The Most Haunted Places in Nebraska
Nebraska has 32 documented haunted locations in the HauntBound index.
Top 5 identified after source-level analysis of the 13 strongest Nebraska candidates.
By the numbers
- Total documented
- 32
- Museum / Historical Site
- 11
- Outdoor / Natural Site
- 8
- Cemetery / Burial Ground
- 5
- Family-friendly
- 30
- Bookable
- 4
- Oldest documented site
- Barnard Park (1847)
- Most-reported phenomenon
- apparitions
Ranked
- 1. Museum of Shadows Nate Raterman began collecting objects he believed were haunted in 2006, and he and wife Kaleigh built the collection into the Museum of Shadows, settling in Omaha's Old Market in 2020. It holds thousands of objects, anchored by two dolls: Ayda, voted the world's creepiest doll ahead of the Warrens' Annabelle, and Demus, said found in a buried garden box. The Ratermans say cameras captured Ayda shifting, and visitors report being touched and hearing voices. 7 original accounts · documented across 3 decades, 2006-2022 · retold in 1 later publication
- 2. The Historic Argo Hotel Built in 1912 by Nick Michaelis to serve railroad travelers, this Crofton hotel operated as a sanitarium from the 1930s through the 1950s before restoration in 1994. Guests and owners describe cigar smoke and laughter from empty hallways, and bartenders have reported an older man seated in a booth who vanishes when approached. After guests reported a bathroom door swinging open on its own, owners swapped it for a curtain. 4 original accounts · documented across 5 decades, 1940-2022 · retold in 4 later publications
- 3. Ball Cemetery Founded around 1869 for the Ball family and other settlers, this small Sarpy County cemetery holds the grave of William Liddiard, known as Rattlesnake Pete during his years with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Visitors have long reported a tall male apparition in dark 19th-century clothing said to push or scratch those who encounter him, along with disembodied laughter and marks on parked cars. The cemetery has been featured in the Unsolved Mysteries franchise. 3 original accounts · documented across 4 decades, 1900-2025 · retold in 6 later publications
- 4. Nebraska Wesleyan University Music professor Clara Mills taught at Nebraska Wesleyan for 28 years before dying of a heart attack at her desk in 1940. In 1963, a secretary entering that office reported sudden silence, stale air, and a tall woman with dark hair reaching toward the shelves, matching photographs of Mills. Students have since reported piano music in empty rooms that stops the moment someone opens the door, and the university documents the legend on its site. 4 original accounts · documented across 3 decades, 1963-2013 · retold in 1 later publication
- 5. Trails & Rails Museum (Loup River Freighter Hotel) The Trails and Rails Museum in Kearney gathers about a dozen relocated buildings, centered on the Loup River Freighter Hotel, built in 1884 for stagecoach travelers. Staff report a rocking chair that moves on its own and pipe tobacco smell in the hotel, plus a spirit nicknamed Betty, said to be the depot operator's wife, tied to Shelton depot nearby. The log cabin adds reports of a leg touch and a whispered 'be quiet.' 4 original accounts · documented across 2 decades, 1975-2023
By city
- Omaha: 4 documented sites
- Lincoln: 3 documented sites
- North Platte: 3 documented sites
- Brownville: 2 documented sites
- Hastings: 2 documented sites
- Bellevue: 2 documented sites
- Nebraska City: 2 documented sites
- Alliance: 1 documented site
- Crofton: 1 documented site
- Springfield: 1 documented site
- 11 more across the rest of Nebraska
Press images
- Museum of Shadows Ammodramus hauntbound.com/images/locations/nebraska/museum-of-shadows/hero.jpg
- The Historic Argo Hotel Ammodramus hauntbound.com/images/locations/nebraska/argo-hotel/hero.jpg
- Nebraska Wesleyan University Patrickdf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nw_old_main.jpg hauntbound.com/images/locations/nebraska/nebraska-weslyan-college/hero.jpg
Images listed here may be republished with the credit shown; all other HauntBound images are not offered for press use.
Superlatives
- Oldest documented site: Barnard Park Documented since 1847.
- Most documented: Museum of Shadows 7 distinct published accounts.
- Top haunted stay: The Historic Argo Hotel Overnight stays bookable.
- Most family-friendly: Boot Hill Family Comfort rating: High.
Methodology
For purposes of the HauntBound Index, "most haunted" means the location with the strongest documented record of reported haunting phenomena. We evaluate the quantity, independence, persistence, and documentary quality of published reports. We do not attempt to determine whether paranormal phenomena are real, and we never count a source that only establishes a building's history as evidence of haunting claims. Repetitive coverage is subject to diminishing returns, so a story retold many times does not outrank a story independently documented. Rankings never consider commercial relationships.
The 2026 Index reflects sources identified and classified as of September 15, 2026.
This is a documentation ranking, not a visitation guide; sites not open to visitors are marked on their entries.