10 Most Haunted Places in Iowa: Ghosts of the Hawkeye State
You’re about to discover the most haunted places in Iowa. Known for its small towns and rural landscapes straight out of a ghost story, this state has its share of lingering spirits.
These are the 10 most haunted places in Iowa:
The Villisca Ax Murder House
Villisca
Just like a horror movie, it was a warm June night in 1912 when the Moore family and 2 guests were brutally murdered in their beds by an unknown person with an ax. The crime is unsolved to this day, giving this home a reputation as one of the most haunted places in Iowa.
Only 90 minutes southeast of Omaha, the Villisca Ax Murder House offers both daytime tours and overnight stays. Those brave enough to spend the night have seen shadowy figures, heard angry voices, and watched objects sliding around on their own. Some have felt invisible hands pulling or pushing them and seen flickering green lights and vanishing bloodstains on the walls.
Farrar Schoolhouse
Maxwell
The Farrar Schoolhouse is easily one of the most haunted places in Iowa!
Since 1921, it has sat surrounded by farmland, with the 150-year-old Farrar Cemetery across the street.
At first glance, the school seems like just another forgotten relic of rural Iowa, but when Jim and Nancy Olviver purchased the property in 2006, they found much more.
Within only a few days, strange occurrences quickly became routine. Voices are heard in the empty corridors, doors slam shut without warning, sometimes in their face.
Nancy had a creepy experience on the stairwell when an unseen hand helped steady her after she lost her balance. When she turned around, no one was there.
A small boy on the stairs has also been seen. He stands about 3′ 6″ tall with one foot on each step, grasping onto the handrail, and vanishes as soon as he’s spotted.
So, yeah, Farrar Schoolhouse is easily one of the most haunted places in Iowa!
Franklin Hotel
Strawberry Point
Step inside the Franklin Hotel, and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back to the early 1900s. This beautifully restored Victorian hotel in Strawberry Point is decked out with vintage decor, charm, and an old-fashioned Victorian haunting.
Believed to be a prostitute in life, Lily, dressed in her lavender gown, has been spotted in the halls, singing or moaning. She’s been known to move furniture around and take clothes off hangers right in front of guests.
There’s also Leo, who spent more than 30 years running the hotel’s laundry. Guests have heard the sound of the old hotel bell system ringing late at night, a nod to his time working here.
Travel Tip
While in Strawberry Point, check out the world’s largest strawberry.
Cresco Theatre & Opera House
Cresco
Stepping into the Cresco Theatre & Opera House feels like traveling back in time. Built in 1914, this historic venue has seen everything from burlesque performances to modern films.
Historically, the Cresco Theatre was known for its paranormal activity. Workers and visitors reported weird occurrences in this 2020 interview:
- A burlesque performer: An older man who is believed to be a former vaudeville performer has been seen in the aisles. Staff says paranormal investigators captured audio where he says that he approves of the current theater manager, Wendy Lickteig.
- Dolores, the stage ghost: Resident ghost Dolores haunts the stage and is said to have told male visitors to “shut up and go away.”
- A child’s spirit: Several individuals, including Ellen Murphy, the costume director, have seen a genderless child on the balcony.
- Mysterious voices: Workers like those involved in the theater’s restoration projects have reported hearing a woman’s scream, especially on the upper levels.
- Moving objects: Props and costumes mysteriously shift in the costume room.
Edinburgh Manor
Scotch Grove
From the outside, Edinburgh Manor looks like any other old building, but if you step inside, you’ll find something much darker.
The asylum was first built as a courthouse but converted into a poor house in the mid-1800s. The poor, disabled, and mentally ill worked in exchange for a place to sleep.
Accidents killed several workers, so a cemetery was eventually built. Over 80 former residents are buried here. In 1910, the poorhouse was replaced by the Edinburgh Manor, an asylum for the elderly and extremely mentally ill until it closed in 2010.
The Joker is an aggressive being known for throwing plates, harshly grabbing visitors, and even attempting to choke them! His presence is strongest in the basement’s old padded cell, where some report anxious feelings and find disturbing anomalies in their photos, said to be The Joker’s face or form.
Given its grim history and active paranormal residents, it’s no wonder Edinburgh Manor is one of the most haunted places in Iowa. Tours and overnight stays are available for anyone brave enough to meet The Joker in person!
Malvern Manor
Malvern
Originally built in the 1880s as Malvern’s first hotel, Malvern Manor has worn many hats, from an inn to a nursing home and eventually a group home for the disabled.
The property has a nasty history, including abuse allegations and mysterious deaths. Paranormal activity is especially strong in these areas:
- The Blood Hallway: The second floor has leftover blood spatter from an alleged resident beating. Visitors report hearing voices, footsteps, and objects moving on their own near the stains.
- Grace’s Room: Grace, a former patient with multiple personalities, terrified staff with her deep voice that would yell, “The Devil’s coming to get me.” Investigators still capture disturbing EVP recordings here.
- The Shadowman Hallway: An evil presence lurks between rooms 17 and 18, where one guest felt like they were being lifted off the floor.
- The Nurse’s Wing: This area radiates angry energy, likely fed by years of abuse. Inez’s Room: The tragic death of 12-year-old Inez haunts the manor. Guests who spend the night in her room often hear her giggling and the sounds of footsteps, repeatedly manifesting before vanishing again.
- The Hair-Pulling Woman: One former resident, driven insane by an obsession with her appearance, was often found in front of a mirror pulling out her hair in chunks. Visitors today still report seeing her reflection, standing in front of the same mirror, yanking at her hair with a pained expression.
Malvern Manor’s has been on T.V show Paranormal Lockdown and inspired Richard Estep’s book on its hauntings: The Devil’s Coming to Get Me: The Haunting of Malvern Manor.
The Black Angel at Oakland Cemetery
Iowa City
Standing tall and creepy in Oakland Cemetery is the Black Angel statue.
Erected in 1912 by Teresa Feldevert, a heartbroken mother who lost her son to meningitis, the angel was originally a beautiful, heavenly golden bronze color. But after Teresa died in 1924, when her ashes were scattered beneath it, the statue began to turn black, starting with the eyes.
Locals say the Black Angel’s color change is tied to Teresa, as she was a witch who cursed the statue to guard her family’s graves.
Visitors also report seeing strange orbs and lights floating around the cemetery, and some feel an unexplainable chill when standing near the statue. Who’s surprised that this site is one of the most haunted places in Iowa?
Mathias Ham House
Dubuque
The Mathias Ham House is not just your average Museum. Built in 1857, this grand mansion is a fascinating piece of Dubuque history (also haunted, or it wouldn’t be on this list).
The home was once owned by Mathias Ham, a wealthy businessman. This home has seen several deaths:
- Mathias Ham: died in 1889 from natural causes.
- Zeralda Ham: Mathias’s first wife, passed away in 1856 from an unknown illness.
- Margaret Ham: Mathias’s second wife, died in 1874, also from an unspecified illness.
- May Ham: the daughter of Mathias and Margaret, died under mysterious circumstances in 1897. Though details surrounding her death are less clear, locals suggest illness or accident.
- Intruder: Mathias’ other daughter, Sarah Ham, shot and killed an intruder who continues to haunt the house to this day. The man was said to be a river pirate (a type of thief who sailed along the Mississippi River, robbing wealthy homes).
Since the house became a museum in 1964, visitors have seen strange stuff, including:
- Icy breezes and flickering lights that ignore the commands of light switches.
- Footsteps and furniture move on their own, along with music from the broken organ.
- Spirit of the pirate: Killed by Sarah, his presence is felt on the third floor with chilling winds and uneasy vibes, locked in the house he tried to rob.
- Mr. Ham’s spirit: He prefers the lights on at night. Disrespectful visitors have experienced door slamming in retaliation, so follow his house rules!
Other highlights on the property include a one-room schoolhouse, a Settler’s Cabin, a Granary, and an exhibit that recreates an old lead mine and badger hole.
Squirrel Cage Jail
Council Bluffs
As the only 3-story revolving jail ever built, the Squirrel Cage Jail in Council Bluffs stands out. Still, people come for the ghosts.
Built in 1885, this unique “squirrel cage” jail housed prisoners in rotating pie-shaped cells stacked across 3 floors.
Now a museum, this bizarre jail is a hotspot for hauntings related to the several confirmed deaths that occurred there:
- Curse of Murderer Jake Bird: An infamous mass murderer, Jake Bird, who was accused of killing up to 46 people with an ax or hatchet, was once imprisoned here. During his trial, he claimed to curse anyone involved in his conviction, saying they would die before him. It’s said that 6 people died, including the judge, some officers, and even his own lawyer. Bird was hanged in 1949 in Washington.
- Killer Charles Noel Brown: This sick man went on a 3-day drunken murder rampage and was the last person hanged in Iowa in 1962. The Museum still displays his noose, and he lingers around it, still giving people the creeps.
- The Cells: One prisoner died of a heart attack while in his cell, and another hung himself. That area has creeepy vibes.
- The Jumper: Another man died after a failed attempt to carve his name into the ceiling, falling 3 stories to his death. He’s been seen diving from the ceiling, only to disappear as soon as he hits the floor.
- The Riot: During riot gun training, a jail officer was accidentally shot when a gun misfired. Sounds of a gunshot and hurried steps are sometimes heard in the distance.
Today, self-guided tours are available to the adventurous!
Stony Hollow Road
Burlington
Stony Hollow Road seems like an ordinary Iowa farm road during the day, but at night, it becomes quietly deserted. On the cliffs overlooking the asphalt, the heartbroken ghost of Lucinda remains.
In the1800s, Lucinda killed herself after assuming her husband had abandoned her. In reality, he was only delayed because his wagon got stuck. Lucinda jumped to her death and has been haunting the cliffs ever since.
If you visit Stony Hollow Road after dark and shout her name 3 times, her ghost appears. If she lays a rose at your feet, legend says you’ll die within days.
Though summoning her is a ghost-hunting tradition, it’s best to go alone, as Lucinda is easily scared by crowds, an introvert even in death. No wonder this road is one of the most haunted places in Iowa.
Haunt Us
Don’t let your ghost stories go untold. Have you been to any of the most haunted places in Iowa? Share your ghost-hunting experiences in the comments below, visit the forums, and become part of our haunted community.
