13 Haunted Locations in Iowa That Will Scare You

When you think scary sites you probably don’t immediately think Iowa, but dig deep and you’ll find some seriously spooky tales. It’s charm that usually lie in it’s well known farming prowess can be just as easily turned towards its much scarier history, which would only interest the bravest of hearts or maybe ghost hunters.

Are you ready for a tour of Iowa’s spooky side? These haunted locations are going to make you question every sound and shadow around you.

Scotch Grove – Edinburgh Manor

Edinburgh Manor was once a mental institution, and is now a legendary haunted spot in Iowa. People who visit say they hear eerie voices or feel chills down their spine as they try but fail to ignore the shadowy figures lurking around. It’s known for its infamous ‘creep room’ and its dark, cramped hallways – just the right place for anyone who needs a good scare.

Villisca Axe Murder House – Villisca

Iowa’s most notorious spot is the Villisca Axe Murder House. In 1912, eight people were brutally murdered here and the crime was never solved. Many visitors have said they can still feel an overwhelming sense of dread in the house. Now many people believe that the ghosts of the victims still haunt this sparsely furnished house of horrors.

Farrar Schoolhouse – Farrar

It may look like any other abandoned building, but don’t let appearances fool you, this seemingly deserted school building definitely doesn’t feel deserted. From apparitions, to the sound of children laughing, everything you have come to expect when someone says haunted school building. People say it feels like the spirits of past students and teachers still linger in the premises.

Independence State Hospital

Independence State Hospital has been around since the late 1800s, and its reputation for the paranormal has existed just as long. Its long, dark corridors are said to still be haunted by the aggrieved spirits of its former patients and staff. Many visitors after leaving can’t seem the get the sounds of the screams out of their heads while they also try to forget the shadows that stalked them all throughout the property.

The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery – Iowa City

Iowa City’s Oakland Cemetery is home to the legendary Black Angel statue, said to have turned black from the sins of one woman and her family. Locals advice against touching it or even looking at it for too long, as anyone who does eventually ends up cursed.

Mason House Inn – Bentonsport

This seemingly charming inn, has a very haunted history. The Mason House Inn, built in the mid-1800s, was a Civil War era hospital and some say it’s haunted. The strange sights and occurrences do nothing but fuel these tales, guest report sights of strange figures in the hallways, strange and mysterious phenomenon involving paranormally displaced objects.

Strawberry Point Franklin Hotel

The Franklin Hotel is a beautiful, historic, but also notoriously haunted hotel. Visitors have been said to come out of the hotel with comments about the odd sounds, spooky aura and the strange scents that created a mysterious allure.

Davenport’s City Hall – Davenport

Davenport’s City Hall, built in the 1800s, is more than just city history. As they walk through its old rooms, visitors say they hear unexplained noises, feel a strange presence and even see lights flicker. It’s not the kind of place you’d expect to be haunted, but the eerie happenings here seem to prove otherwise.

Council Bluffs Squirrel Cage Jail

This is one of only a handful of such ‘rotary’ jails built in the United States but visitors have reported seeing strange indecipherable figures, hearing weird noises and sometimes even sensing some creepy aura within the walls. Many people have tried to speculate on the origins of these strange occurrences, but all come up short.

Hotel Julien – Dubuque

There is certainly a history behind Hotel Julien’s ghost stories as well as the hotel itself. It once had notorious gangster Al Capone as its guest, and many visitors report seeing a woman in Victorian clothing wandering the halls which earned the hotel its spooky reputation. This historic hotel has been reported to have been a stage to all sorts of weird events, unexplained noises and ghostly sightings alike have guests feeling a little on edge.

Mathias Ham House – Dubuque

A Dubuque stunner known as the Mathias Ham House is a majestic mansion, but it’s not all Victorian charm. It is also known for being haunted, stories that Mathias Ham’s late daughter, still haunts the grounds, or so many believe. The visitor and staff, who make the mansion as beautiful as it is, report seeing her mysterious ghostly figure.

Luther College – Decorah

This regular looking academic institution, Luther College is also known for its ghost sightings. Students have heard the sound of footsteps coming from empty dorms and other people report strange happenings that have occurred in the library. Sometimes if you’re on campus after dark, you can start to feel like you’re not alone.

Cherokee

Cherokee Mental Health Institute finds itself unable to escape it’s creepy reputation. People have reported seeing shadows lurking in the halls, hearing whispers from empty rooms and feeling thick, eerie vibration as they move through the building.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.

But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.

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