Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domainMankato's 40-acre Catholic cemetery, open since 1886 with over 8,000 burials, repeatedly cited as the most haunted cemetery in Minnesota.
200 Goodyear Ave, Mankato, MN 56001
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to visit during open hours. No admission charge.
Access
Limited Access
Rolling cemetery grounds with paved interior lanes and grass sections; uneven terrain in older sections.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1886 · Mankato's primary Catholic cemetery since 1886, serving four parishes · Contains over 8,000 interments, among the oldest Catholic burials in Blue Earth County · 1895 limestone chapel is a surviving example of late-19th-century cemetery architecture in southern Minnesota
The first Catholic cemetery in Mankato opened in 1857 on North 6th Street near Thompson Ravine Road, when the sudden death of Maria Esbach at age 32 made a burial site immediately necessary. Within three decades, the rapid growth of the city had crowded that site beyond practical use.
In November 1885, local parishioners pooled resources to purchase a 40-acre parcel from the estate of Thomas Reiger for $2,020. The first funeral at Calvary took place on November 5, 1886, when Frank Salfer was laid to rest. Over subsequent years, remains from the old North 6th Street cemetery were gradually transferred to the new grounds.
Calvary now serves four local parishes — SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph the Worker, and Holy Rosary Catholic Church. A limestone chapel completed on the grounds in 1895 remains a notable architectural feature. With over 8,000 interments, the cemetery contains some of the oldest documented Catholic burials in Blue Earth County and functions as a significant genealogical resource for the region.
The Blue Earth County Historical Society featured Calvary in a virtual cemetery tour, highlighting its architecture and historical record as a chronicle of Mankato's demographic growth from frontier settlement to regional city.
Sources
Mankato has accumulated a reputation as Minnesota's most haunted city, and Calvary Cemetery is the location most commonly cited in that designation. Paranormal investigators and visitors have described a concentrated set of reported phenomena within the grounds, including cold spots in specific areas, high electromagnetic field readings, colored orbs captured in photography, and a particular exterior light that reportedly extinguishes as visitors depart.
The central folkloric figure attached to Calvary is a character identified in local lore as Dr. Follman, described in paranormal accounts as appearing as a ghostly devil-like form. The origin of this figure — whether tied to a documented burial or to local imagination — has not been independently verified through historical records, and the claim should be treated as local legend rather than documented history.
Mix 94.9 (St. Cloud) identified Calvary as Minnesota's most haunted location in coverage that cited 29 of the state's 1,089 recorded ghost sightings as concentrated here. The Minnesota Haunted Houses database documents visitor accounts of EMF activity, orbs, and cold spots in specific sections of the grounds.
Notable Entities
Explore 40 acres of Catholic burial grounds in Mankato, including a limestone chapel completed in 1895. With over 8,000 interments spanning multiple parishes, the grounds contain some of the oldest Catholic burials in Blue Earth County.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Aerial survey · USDA NAIPJackson, MN
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Los Angeles, CA
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Terlingua, TX
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