Iowa’s Haunted History: Exploring the State’s Spookiest Sites

Indiana offers a spine-tingling combination of haunted stories and frightening sites thanks to its rich history and varied environment.

This Midwestern state is a gold mine for paranormal fans hoping to experience the paranormal, with everything from historic hotels to abandoned asylums.

Come explore some of Indiana’s most haunted locations, where legend has it that there is little separation between the living and the dead.

Vegors Cemetery (Lehigh)

According to legend, Mrs. Henry Lott, the wife of a man who was known to deceive the Native Americans and take their horses, and the spirits of restless Native Americans haunt the cemetery.

Although her spouse escaped, she was killed while attempting to flee from enraged Native Americans demanding retribution.

The bones from an old Indian burial site are claimed to have been relocated to create room for the white cemetery.

Masonic Temple (Davenport)

This historic masonic temple is said to be the site of a wide range of paranormal occurrences.

These experiences include talking voices that are not physical, sounds that have no obvious source, like footsteps when no one is there, names being called when no one is there, etc. Furniture is among the things that move without someone touching it.

Iowa's Haunted History Exploring the State's Spookiest Sites — Image Via: Haunted Houses

In addition, some report feeling as though they are being watched or touched by ghostly presences. People have occasionally reported seeing full-body apparitions that vanish.

Gitchie Manitou State Preserve (Larchwood)

At the Gitchie Manitou State Preserve in Lyon County, Iowa, five teens were attacked in 1973.

This incident is known as the Gitchie Manitou Murders. Five of the teenagers were sexually assaulted, and four of them died. We have experienced numerous voices and apparitions throughout our multiple visits.

Mary Frances Hall – Clarke College (Dubuque)

Said to be haunted by the school’s founder, Mary Frances Clarke, this 1924-built hall is affectionately known by pupils as “Mary Fran.” Pupils have reported hearing footsteps in the hallway that don’t seem to belong, feeling as though they are being watched, and seeing a cloaked apparition close to the chapel.

According to other accounts, the storage-only fourth floor is said to be haunted, and there is a ghostly nun who hanged herself and is said to be bleeding all over the floor. Additionally, students have noted an etching that says “Help Me” on the window.

It is reported that when more students move into the hostel, the paranormal activity supposedly diminishes correspondingly.

Also, based on reports, spiritual activity takes place at Mary Benedict Hall, which was constructed in 1965. It is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of former pupils and the founding nuns of the Catholic Church.

Students report that tickets and books have been thrown off of shelves, water is running in the neighboring bathroom in the middle of the night, and a veiled person appears in the hall on the third floor (west wing).

In addition, there have been strange footsteps in the tunnel that runs between Mary Josita and Mary Benedict halls.

Farrar Schoolhouse (Maxwell)

Since 2008, this once middle school building has being used as a private dwelling. Please respect the privacy of the owners. Reports have surfaced of a tiny kid’s ghost appearing in the stairs; the same boy can also be seen in a picture taken on the edge of the theater stage.

Recorders have captured children’s laughter and conversation. When she was ready to collapse down the stairs, one witness claimed to have seen an unseen steadying hand.

Final Words

For those interested in the paranormal, Iowa provides a spine-tingling experience with its rich history and eerie legends.

These locations offer a peek into the paranormal, from the creepy Vegors Cemetery to the haunting experiences in Gitchie Manitou State Preserve.

Visiting Iowa’s haunted sites will leave you with spooky memories whether you’re an experienced ghost hunter or just interested in the unknown.

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