Year-Round Ghost Hunts in Minnesota 2026: 16 Haunted Places, Tours & Hours

Skip the carnival-style haunted houses this year and check out places that will truly creep you out. Minnesota has a deep history and plenty of real hauntings to explore.

Did you know there are spots you can visit any time of year? I’ve found at least 16 haunted places in Minnesota that will make your hair stand on end. A few even gave me nightmares.

Halloween brings out two types of people: those who like commercial haunted houses, and those who want the real thing.

Minnesota’s unique past means we have no shortage of ghost stories. The best part about these haunted places is you can visit them year-round.

2026 Update: New Reopenings & Operating Changes

September 2026 Update: Forepaugh’s Mansion has reopened as a fine dining restaurant! This guide has been updated with current 2026 operating hours, tour schedules, and contact information for all locations. Some attractions have changed status since publication—read on for the latest details.

The Real Haunted Places in MN

Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Connecticut Room | Minneapolis, MN

Location: 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday: 10am–5pm | Monday: Closed
Admission: Free (museum is always free to visitors)
How to visit? Walk in during regular hours and visit the Connecticut Period Room on the second floor

Tucked within one of the Midwest’s finest art museums lies a space that radiates something beyond aesthetic appreciation. The Connecticut Period Room—an 18th-century colonial parlor transported intact from New England—has become one of Minneapolis’s most actively haunted locations. Visitors and staff report an overwhelming sense of unwelcome presence when entering this meticulously preserved space.

The paranormal phenomena here are immediate and unsettling. Guests consistently report feeling hands tugging at their clothing as they move through the room, an invisible presence pulling at them without explanation. The sensation is described as distinctly hostile—not curious or playful, but decidedly unwelcoming. Some visitors leave within seconds, unable to shake the feeling that they are intruding on something deeply personal and territorial.

Adding to the mystery, security staff in the museum’s basement control room have encountered a woman dressed in white, who appears specifically to shake her finger in warning or admonishment before vanishing. Staff believe her image may be connected to a museum painting: “Mrs. T in Cream Silk, No. 2.” The footsteps in empty halls and the unexplained laughter that echoes through empty galleries suggest the Connecticut Room is not the only haunted space within these walls.

The Haunt: The paranormal activity remains unexplained—there is no documented tragedy at the museum itself. Yet the colonial furnishings and original 18th-century paneling brought into this room seem to carry with them the spirits of those who once inhabited such spaces. The Connecticut Room experience is one of the most immediately felt hauntings in Minnesota—visitors often leave unsettled, unable to articulate what exactly they encountered, only certain they were not welcome there.

I checked it out myself. One night, I stepped inside and the room went silent. The temperature dropped fast; it felt like winter. I left in a hurry.

The next day, I returned with my husband. The room felt warm and inviting. That experience made me a believer. It’s one of my favorite real haunted places in MN.

Want more backstory? Read:
Are You Brave Enough to Visit the Haunted Minneapolis Institute of Art?

The Fitzgerald Theater | St. Paul, MN

Location: 10 West Exchange Street, St. Paul, MN 55102
Hours: Check event schedule for tours and performances
How to visit? Attend a performance or contact the theater directly about ghost story tours

St. Paul’s beloved Fitzgerald Theater, a historic venue where countless performances have captivated audiences for over a century, hosts at least two resident spirits who never left the stage. The most famous is Ben, a devoted stagehand who worked at the theater decades ago and apparently decided his job was too important to abandon—even in death.

During a 1985 renovation, workers discovered a hidden second balcony they had no knowledge existed. Inside they found mysterious remnants of the past, including an old note addressed to Ben. Since then, staff members have reported seeing his apparition moving about the second balcony when the theater is closed and empty. Audience members have sometimes reported receiving unexpected assistance from a helpful man in the upper levels—only to discover later that no staff member matching his description was working that evening.

The second spirit, known as Vaudeville Veronica, is a performer from the theater’s early days. Staff have reported hearing singing emanating from the theater when it’s supposed to be completely empty—a woman’s voice performing when no performance is scheduled. Whether she’s practicing, performing for an audience only she can see, or simply unable to leave the stage she loved remains a mystery.

The Theater’s Embrace: Theater management openly acknowledges the hauntings and actually embraces them. As one staff member noted, “A theater should be haunted.” Tools mysteriously moved during renovation projects, and unseen hands have sometimes assisted—or hindered—the work. Ben and Veronica remain fixtures of the Fitzgerald experience, reminding visitors that some performers truly never take their final bow.

Wabasha Street Caves | St. Paul, MN

Location: 215 South Wabasha Street, St. Paul, MN 55107
Hours: Tours available by appointment and for special events
How to visit? Schedule a tour

Deep beneath the streets of St. Paul lies a labyrinth of caves that once served as a Prohibition-era speakeasy, hosting illicit gambling, bootleg whiskey, and dangerous men. The caves are now a historical site open to visitors—but those who tour the Fireside Room report they are never truly alone. The spirits of gangsters who died violent deaths in these underground spaces remain, their presence impossible to ignore.

Visitors report seeing men in period clothing—fedoras, vintage suits—moving through the caves as if they still conduct their business there. One recurring apparition is a man wearing a panama hat, glaring at visitors with the protective menace of someone guarding territory. The most chilling reports come from the Fireside Room, where local legend describes a fatal card game that ended with three gangsters shot dead. Visitors claim they can still see bullet holes embedded in the fireplace stones—evidence of the violence that still haunts the space.

The paranormal activity extends beyond apparitions. During performances in the 1970s, equipment would inexplicably fly off the stage with no explanation. Children report encountering a ghostly boy in period clothing, and one wedding photo allegedly captured a young boy surrounded by misty forms. A bathroom encounter documented one of the most disturbing sightings: a ghostly man in gangster attire appeared, smiled, winked at a startled boy, and vanished.

A Living History: The Wabasha Street Caves preserve not just the architecture of Prohibition-era St. Paul, but the restless spirits of those who met violent ends within these stone walls. The paranormal activity here is consistent, well-documented, and undeniable. The Lost Souls Ghost Tour captures the full atmospheric experience—visitors descend into the caves knowing they will encounter more than just historical artifacts.

Tours sell out fast in October. Grab tickets early:
Historic Cave Tour | St. Paul Gangster Tour

St. Paul City Hall & Ramsey County Courthouse | St. Paul, MN

Location: 15 West Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55102
Hours: Monday–Friday: 8am–4:30pm | Saturday & Sunday: Tours available (check schedule)
How to visit? Attend guided historical tours Monday mornings through the Ramsey County Historical Society

St. Paul’s iconic City Hall and Ramsey County Courthouse—a magnificent Romanesque Revival building completed in 1906—stands as a monument to justice and civic pride. But within its ornate corridors and marble halls, former employees and visitors have documented extensive paranormal activity suggesting not everyone who entered these chambers found justice, or peace.

Staff report apparitions in old-style clothing moving through hallways. A ghostly shoeshine man appears in the lobby, performing his invisible work for clients long deceased. The most disturbing apparition is a man believed to be an executed convict, seen hanging from a noose in the building. In empty conference rooms, laughter erupts with no visible source. The sound of high heels clicking across abandoned hallways has been documented multiple times, the footsteps always stopping abruptly at the same location.

Former employees have shared firsthand accounts of poltergeist activity: papers flying off desks of their own accord, daily phantom phone calls originating from an empty conference room, and storage room doors that rattle violently despite being locked. One employee described encountering figures in period clothing on a specific floor, creating an uncanny sensation of having stepped backward in time—the figures seemed displaced from the present era, unaware of current day surroundings.

The Weight of History: City Hall’s haunting may be connected to its role in the justice system—a building where verdicts were rendered, sentences passed, and executions carried out. The spirits that linger here may be those who never accepted the judgments rendered against them, their presence a testament to unresolved injustice and lingering resentment from beyond the grave.

Forepaugh’s Restaurant | St. Paul, MN

Location: 276 Exchange Street South, St. Paul, MN 55102
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday: 3:30pm–10:30pm | Sunday & Monday: Closed
How to visit? Make a reservation or walk in (reservations strongly encouraged)

🚨 MAJOR UPDATE FOR 2026: Forepaugh’s Mansion has reopened as a fine dining restaurant! For years it was closed to the public, but in 2026 this historic Victorian mansion is now welcoming guests. The paranormal history remains—visitors and staff still report cold spots, shaking chandeliers, moved objects, and unexplained supernatural occurrences during dining service.

The legends tied to the distraught maid and former owner haven’t disappeared with the restaurant’s reopening. In fact, some diners report even more activity now that the building is active again. Dine at this genuinely haunted location and experience both fine cuisine and genuine paranormal atmosphere.

How to Book: Call (651) 666-3636 or email gm@forepaughs.com. Reservations are strongly encouraged but walk-ins are welcome when space permits. The restaurant emphasizes this is their “proudly reopened” location after extensive renovations to the historic 19th-century mansion.

The complete dining experience combines historic ambiance, fine dining, and authentic haunting activity—a unique attraction for the paranormal-curious visitor.

Minneapolis City Hall | Minneapolis, MN

Location: 350 South Fifth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Hours: Monday–Friday: 8am–5pm | Tours available by appointment
How to visit? Visit during business hours or schedule a historical tour

Minneapolis City Hall’s Gothic Revival tower dominates the skyline, but within its walls lurks a tragic ghost whose presence is actively documented by visitors and staff. The apparition belongs to inmate John Moshik, whose execution in 1889 went catastrophically wrong—and whose spirit apparently has never forgiven the system that killed him.

Moshik’s ghost makes itself known primarily on the fifth floor, where the old jail cells once held prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing. The apparition has been seen hanging from the rafters—a recreation of his death—and heard stomping angrily along the hallways at all hours. Visitors report an intense, aggressive energy in these spaces. The spirit demands that people leave him in peace, an angry, threatening presence that refuses to accept its confinement even in death.

The botched execution that created this haunting involved a noose that slipped during the first attempt, requiring a second attempt that resulted in death by slow asphyxiation rather than a clean break of the neck. The experience of a failed execution, likely causing Moshik both physical agony and psychological torment, appears to have created a spirit consumed by rage and a demand for justice he never received.

Unfinished Justice: The ghost of John Moshik represents the darkest chapter of Minneapolis’s past—a reminder that not all historical injustices remain quietly buried. His angry presence on the fifth floor serves as both a warning and an indictment, a spirit that refuses to be forgotten or ignored.

County Highway 21 Hitchhiker | Near Warren, MN

Location: Near Sherack on County Highway 21 (between Warren and Sherack)
Best Time to Visit: Stormy nights when paranormal activity peaks
How to visit? Drive the highway late at night; reports increase during severe weather

Few Minnesota ghost stories are as disturbing in their simplicity as the legend of the hitchhiker on County Highway 21. Near Sherack, on stormy nights, drivers report picking up a phantom passenger—a figure appearing soaked and desperate for a ride. What happens next is always the same: within minutes of the hitchhiker entering the vehicle, the figure vanishes without a trace.

The disappearance is not gradual. Drivers report that the hitchhiker is simply no longer there—not faded, not transparent, but gone. Some accounts describe the passenger opening the car door and departing at an impossible speed. Others report looking away for seconds and discovering the backseat empty. The hitchhiker’s clothing is often described as wet, as if the figure recently emerged from water or was caught in the storm for an extended period.

What makes this haunting particularly mysterious is the lack of associated tragedy narrative. Unlike many Minnesota ghost stories tied to specific deaths or dramatic events, the hitchhiker’s origins remain unknown. Did this person die on the highway? Disappear decades ago? The mystery adds to the unsettling nature of encounters. Drivers who have picked up the hitchhiker report feeling compelled to offer the ride, as if they had no choice in the matter—a passenger they felt obligated to help, only to experience their vanishing with a sense of inexplicable dread.

The Road’s Silent Passenger: County Highway 21 remains one of Minnesota’s most actively reported paranormal roads. The hitchhiker represents a category of haunting without clear resolution—a spirit whose story remains untold, whose purpose remains unknown, whose very existence defies easy explanation. This is Minnesota ghost hunting at its most authentic and unsettling.

Landmark Center | St. Paul, MN

Location: 75 West Fifth Street, St. Paul, MN 55102
Hours: Monday–Saturday: 10am–5pm | Sunday: 12pm–5pm
How to visit? Walk in during regular hours; check for ghost tour availability

Landmark Center, formerly the Ramsey County Courthouse, is a stunning Federal Romanesque building that once served as the courthouse where federal gangster trials were prosecuted during the Prohibition era. The building’s most notable ghost is Jack Pfeiffer, a former bellhop who became entangled with organized crime, was arrested for money laundering with gangsters, and ultimately died by suicide in a jail cell within the building.

Jack’s ghost displays a personality and presence that transcends typical haunting patterns. The spirit is believed to enjoy ladies drinking and partying—he frequents the women’s bathrooms, where mysterious phenomena occur regularly. Alcohol mysteriously vanishes from establishments within the building. Bottles tip over with no visible cause. Spirits have appeared in photographs of events, uninvited guests captured on film in formal attire.

Beyond Jack’s direct activity, visitors and staff report a self-operating antique elevator that descends on its own with no visible operator. Shadowy figures appear on upper floor promenades when the building is closed and locked. Unknown voices emerge from former judge’s chambers that are sealed and empty. These phenomena are largely attributed to the building’s deep historical entanglement with organized crime prosecutions—residual hauntings from trials that determined fates, broke up criminal enterprises, and sent men to their deaths.

Justice and Its Ghosts: Landmark Center’s haunting represents the collision of law and crime, conviction and consequence. Jack Pfeiffer’s suicide within the building left an imprint so powerful that his spirit continues to manifest decades later. The building serves as both a historical landmark and an active paranormal location where the justice system’s darker consequences continue to echo.

Ferguson’s Cemetery | Norwood Young America, MN

Location: Northwest of Norwood Young America
Best Time to Visit: Daylight hours; visit in small groups
Note: Remote rural cemetery with active paranormal phenomena

Ferguson’s Cemetery, situated in the countryside near Norwood Young America, is home to one of Minnesota’s most documented ghostly entities: a young boy who was separated from other graves and buried in the southwest corner of the cemetery. Paranormal investigators and visitors consistently report seeing this child’s spirit—peeking around tombstones, sitting on his grave, making his presence unmistakably known to the living who enter this consecrated ground.

The paranormal phenomena at Ferguson’s Cemetery are extensive and well-documented. Visitors report orbs and unexplained shadow figures. Many describe overwhelming “strange feelings”—an acute sensation of being watched by unseen presences. Phantom dog barking and whimpering occurs without any visible animal present. Disembodied footsteps and whispers echo through the cemetery at all hours. Spirit box communications have captured a child’s voice speaking intelligibly. Localized wind patterns appear and disappear within cemetery boundaries—winds that seem to originate from nowhere and stop abruptly at specific locations.

Some visitors report that trees in the cemetery seem to shift positions between visits, defying logical explanation. Apparitions with “empty eye sockets” have been documented. Near the boy’s grave specifically, visitors experience intense unease—a “horrible feeling” and throat tightness that’s physically palpable. Some report seeing a “big black shadow figure” in the trees, an ominous presence that fills observers with dread.

A Child’s Eternal Vigil: The boy’s grave has become a focal point for paranormal investigation teams, who rate the cemetery 4.5 stars based on consistent, repeatable paranormal activity. Visitors unanimously recommend exploring Ferguson’s Cemetery in groups rather than alone—the combination of the young boy’s seeking presence and the darker shadow entities makes solitary investigation inadvisable. This is one of Minnesota’s most actively haunted cemeteries, where the living are clearly not welcome alone.

First Avenue | Minneapolis, MN

Location: 701 First Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Hours: Venue operates during performances and events
How to visit? Purchase tickets to performances or attend special ghost tour events

First Avenue, home to some of rock music’s most iconic performances and intimate shows, harbors a tragic ghost story embedded within its walls. Before becoming a legendary music venue hosting U2, Prince, and generations of influential artists, the building served as a Greyhound bus depot in 1937. It was in this earlier incarnation that a personal tragedy occurred—one that continues to echo through the venue decades later.

The haunting centers on a woman who died by suicide in a bathroom stall after learning her World War II soldier lover had failed to return home. Witnesses, including employees, customers, and paranormal investigators, consistently report hearing her crying or screaming emanating from the bathroom area. The anguish in her cries is described as profound and haunting—the sound of someone unable to accept devastating loss.

The most distinctive paranormal phenomenon at First Avenue is particularly eerie: multiple witnesses report seeing spirits wearing World War II-era clothing—specifically green army jackets—dancing together. But all reports note the same unnerving detail: the dancing figures have no legs. The apparitions are incomplete, truncated, their lower bodies simply not manifesting. Whether this represents the way the spirits perceive themselves or some paranormal limitation remains unexplained, but the image is consistent across multiple witness accounts spanning decades.

Where Grief and Music Collide: First Avenue’s paranormal activity intensifies during Halloween season, when the veil between worlds grows thin. The spirits here are not malevolent but profoundly sad—caught in a moment of devastating loss that the living cannot fully comprehend. Despite hosting some of the world’s most energetic performances, the venue carries an undertone of profound melancholy when the crowds disperse and the music fades.

St. James Hotel | Red Wing, MN

Location: 406 Main Street, Red Wing, MN 55066
Hours: Open year-round for guests
How to visit? Book a room overnight; Room 310 is the most famously haunted

Built in 1875, the St. James Hotel in Red Wing is widely considered one of the most haunted hotels in the Midwest, housing approximately 100 spirits within its walls. The haunting is rooted in catastrophic tragedy: in 1890, the Sea Wing steamboat sank in Lake Pepin just miles away, drowning 98 people. The St. James Hotel became a temporary morgue for the victims’ bodies. Many of those drowned souls apparently never left the building.

The hotel was constructed atop Native American burial grounds, adding another layer to its spectral population. Guests document floating heads, crying babies, cold spots, and ghostly whispers throughout the building. The basement is described as a hotbed of paranormal activity, with unexplained phenomena in virtually every corner of the historic structure.

The most famous haunting centers on Room 310, where Clara Lillyblad—a former waitress and later owner’s wife—continues to maintain the exacting standards she held in life. Her spirit allegedly manipulates objects in the dining room when they don’t meet her requirements, and guests who stay in Room 310 report that the room is “arranged differently” each morning, with personal belongings moved despite locked doors. A former owner described feeling “moving around objects in the dining room when they don’t reach her standards”—Clara’s devoted perfectionism extends beyond death.

Other entities include a hostile ghost that attacks guests and slams doors violently, and a construction worker’s spirit seen fading on the grand staircase after a fatal fall during the building’s original construction. Staff direct interested guests to the third floor, where paranormal activity peaks most consistently. The hotel embraces its haunted reputation, with guests specifically requesting Room 310 for paranormal experiences.

A River’s Remembrance: The St. James Hotel’s haunting is one of Minnesota’s most substantial and documented. The combination of a major maritime tragedy and Native American burial grounds creates a place where the boundary between living and deceased has become permanently thin. Guests seeking genuine paranormal encounters often return to Room 310 year after year.

Red Wing is a great weekend base. After your ghost hunt, try these:
Top Things To Do in Red Wing, Minnesota

Griggs Mansion | St. Paul, MN

Location: 432 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102
Status: Private residence (not open to public tours)
Note: Visible from exterior; most active paranormal location on Summit Avenue

Built in 1883 on one of America’s most elegant avenues, the Griggs Mansion is called “St. Paul’s most haunted house” for reasons that become apparent to anyone who studies its tragic history. The Victorian mansion hosts multiple spirits, each with their own story of loss, desperation, and despair that apparently transcends death itself.

The most active apparition is a female servant from the early 20th century, a maid who died by suicide on the top floor landing after suffering romantic disappointment. Her ghost manifests as a white mist, and those who encounter her presence report an overwhelming sense of doom—a crushing weight of sadness and hopelessness emanating from the space. The landing where she died remains the epicenter of the haunting.

Charles Wade, the mansion’s devoted groundskeeper, haunts the library. Visitors and residents have heard the rustling of book pages when no one else is present, as if the meticulous caretaker continues organizing and caring for the collection even in death. Another spirit, an elderly man in formal attire—black suit and top hat—appears in multiple rooms. One owner reported seeing a man with a long face, white hat, and dark suit glaring from the library doorway before vanishing. During a 1970s renovation, three St. Paul journalists fled at 4 a.m. after hearing heavy footsteps on the stairs descending toward them from an empty floor.

A Mansion That Cannot Rest: The frequent turnover of owners and reluctance of residents to remain suggests the paranormal activity remains relentless. Windows open by themselves during renovations. Students report feeling unseen presences watching them. Residents have been shaken awake by invisible hands. The Griggs Mansion’s haunting is not theatrical or gentle—it is a profound, persistent presence that makes continued occupation difficult. The spirits here do not welcome the living.

Mounds Theatre | St. Paul, MN

Location: 1029 Hudson Rd, St Paul, MN 55106
2026 Tour Schedule: Ghost tours available by appointment (see booking below)
How to visit? Contact the theatre to schedule a paranormal tour

This 1920s theater in Dayton’s Bluff was among the first to show talkies and quickly became known for more than just movies. Since its 2001 reopening, visitors and staff have reported a little girl, a man, and a former usher making their presence known throughout the theater.

2026 Booking Information: Unlike fixed-schedule tours, Mounds Theatre ghost tours are arranged by appointment. This actually works better for paranormal investigation—the spirits seem more active with smaller groups in the quiet theater after regular hours.

To Book Your 2026 Tour:
📞 Phone: (651) 772-2253
📧 Email: historicmoundstheatre@gmail.com
Contact the theatre directly to discuss available times and group size. Tours are typically more active during fall and winter months when paranormal activity peaks.

Old Jail Bed and Breakfast | Taylors Falls, MN

Location: 349 Government Street, Taylors Falls, MN 55084
Hours: Open year-round for overnight guests
How to visit? Reserve a room; the third and fourth floors are most actively haunted

Taylors Falls’s Old Jail Bed & Breakfast operates in two connected buildings—the southern structure houses Minnesota’s oldest jail, while the northern building previously operated as a funeral home in the 1800s. This combination of dark historical purposes—imprisonment and death preparation—has created one of the state’s most actively haunted bed & breakfasts.

Guests report consistent paranormal phenomena across multiple floors. A young boy’s spirit appears on the second and third floors, his apparition seen distinctly enough that multiple independent observers describe the same child. On the third floor, a woman’s ghost manifests as a full-bodied apparition. The incidents documented by guests reveal patterns of escalating paranormal activity: lamps turning on by themselves after being deliberately switched off, sleep paralysis accompanied by the sight of unexplained figures in rooms, unplugged electronics activating on their own, locked items opening mysteriously.

The historical context—a building serving as both jail and funeral home—may explain the spiritual presence. Prisoners held within these walls harbored resentment and despair. Bodies prepared for burial in the funeral home section may have left behind residual emotional energy. One guest questioned whether what they saw in the window—described as a “Civil War era” mannequin—was actually an artifact or something far more unsettling: a genuine apparition preserved so clearly it appeared statue-like.

Where Imprisonment Met Death: The Old Jail Bed & Breakfast attracts paranormal investigators and ghost hunters seeking authentic haunted accommodations. The combination of a functioning jail and funeral home creates a perfect storm for spiritual residue—a building where the living faced confinement and the dead faced preparation for eternity. Guests check in for paranormal experiences and reliably encounter them.

Taylors Falls is a great small town to explore. Don’t miss:
Things To Do in Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Milford Mine Disaster Site | Crosby, MN

Location: Milford Mine Historic District, Crosby, MN
How to visit? The site is a designated historic district; visit the memorial and grounds

On February 5, 1924, Minnesota experienced one of its worst industrial disasters. The Milford Mine flooded catastrophically in less than 20 minutes when a surface cave-in breached a direct connection to Foley Lake. Forty-one miners drowned in the darkness and rising waters. Only seven miners escaped.

The human cost was devastating: thirty-eight of the forty-one miners were married men, leaving behind more than 80 children without fathers. The community of Crosby was devastated by the scale of loss. Families were shattered. An entire generation grew up in the shadow of the mine’s catastrophe.

The Milford Mine Historic District now preserves the memory of those who died. While paranormal documentation at the site is less extensive than at other Minnesota haunted locations, visitors and local residents report a pervasive sadness that seems to emanate from the memorial grounds. The weight of so much sudden loss, so much unfinished life, creates an atmosphere of profound grief. Some describe a feeling of being watched by unseen presences—the miners perhaps still mourning the lives they were denied, the families they left behind.

Respecting the Lost: The Milford Mine disaster represents industrial tragedy on a scale that demands respect and remembrance. Whether or not visitors experience overt paranormal phenomena, the emotional weight of the site is undeniable. This is a place to honor the dead, to remember the families torn apart, and to acknowledge that some sorrows transcend time itself.

Historic Calumet Inn | Pipestone, MN

Location: 104 West Main Street, Pipestone, MN 56164
Hours: Open year-round for guests and tours
How to visit? Book a room at the inn; Room 308 is the most actively haunted

Pipestone’s Historic Calumet Inn is home to one of Minnesota’s most thoroughly documented and personality-rich ghosts: Charlie, a surveyor who died in a catastrophic fire on Valentine’s Day in 1944. Charlie’s presence is so well-established and consistently documented that the inn maintains a three-inch-thick binder at the front desk filled with guest accounts of their encounters with him.

Charlie manifests in decidedly playful and active ways. He leans in doorways, appearing to observe guests. He makes phones ring at odd hours with no caller on the line. Most distinctively, he compulsively manipulates the toilet lid in Room 308—clapping it up and down at night, disrupting guests’ sleep with mechanical persistence. He writes messages in the dust on surfaces and appears in mirrors. Guests report being nudged playfully by unseen hands, a ghostly presence that seems less hostile and more mischievous than many paranormal entities.

The inn’s owner, Tammy Grubbs, has painted a mural of a surveyor in Room 308 to honor Charlie’s presence. She describes him as “one hard worker” who “likes us.” She frequently chases phantom music throughout the hotel—instrumental melodies that play from empty rooms, disappearing when she approaches. Beyond Charlie, guests report other paranormal phenomena: self-rocking chairs that move without visible cause, unexplained music from sealed areas, an overall sense that the inn is inhabited by multiple spirits who have grown comfortable coexisting with the living.

A Survivor’s Attachment: The Historic Calumet Inn has leveraged its paranormal reputation strategically, hosting ghost tours and paranormal investigation events that have helped preserve and sustain the property economically. Charlie’s presence—more friendly than frightening, more mischievous than menacing—has made the Calumet Inn one of Minnesota’s most welcoming haunted hotels. Guests specifically request Room 308 to experience Charlie’s antics firsthand.

Visiting Pipestone? Compare stays and check recent reviews: See hotels | Pipestone National Monument Guide

2026 Quick Contact Guide

Attractions with Tours & Bookings:

• Wabasha Street Caves Tours: Book on Viator (Lost Souls Ghost Tour) | Fall tours sell out fast
• Mounds Theatre: (651) 772-2253 or historicmoundstheatre@gmail.com | By appointment
• Forepaugh’s Restaurant: (651) 666-3636 or gm@forepaughs.com | Reservations encouraged
• St. Paul City Hall Tours: Ramsey County Historical Society | Monday tours
• Old Jail B&B (Taylors Falls): Reserve a haunted room overnight | Phone for current status

Find out more:

If you are brave enough, check out some of these haunted places in Minnesota. If you bring the kids, maybe keep the ghost part to yourself.

If real haunts feel like too much, the Twin Cities has plenty of theatrical haunted houses.

We’ve got The Scariest Haunted Houses in the Twin Cities. For deeper dives into some of these stories, try a few Minnesota haunt books from your local library.

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