Iowa ghost stories

The ghost of Dr. Robert Morehouse. Apparently, the Drake University Observatory in Des Moines is haunted by Dr. Robert Morehouse, the first director of the astronomy department. He and his wife's remains are interred in the entryway of the building, and students have reported many strange things happening, including an unknown force correcting calculations on their observation logs.

The Ghost of Lovers Leap in Columbus Junction is reportedly haunted by a young Indian woman who leaped to her death after she mistakenly thought her lover was dead. She is rumored to be buried at the bottom of the cliff where she jumped, and now visitors report feelings of being watched, cold drafts, and unexplained crying noises.

Helen. The story goes that there is the ghost of a former student named Helen who haunts Coe College in Cedar Rapids. After she died of influenza in the epidemic of 1918, her parents donated the grandfather clock that used to be in her room to the school. The rumor goes that at night, her spirit leaves the clock to play piano in the parlor, and stand by students' beds, pulling their covers off them.

Uncle Charlie. Supposedly in Urbandale there is this ghost named Uncle Charlie, who you can find running through the woods at night. They say if you take a picture with the flash on, he will show up in background, looking ghostly and gruesome. People have reported seeing his ghostly, flesh-eaten face staring into their windows at night.

The Children of Iron Hill. The legend goes that sometime in the 1920's there was a fiery train crash near Charles City that killed many passengers. One car was full of orphan children who became trapped in the train car and perished in the fire. It is said that the ghost children can still be heard crying, and sometimes the smell of burning is detected. Some have seen the ghost of a little girl walking through the woods in a white dress, and one person reported finding a burnt baby doll half buried in the ground by the tracks.

The little boy of Plum Creek Pits. At Plum Creek Pits in Algona, there is said to be a mysterious little boy who plays on the waters edge. The local legend says that this boy was playing at the pits one day when he tripped and fell onto a stick, which impaled him. Local fishermen have reported seeing the boy along the river's edge, and when they called out to him, he is said to have disappeared without a trace.

The ghost of George There is a legend about this old house in Clarion. They say to go to this house, walk upstairs and pick up one of the old photos on ground, then take the photo home with you and sleep with it. When you wake up, the photo will be gone. When you go back into the house, the photo will be back on the floor where you found it and there will be a dark figure in the picture. Apparently, this figure's name is George, and he will haunt you after you touch the photograph. They say that if you let him touch you, he will take a part of your soul.

The ghost of the Sioux City Auditorium. The Sioux City Auditorium/Long Lines Family Center is rumored to be haunted by several different spirits. One of these is the ghost of a young boy who died in the building when it was first being constructed. The story goes that he and his friend were on the roof hunting pigeons, when they were separated. The boy's friend thought he had left, so he went home. Two weeks later the boy was found at the bottom of a roof exhaust shaft, which was a fall of 150-feet. They say that he still haunts the area, and you can hear faint screams and feel cold drafts when you walk by.

The ghosts of Merle Hay Mall. Merle Hay Mall and its tower are said to be haunted by the ghosts of several nuns. Apparently, the mall is built over an old monastery/nunnery, where several nuns had become pregnant and had miscarriages, then buried their babies in unmarked graves on the site. The tower is said to be haunted by the ghost of a crying nun, who carries around a dead infant. People have also reported the elevator moving between floors with no one on it, cold drafts, and unexplained noises.

The ghost of Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow Bridge in Lake City is home to a ghost, but not a scary one, like the rest of these. The story goes that if you bring an unopened chocolate bar to the bridge at midnight, lay it in the center of the bridge, then leave the bridge, after 5 minutes you will find the unopened candy bar with an intact wrapper, but the chocolate inside will be gone. Now this sounds like a ghost I wouldn't mind running into.