1924 Classical state office on the Bismarck Capitol grounds — long-tenured State Historical Society employees documented the 'Stack Monster,' a shadowy male presence in the subbasement stacks, from 1967 through 1981.
604 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public state library — entry free during business hours. No public ghost tours.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Wheelchair-accessible state office building with elevators.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1924 · World War I Memorial · Oldest Building on the ND Capitol Grounds · Original Home of the State Historical Society 1924-1981 · Classical Federal Architecture (Keith & Kurke)
The Liberty Memorial Building, completed in 1924, was the first major addition to the North Dakota State Capitol grounds and is the oldest building still standing on the complex. The legislature commissioned the building between 1920 and 1924 as a memorial to North Dakota men and women who served in World War I, with a final construction cost of approximately $450,000.
The building was designed by the Fargo-and-Bismarck architectural firm of Keith & Kurke in a Classical federal style. The exterior is faced in Bedford limestone over a granite foundation. Interior finishes include travertine imported from Italy and Minnesota marble, with ornamental bronze doors at the principal entrance.
For most of the twentieth century the Liberty Memorial Building was the home of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the state museum, and the state archives. The subbasement stacks held the bulk of the archival collections. In 1981 the building underwent a major renovation to modernize building systems, and the State Historical Society and museum collections were relocated to the new North Dakota Heritage Center elsewhere on the Capitol grounds.
Following the 1981 transition, the building was reconfigured as the home of the North Dakota State Library, the role it continues to serve today. The Liberty Memorial Building is recognized in regional architectural inventories and is part of the listed Capitol grounds complex.
Sources
The Liberty Memorial Building's haunt reputation is unusual in that it rests on first-person workplace accounts from named State Historical Society employees rather than tour-tradition lore. The presence acquired the nickname 'Stack Monster' for its association with the subbasement stacks where the state's archival collections were once shelved.
The most-cited incident occurred in 1967, when archivist Liess Vantine was working overtime in the subbasement and heard a voice call his name — 'Come here, Liess.' Vantine, expecting to find his colleague Craig somewhere in the stacks, searched and discovered Craig was actually two floors above him at the time. According to the Paranormal Housewife account and aggregator North Dakota Haunted Houses, similar incidents were reported by historic preservationist Walter Bailey and archivist Frank Vyzraiek, both of whom described overwhelming urges to leave the building under unexplained circumstances. The south entrance door was reported to open and close on its own, and lights in the stacks were said to switch on and off without anyone present.
Reports of Stack Monster activity reportedly ceased around 1981, coinciding with both the major building renovation and the relocation of the State Historical Society collections to the new Heritage Center. The Liberty Memorial Building staff are said to have made the Stack Monster a security badge in case the presence ever returned. The current State Library does not market the building as haunted; access to the historic subbasement stacks is not open to the public.
This is the haunted venue on the Capitol grounds — not the North Dakota State Capitol tower itself, which is a separate twentieth-century skyscraper-style building immediately to the south.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Drive-by or walk-up exterior visit on the North Dakota Capitol grounds. The Liberty Memorial Building is an active state office; the haunted subbasement stacks are not accessible to the public.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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