Beyond the Badlands: 9 Most Haunted Places in North Dakota
North Dakota might be known for its wide-open skies and endless prairies, but it’s also creepy enough to send you running for the hills—if they weren’t so flat!
These are the 9 most haunted places in North Dakota:
Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park
Mandan
Located in Mandan, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is North Dakota’s oldest state park, established in 1907. It’s a popular destination for history buffs and tourists alike, but it’s also known as one of the most haunted places in North Dakota.
The Custer House, a reconstruction of the home once occupied by General George Custer and his wife, Libby, is where most of the activity is concentrated. Libby Custer’s ghost has been seen in a formal black dress, staring out of a second-story window or slamming doors. Distressed whispers, hurried footsteps, and crying have been heard throughout the house.
Some have seen General Custer next to ghostly soldiers in blue uniforms, thought to be those who died while stationed there. Many say the spirits were reawakened when the fort’s buildings were preserved and reconstructed. Tourists have described sounds of stomping, phantom footsteps, and an unsettling sense of being watched at various spots throughout the fort.
Liberty Memorial Building
Bismarck
The Liberty Memorial Building in Bismarck, located on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds, is the oldest building still standing on the Capitol complex.
Built in 1924, it originally served as office space for state agencies and later as the state museum before becoming a library. Its age and storied history contribute to its reputation as one of the most haunted places in North Dakota.
The building was once haunted by a spirit nicknamed the “Stack Monster,” named after the library’s book stacks. Throughout the years, employees and visitors reported weird stuff, including unexplained footsteps, voices coming from nowhere, and shadows moving without explanation.
A transparent apparition has also been seen multiple times. The ghost, described as a male figure in a white shirt, would sometimes call out people’s names, cough randomly, or make its presence known in ways that left no physical proof.
The Stack Monster was last reported in 1981 when the building underwent renovations, and the State Historical Society relocated to the new museum. Though the hauntings seem to have slowed down, the Liberty Memorial Building’s long history remains a fascinating part of North Dakota’s story.
Old Governor’s Mansion
Bismarck
Located in Bismarck, the Former Governors’ Mansion State Historic Site is one of North Dakota’s most well-preserved historical landmarks. Built in 1884, the massive green mansion was the official residence for 20 governors between 1893 and 1960.
Afterward, the building was moved to the State Historical Society of North Dakota and transformed into a museum, which is free to visit. Its original features are well-preserved, along with vintage artifacts and a beautifully maintained interior.
However, the mansion is also one of the most haunted places in North Dakota. Over the years, visitors have reported strange things like curtains moving on their own, footsteps pounding down the stairs, and doors locking mysteriously. These reports have been featured in both local stories and national publications.
One story says that a little girl is buried in the mansion’s basement. This story was inspired by the tragic death of Governor Briggs’ daughter, Estella, who passed away from tuberculosis in 1898. While Estella is buried in Howard Lake, Minnesota, many believe her attachment to the mansion has caused a residual haunting.
Another theory says that many governors were murdered while living in the mansion. While no governors died violently, this story may have originated from a 1927 incident. A stray bullet from boys shooting birds struck a parlor window, and the Bismarck Police Log documented the event.
Harvey Public Library
Harvey
The Harvey Public Library in Harvey has a grim history that makes it one of the most haunted places in North Dakota. Before the library was built, the site was home to the Bentz family.
In the 1930s, Sophia Eberlein-Bentz was brutally murdered in the house by her husband, Jacob Bentz, who bludgeoned her to death while she slept. He tried to cover up the crime, claiming she had died in a car accident, but he was eventually arrested and convicted. Sophia’s tragic death left a mark on the location, and her ghost is believed to haunt the library to this day.
The library was constructed decades later, in 1989, on the 59th anniversary of Sophia’s murder. Her bedroom’s location is now occupied by the library director’s office.
Staff have reported lights flickering on and off, books being pushed off shelves by unseen hands, and doors locking, unlocking, opening, and closing on their own in this office. Small objects, like keys, pens, and change, have been known to disappear and reappear in strange places as if moved by an unseen force.
One of the most unsettling incidents involved a computer screen that displayed a large “S” in a font that didn’t exist in the system. These occurrences initially puzzled the library staff until they learned about the building’s history and Sophia.
Even today, the library continues to experience strange events.
The Children’s Museum at Yunker Farm
Fargo
The Children’s Museum at Yunker Farm in Fargo was housed in a historic brick farmhouse built in 1876. Originally constructed for Newton Whitman and his family, the property later became associated with the Yunker family in the early 1900s.
The farmhouse was eventually transformed into an interactive children’s museum before closing permanently in 2021.
Despite the cheerful atmosphere it once had, the museum has gained a reputation as one of the most haunted places in North Dakota.
Manifestations:
- Elizabeth Yunker: She was known for her deep affection for children. Elizabeth’s spirit is often seen upstairs, where the children spend most of their time. Reports include windows and doors opening and closing on their own and the elevator operating without any visible cause.
- The Girl: A young girl who drowned in a well on the property is sometimes spotted standing near the well, which accompanies feelings of breathlessness or chest discomfort in that area.
- Other Manifestations: Doors and windows that are known to open and close on their own as if moved by an unseen force. The elevator often operates on its own schedule, with buttons seemingly pressed by invisible hands.
Although permanently closed in 2021, the latest information as of 2023 is that the city has announced that they will redevelop the farm and turn it into an attraction.
Note: Yunker Farm is not currently open to the public.
Chateau de Mores
Medora
The Chateau de Mores is a historic site with both beauty and hauntings. Built in 1883 by Antoine de Vallombrosa, the Marquis de Mores, this 26-room hunting lodge was his family’s summer residence.
Today, the chateau is a museum managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, preserving original furnishings, family artifacts, and a rich legacy of the de Mores family.
The Marquis de Mores was a French aristocrat and a visionary entrepreneur. He founded the town of Medora, naming it after his wife, and established a meatpacking business to revolutionize cattle processing.
Though his venture ultimately failed, the ruins of the De Mores packing plant remain at Chimney Park, where the clay brick structure still stands.
Medora de Mores herself is central to the chateau’s haunted reputation. She passed away in 1921 in Cannes, France, under mysterious circumstances. Some accounts say she died from complications from a leg injury sustained while serving as a nurse during World War I, while others claim her death resulted from an infection she caught while hunting in Nepal.
Despite her death occurring far from the chateau, many believe Medora’s spirit returned to the place she so loved, where she spent happy summers with her family.
Apparitions of a woman in a white dress are seen throughout the house, and unexplained cold spots frequently occur. Her side of the bed has been found with an impression as if someone had recently laid there, and her gorgeous, antique silver brush set is mysteriously rearranged. Townspeople have also seen lights turn on in the empty house at night and a woman in a white dress on the porch.
Riverside Cemetery
Fargo
Fargo’s Riverside Cemetery is not only the oldest and largest cemetery in the state but also one of the most haunted places in North Dakota.
Officially established in 1879, the cemetery holds over 18,000 burials, with its burial date listed as February 16, 1878, when Climena Lowell was buried on what would later become the cemetery grounds. Lowell’s burial occurred before the cemetery was formally established, as her son, Jacob Lowell Jr., owned the land at the time.
Visitors to Riverside Cemetery have long seen weird stuff, like hearing voices or seeing faraway figures standing behind the tombstones.
The mausoleums on-site—one built in the 1920s and another in the 1970s—are at the center of this creepiness. Witnesses have heard knocking and kicking sounds coming from inside, as though the dead were trying to escape their crypts. Some have heard the sorrowful sounds of crying near or around the mausoleums, especially at sunset.
The cemetery is also known for unexplained visual phenomena like strange mists and glowing orbs, which repeatedly appear in photographs and videos taken there.
Totten Trail Historic Inn
St. Michael
The Totten Trail Historic Inn, part of the Fort Totten State Historic Site, greets tourists with a charming porch and 19th-century elegance. This beautifully restored building, originally built as officers’ quarters, combines historic charm with a thick air of (haunted) mystery.
The Inn, quietly tucked away in St. Michael, is the big attraction at the Fort Totten State Historic Site. Built between 1867 and 1873, this building was used as housing for officers and their families during Fort Totten’s years as a military post.
In its later years, the site took on a darker chapter, serving as a boarding school for Native American children. In this era, marked by brutal forced assimilation, many kids died on the site.
Today, the themed rooms showcase different eras of history from 1870 to 1910, each with its own energy.
Manifestations:
- Shadowy figures in their peripheral vision
- Unexplained movements of objects, reappearing and disappearing in different areas
- The feeling of being watched/glared at followed
- Doors opening and closing on their own, sometimes violently so
North Dakota State University
Fargo
North Dakota State University (NDSU) has a rich history dating back to 1890, yet the campus has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted places in North Dakota.
Ceres Hall is a stately brick building with a classic, collegiate feel. Originally built as the university’s first women’s dormitory, it is now used as an administrative office.
Hauntings in Ceres Hall:
- Third-Floor Suicides: Said to be haunted by 2 spirits – a male who allegedly hanged himself from a heating pipe during World War II and a female student who took her life due to failing school and the shame she felt. Visitors often hear unexplained slamming doors, strange noises echoing in the night, and sudden lights-out incidents, where lights in a certain area suddenly go out for no logical reason.
- Basement: Many report intense feelings of panic and unease upon entering the basement, triggering a fight-or-flight response. Paranormal investigators from FM Paranormal documented chilling cold spots, shadowy figures moving near doors, whispers from dark corners, and a glowing red ball of light in 2007.
- Other Unexplained Phenomena: Shadows darting in and out, disembodied voices, and an overwhelming sense of being watched.
Minard Hall was originally known as Science Hall. Elegant design, oak finishes, and large, well-lit spaces make it one of the most beautiful buildings on the NDSU campus.
Hauntings in Minard Hall:
- Unsolved Murders in the 1920s: Rumored to have been the site of a double homicide in the attic, once used as a dance floor. A janitor found 2 bodies one morning after a dance, and the room was later converted into a zoology lab. The murder remains unsolved.
- Fourth-Floor Unease: Students report an unsettling atmosphere on the fourth floor, especially at night. Feelings of being watched and mysterious whispers are common. After a partial collapse of the building in 2009, which left a gaping hole, some believe the disruptive event may have stirred lingering spirits. The event happened in the early morning hours; no one was in the building, and no one was hurt.
Note
The campus occasionally gives haunted tours.
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