Every year around Halloween time, dozens of haunted houses start popping up. If you live in Indiana though, you can skip the fake haunted houses and check out a few real ones.
Vera Cruz is one of those small towns in Indiana that most people have never heard or read about before. The town itself was already settled when a man purchased a small house on the outskirts of town. He seemed happy enough, up to the point where he shot himself in the head while sitting in the kitchen. The house sat vacant for a number of years before a young couple bought it, not knowing they were getting a haunted house. They constantly kept seeing an older man in their driveway, but he always disappeared when they opened the door. Later guests and visitors to the house began seeing him as well.
Duey’s House is the name given to a haunted house in Valparaiso, Indiana. Duey was a mean man and he got even meaner when he drank. One night he came home from work after being laid off, had a little too much to drink and slowly decapitated every member of his family before killing himself in the silo. Supposedly there are still bloodstains in the house and at night people have spotted strange orbs and glowing eyes.
If you travel to Utica, be on the lookout for an area known as the Witches Castle. The remains of an old house still sit here and many people have claimed to hear people laughing and peering through the open windows. There are also stories of a young girl with black hair wearing a white dress playing in the area, but she always runs away. In a cruel twist of fate, thirteen-year-old Shanda Sharer was brutally beaten at the Witches Castle by a gang of older girls who later set her on fire. The murder happened years after stories already existed about the site.
Haunted houses named after a witch are a popular thing in Indiana. In Sweetser you’ll find the Witch’s House. This abandoned house has no power running to it, but that doesn’t stop a strange light from coming on inside. Legend claims that the witch herself will peek out the window if you stop in front of the house.
St. Anthony, Indiana has the haunted Big White House located near the railroad tracks. Supposedly an entire family was killed on the railroad tracks when their car stopped and they were hit by an oncoming train. Owners of the house claimed they saw ghostly apparitions in their house and heard odd noises.
Indiana also has a few haunted historic houses such as the Nicholson Mansion in Southport. The daughter of a former owner was killed when she was hit by a car while playing in the yard. The house was purchased by another couple and later moved, but a local reporter captured an odd image when he took pictures during the move. One picture clearly shows the ghost of the little girl standing in one of the windows.
Another haunted historic house is the Oliver Mansion in South Bend, Indiana. Katherine Oliver was the wife of the original owner and many people believe she still haunts her former home. There are stories of a whispering female voice, footsteps and even people who have seen the woman’s ghost for themselves.
Some places are haunted by accident victims and that’s true of the haunted house in Shelbyville. According to legend, the daughter of a previous owner was somehow shot and killed in the house. Today it’s completely boarded up, but people claim to hear something scratching and moaning inside the house. There are also stories of someone walking inside or talking quietly.
Shelbyville also has the haunted Twins House. Two twin boys once lived in the house with their parents and it was supposedly designed so that it was perfectly alike on either side, just like the twins. Their father killed their mother and the boys killed him in retaliation. The two had an argument on July 4, 1940 and killed each other. Now reports are that you can hear the boys last fight every year on the anniversary of their deaths.
New Albany also has a historic haunted house, the Culbertson Mansion. Visitors to the house have seen the woman on the third floor and many believe she was married to the original owner. Supposedly her husband remarried after her death and she returned to keep an eye on her children.
A haunted house in Porter supposedly has the ghosts of a woman and her grandson. There are stories of the two spirits peering out a window together. Petersville once had a haunted house where visitors took photos that showed a woman standing in the house. Unfortunately this haunted house burned down a few years ago.
Wolf Mansion in Portage is probably one of the more famous haunted houses in Indiana. The house was once owned by a slave trader who decided to kill all his slaves rather than let them go free. He then killed his family and took his own life. There are stories of ghostly lights, a bell tower that rings without a bell and someone screaming. Other stories say that a group of monks walk the grounds and most people there claim to feel uncomfortable, as if someone’s watching them.
Plevna, Indiana once had a disturbing haunted house that still causes problems even though it’s long gone. People claimed to see a disembodied ghost swinging in the barn, orbs and several other spirits. The farm is now gone, but crops refuse to grow anywhere near the location.
The Bieker House in Munster, Indiana is also rumored to be haunted. The ghost of a woman in white is so prevalent that people refuse to live there. At one point the city of Munster tried to find someone willing to live there for free, just to stop the curiosity seekers and they still couldn’t fill the house.
Michigan City has an odd haunted house, mainly because the house itself disappears and reappears. Legend claims a man killed his entire family and buried them in the basement. There are stories of people moaning inside and those who claim the house doesn’t always exist in the daylight.
The Carl Smith House in Marengo is a place I’ve actually been inside. Supposedly the house is haunted by a number of people who died there. Visitors claim to see the lights go on and off and hear sounds of someone talking or walking around. Unfortunately I didn’t experience anything except for a really great historic house.
Marion, Indiana has two haunted houses. The first is the Hostess House where a woman was brutally murdered. Bloody footprints stain the floors and some claim to see the woman standing on the balcony. There’s also the Sleeping House where another woman was killed. Those living inside have woke to find things moved around and sometimes see her shadow in the hallway.
The Lanier Mansion in Madison is also haunted. The son of Lanier died on the property and people sometimes see him walking around. There are also stories of a phantom cat on the grounds. Belle Gunness was the first female serial killer in America so it shouldn’t be surprising that her former home in Laporte is haunted. People hear someone screaming or feel cold spots inside the house. Laporte also has a haunted apartment building on 415 Virginia Avenue. The building that once stood there burned to the ground and residents have sometimes seen a teenage girl with a burnt face.
The old gas station house in Lake Village is also haunted. There are stories of strange noises and someone knocking on the walls or walking up the stairs. Kokomo has two haunted houses. One is the Siberling Mansion where several ghosts reside and the other is a house on Carter Road where people hear someone knocking on the walls and see a woman inside.
Indianapolis is the largest city in Indiana and it has more than a few haunted houses. The Tuckaway House is haunted by its former owners, while the James A. Allison Mansion is haunted by the owner’s first wife who supposedly died there. Things disappear and there are stories of a child crying. Also haunted is the Stokely Mansion where the ghost of a man and his dog as well as a younger brown haired woman have been seen.
In Hobart you can find the haunted house on 501 Indiana Street where a drug addict once killed his sister. There are stories of people seeing the little girl’s ghost playing in the house. Murder is also the reason behind the haunted McCarthur House in Heltonville. Four people were killed there around 1974 and people report seeing the ghost of the killer fleeing the house.
Henry, Indiana has the haunted Pest House. This is where people with smallpox were sent during 1900-1910 and there are many stories of ghostly apparitions and strange sounds heard inside. The White House in Henry is also haunted, with stories claiming the walls drip blood or strange blood stains can be seen on the walls at night.
You can also find a haunted house in Hanna. A former owner supposedly killed his twin daughters and wife before killing himself. Next to the house you can sometimes see the ghost of the man’s body swinging from a tree or you may see him fighting with his family and carrying off his kids. A haunted house in Hammond can be found on Detroit Street. Legend claims that the spirits here are violent and like to throw things or move things around.
Hammond also has the haunted Jayme House. A number of people have spotted the ghost of a little girl inside the house and heard her playing late at night. The Cement House or Whites Mansion is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A man was building the house for his handicapped wife, but she died before it was finished and he never completed it. Locals claim to see the woman walking around the house at night, holding a candle in one hand.
Evansville is home to several haunted houses. One on #6 School Road is haunted by a man standing near the window. The other is the Carpenter House, which is haunted by Willard Carpenter who built the haunted Willard Library. There are stories of things moving, odd noises and shadowy figures. Or you can visit the Matthews Mansion in Ellettsville where people have heard voices when the building’s empty.
There’s also a haunted house in Bourbon. Legend claims a robber or group of robbers, broke into the house and raped the mother and daughter there before killing them. They then hung the father and son in the barn. People claim at night the ropes can still be seen in the barn, but they disappear during the day. Adding to the creepy factor is the fact that the house remains exactly the same as it did the day of the murder, with all the furniture and personal possessions still there.
The Paris Dunning House in Bloomington has a playful ghost that likes to move things. Many believe the ghost or ghosts relate to those who stayed there when it was part of the Underground Railroad. Lastly is the Gruenwald Historic House in Anderson where people claim to see and hear strange things, but only during a full moon.
Maybe you should skip the commercial attractions and scope out some of the real Indiana haunted houses this year.
Sources:
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/haunted/hauntedplacesofindiana.htm
http://theshadowlands.net/places/indiana.htm
