 16-year-old girl in the 1800s who became pregnant. Her parents, displeased, delivered the baby at home and promptly drowned it in the Missouri River, telling Hannah the baby had been stillborn. Poor Hannah died of a broken heart shortly thereafter and was buried ...


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    Old Highway 83

    Shelby, Iowa

    46.8 miles from Villisca, 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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    Tedrow Cemetery

    Kellerton, Iowa

    47.9 miles from Villisca, 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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    Super China Buffet

    Nebraska City, Nebraska

    49.1 miles from Villisca, IA

    Formerly Bischof’s Hardware, the restaurant is believed to be haunted by either the ghost of former owner Mr. Bischof or the spirits of a young man who died nearby. Many strange occurrences have been reported here, such as objects that move by themselves.


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    Jewell Park

    Bellevue, Nebraska

    50.2 miles from Villisca, IA

    Witnesses at Jewell Park have reported residual sounds from phantom rodeos, apparitions of people and objects, unexplained mist, footprints, strange noises and animal sounds.


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    Wildwood

    Nebraska City, Nebraska

    50.6 miles from Villisca, IA

    Sensitive guests feel a 'presence' when they tour this historic 1860's home. Some have mentioned seeing a lady in a long black dress in the kitchen or hear footsteps in the dining room. Others hear children's voices upstairs. A paranormal team had it's flashlight turn on ...


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  • Haunted Iowa City
    Vernon Trollinger

    Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Eliza C. Morgan Hall - Peru State College

    Peru, Nebraska

    50.6 miles from Villisca, IA

    The Morgan Hall dormitory is said to be haunted by Eliza Morgan herself. Legend has it that she once lived in the house that makes up the center of the dormitory, and she died in the basement.


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    General Dodge House

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    50.7 miles from Villisca, IA

    Folks say General Dodge himself is still hanging about the grounds. If you take a guided tour through the building, you may catch a glimpse of him sitting in his rocking chair. Around the grounds, light flashes and the smell of fire have been reported. Another strange occurrence that may ...


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    John Rice Library

    Bellevue, Nebraska

    50.8 miles from Villisca, IA

    Apparitions of an old man and a young girl have been seen at the John Rice Library. The girl, about 10, has dark brown hair parted in the middle and big round glasses, and the man is seen crouching over books.


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    Union Pacific Railroad Museum

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    50.9 miles from Villisca, IA

    This museum has been completely restored and renovated, but it was once the town library. Locals say that in the basement, books would often fly off the shelves, and shadowy figures have been seen. Also, items would disappear only to turn up again later.


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    Squirrel Cage - Old Pottawattamie County Jail

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    50.9 miles from Villisca, IA

    Built in 1885 and an innovation in jail cells for its time, this jail utilizes a "lazy susan" design, where the jail block is round and the cells form individual wedges like slices in a pie. With only one door leading in, the cells would be rotated by a ...


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    Meriwether Lewis Dredge

    Brownville, Nebraska

    51.1 miles from Villisca, IA

    Dredge Captain Meriwether Lewis, built in 1931, is one of the few surviving examples of its type built to control flooding along U.S. rivers. It contains a museum that is believed to be haunted. Employees say the ghosts have long been a part of the museum's staff. Perhaps most notably, ...


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    Fairview Cemetery

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    51.2 miles from Villisca, IA

    The Black Angel statue is said to follow visitors with their eyes, and may curse visitors with sickliness. Also reported here have been lights in the trees behind the older graves, and a feeling of being closely followed.


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    Captain Bailey Museum

    Brownville, Nebraska

    51.4 miles from Villisca, IA

    Civil War Captain Bailey's seven-gabled house now holds the museum of Brownville artifacts, and is rumored to be haunted by the captain himself. Among the proof, witnesses say, are doors that won't stay closed and the sound of piano playing late at night. Local tales say the captain died as ...


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    Lewis and Clark Park

    Council Bluffs, Iowa

    52.7 miles from Villisca, 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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    White House Apartments

    Omaha, Nebraska

    54.3 miles from Villisca, IA

    The White House Apartments building is a three-story Italianate Victorian building assumed to once have been a home built around the turn of the century. It was a hospital before it was remodeled into apartments, and is said to be haunted possibly by former patients' ghosts. Witnesses say the apparition ...


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  • Haunted Iowa
    Kathleen Vyn
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    O'Connor's Irish Pub

    Omaha, Nebraska

    54.7 miles from Villisca, IA

    At O'Connor's Irish Pub, which opened in 2003, shadow figures and unexplained footsteps are seen and heard in the kitchen as well as in the second-floor bar area.


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    James F Lynch Park

    Omaha, Nebraska

    54.8 miles from Villisca, IA

    The park is believed to be haunted, as many witnesses will attest. Some of the strange occurrences here have been unexplained footsteps, a ghostly baby's wails, and a man screaming, asking for help, and grabbing the legs of passersby.


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    Mystery Manor

    Omaha, Nebraska

    55.3 miles from Villisca, IA

    Built in 1887, Mystery Manor was home to William and Greta Hall. Reports say that when the stock market crashed on October 23, 1929, William Hall lost his fortune and went insane. He attacked Greta with an axe then buried her in the front yard. A week later, Greta's brother ...


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    Prospect Hill Cemetery

    Omaha, Nebraska

    56.6 miles from Villisca, IA

    A ghostly woman in white was scene by occupants of the property adjacent to the cemetery in 1874. An account of the ghostly lady, who demanded to know the whereabouts of her children before walking back to her grave in the cemetery and vanishing, was published in the Omaha Daily ...


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    Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast

    Omaha, Nebraska

    56.7 miles from Villisca, IA

    This 1894 bed and breakfast inn is housed inside a historic mansion, which has many ghostly tales associated with it. There have been reports of the apparitions of a young man and an elderly former owner appearing on separate occasions in a rocking chair located in the parlour room, ...


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    Union Cemetery - The Devil's Chair

    Guthrie Center, Iowa

    57.7 miles from Villisca, 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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    Elk Grove Cemetery - Union Township Cemetery

    Coon Rapids, Iowa

    57.9 miles from Villisca, 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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    Hummel Park

    Omaha, Nebraska

    59.3 miles from Villisca, 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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    Terre Haute Cemetery

    Decatur City, Iowa

    59.8 miles from Villisca, 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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    Oakwood Cemetery

    Weeping Water, Nebraska

    60.9 miles from Villisca, IA

    One witness warns that the spirits may rise from the graves and attack visitors at night.


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    Keystone Trail

    Omaha, Nebraska

    61.6 miles from Villisca, IA

    The Keystone Trail, near 90th and Fort streets, is believed by some locals to be visited by a phantom train on cold misty nights. The apparition of the train has been both seen and heard, although the railroad tracks were removed from this spot years ago.


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    Brother Sebastian's

    Omaha, Nebraska

    62.4 miles from Villisca, IA

    Bill Walden is the identity of the ghost who haunts this restaurant, a man who wears a tweed smoking jacket and ascot. He was a regular patron, and although he has since passed away, his spirit has made it clear that he still visits regularly.


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    The Earling Exorcism

    Earling, Iowa

    62.7 miles from Villisca, 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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    Davis City Cemetery

    Davis City, Iowa

    63.7 miles from Villisca, 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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    Ball Cemetery

    Springfield, Nebraska

    63.8 miles from Villisca, IA

    The oldest grave marker at Ball Cemetery is reported to be dated 1869, and many apparitions have been reported here over the years. One is a tall male with a bad temper who walks around after dark, sometimes attacking late-night visitors. Another is Mary Mumford, who is buried here. Folks ...


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    New Virginia Cemetery - Beymer Cemetery

    New Virginia, Iowa

    66.9 miles from Villisca, 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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    Van Fossen Cemetery

    Adel, Iowa

    67.4 miles from Villisca, 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 Van Meter Creature

    Van Meter, Iowa

    67.4 miles from Villisca, 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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    The Historic Klondike Hotel

    Manilla, Iowa

    67.7 miles from Villisca, 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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    Museum of Shadows

    Elmwood, Nebraska

    69.1 miles from Villisca, IA

    We have captured some amazing evidence that links back to Harry Green and the Blackbird Store. We have even interacted with the souls who are attached to the very items in the museum. You may feel a soft touch on your arm or shoulder to smelling a very strong perfume ...


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    Oxbow Cemetery - Callahan Cemetery

    Murdock, Nebraska

    69.7 miles from Villisca, IA

    Ghostly children are said to be heard playing at this cemetery, known as Oxbow Cemetery, North Callahan Cemetery, Carter Cemetery and North Elmwood Cemetery. So the story goes, a nearby school collapsed in a big windstorm, pinning and killing a little girl named May Carter. Her father gave this land ...


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    Dana College

    Blair, Nebraska

    74.9 miles from Villisca, 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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    Jordan House

    West Des Moines, Iowa

    77.9 miles from Villisca, 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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    Old Chapel - College Hall

    Indianola, Iowa

    79.4 miles from Villisca, 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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    Glore Psychiatric Museum

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    80.2 miles from Villisca, 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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    Des Moines International Airport

    Des Moines, Iowa

    80.4 miles from Villisca, 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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    The Social Parlor

    St. Joseph, Missouri

    80.6 miles from Villisca, 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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    Smelly Ghost of University Avenue

    Des Moines, Iowa

    80.8 miles from Villisca, 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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    Barbosa's Castillo

    Saint Joseph, Missouri

    80.8 miles from Villisca, 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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    Air Lanes Bowling Center

    Des Moines, Iowa

    81.2 miles from Villisca, 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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  • World Famous Ghosts
    Gregory Branson-Trent


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