8 Terrifying Places In North Dakota That Will Keep Your Light On Tonight
By Leah|Updated on June 03, 2022(Originally published May 29, 2022)
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Leah
Author
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
There’s just something unnerving about abandoned places in North Dakota that are empty, decaying shells of the past. They are the type of places you want to get close to out of curiosity, but there’s always something keeping you from stepping inside. You never know what might be lurking in the shadows within, and the thought of that is probably enough to make you leave and be unable to turn off your lights at night. Alternatively, there are some places that look perfectly normal until you learn the histories and stories behind them. The following eight places in North Dakota are perfect, creepy examples of exactly those things:
Now, that looks like something straight from a horror film, luring people inside only for them to find out it is haunted beyond their worst nightmares. This old building in Ambrose, a ghost town in North Dakota, is one of only a few that still stand in the town. Nature is certainly taking its toll on it, and it has turned into a spooky and disturbing spot that most people probably wouldn't explore for too long, especially after dark.
The tiny ghost town of Sims doesn't have much left standing save for this church and parsonage that are actually still in use today. From the outside they look totally normal and quite pretty tucked up in the prairie hills, but there is a history behind these that would make anyone who believed in ghosts stay far, far away. The story goes that a ghost known as the "Gray Lady" has been haunting this place for over half a century. She was the wife of the minister at the church in the early 1910s and died inside the house. Her lingering spirit has scared away multiple preachers and ministers. It got to the point that the locals asked a nearby bishop to come and do something about the ghost, but there aren't any records showing whether or not he ever attempted to. One man even claimed to have spoken to the ghost once. This "Gray Lady" has definitely put this place at the top of North Dakota's most haunted spots.
Although this large home in Bismarck looks grand more than anything, you might want to keep far away from it if you're afraid of ghosts. In 1898, the then-governor of North Dakota, Frank Briggs, died of tuberculosis in the master bedroom of the house. According to legend, his spirit never left the house. Visitors to the mansion, and people who work there today, have heard footsteps, seen doors open and close on their own, and have even recorded a ghostly voice saying not to go up into the attic. Many people believe there is definitely something paranormal going on here. Would you visit this mansion?
Even from the outside, anyone can see this place holds some darkness within it. The deteriorating walls of this huge hospital complex does indeed hold a mysterious and dark past. This sanatorium was once used for treating tuberculosis patients, and it later became an insane asylum before closing its doors due to highly questionable practices being performed on the patients as well as bad living conditions for them. What horrors happened within these walls are unspeakable, and today the entire grounds stand vacant and are slowly withering away. Vandals have contributed greatly to its decline, and many people claim that there are tortured souls still lingering here.
Although a handful of people still live in Marmarth, a majority of this place has turned into nothing but a ghost town. Abandoned buildings are common here, just rotting away. It is certainly eerie to see from the outside of these buildings, let alone from the inside. Empty buildings here include both houses and businesses, and it certainly deserves a spot on North Dakota's list of most creepiest towns.
Even though today this place is a modern hospital still in use, back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was used as an insane asylum taking in more patients than it could handle. It had crowded conditions for the patients who were being treated for their mental disabilities and illnesses in ways we would never even think of doing today. Although asylums of those days had good intentions, there were a large amount of misunderstandings on how to deal with these patients. Some people still believe this place is haunted by some of the patients from long ago.
This abandoned ghost town in North Dakota looks like everyone just up and left all at once, leaving nothing but the hint that it was once occupied. The storefronts stand vacant and the schoolhouse stands silent. Not much here stirs, and you'd probably find yourself feeling a bit nervous walking through such a place alone. I know I would!
Located in Fargo, this cemetery is like most others and is frequently visited by those who wish to pay their respects to friends and family who have passed. However, there are other people who visit here to see if a local urban legend is true. It is said that a certain mausoleum in the cemetery has a mysterious presence within it. If you set an audio recording device on it, you might pick up a knocking sound that apparently comes from inside. No one really knows what it is, but it certainly keeps people from going here.
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abandoned places in north dakota
Jennifer Young|June 03, 2022
What are three haunted places in North Dakota that'll certainly send shivers down your spine?
There are quite a few haunted places in North Dakota. Three of them that are believed to be haunted are the Chateau De Mores in Medora, the Liberty Memorial Building in Bismarck, and the Harvey Public Library in Harvey. At Chateau De Mores, many people have reported strange lights flickering on and off. Some have even reported feeling cold spots. While at the Liberty Memorial Building, many witnesses have reported the sight of a male ghost. This is believed to be a ghost known as the "Stack Monster." Workers inside the building will often hear their name called out even though nobody is there. Several people at the Harvey Public Library have reported flickering lights, missing objects, and weird computer glitches. It's believed a ghost named Sophie is causing all of this. She lived on the site of the library when her husband murdered her with a hammer in the 1930s. It seems that her spirit has never left. If you visit any of these three haunted places in North Dakota, you'll also likely experience some paranormal activity.
In what town will you find quite a few abandoned buildings in North Dakota that are believed to be haunted?
There are several abandoned North Dakota towns that are now ghost towns. One of these towns is Alkabo. Alkabo is an unincorporated community in Divide County, North Dakota. It's also only six miles from the state of Montana. Alkabo is home to several vacant houses, storefronts, and a schoolhouse. Most of the people who visit this ghost town have reported an eerie feeling while walking through it. It's believed that when people vacated Alkabo, the ghosts of several residents decided to stay behind.
