The Spookiest Haunted Places in Minnesota to Explore This Fall

Fall is the perfect time of the year for ghost stories and making trips to spooky sites, and Minnesota has no shortage of great haunted locations. These aren’t your typical spots either: No haunted houses or hotels here. These odd and eerie places have some of the strangest backstories, and that’s what makes them some of my favorite haunted places in Minnesota.

1. Wabasha Street Caves - St. Paul

 In St. Paul, Minnesota, you'll find a network of manmade caves carved into sandstone that dates back to the 1840s. Over the years, they’ve been used for everything from mushroom farming and food storage to a disco hall in the 1970s. However, the caves are most famously known for being a speakeasy in the 1920s. 

During the prohibition era, the caves were used as a restaurant and nightclub that was frequented by gangsters. Rumor has it that even the likes of John Dillinger and Ma Barker frequented the establishment. The caves are believed to be haunted due a shootout that occurred in the bar. It is unknown if the shooting was between feuding mobsters or during a police raid, but three men died and their souls are said to restlessly wander the caves. Over time, the caverns have also been the site of mysterious drownings, fires, and cave-ins, which add to their haunted reputation.

2. Enger Tower - Duluth

Enger Tower stands high above Duluth, looming over the city. The gothic-looking structure appears to watch the Twin Ports' every move. Built in 1939 to honor local businessman Bert Enger—who donated money for the land and development of the park where the tower stands—the tower's strange cobblestone design and barred windows make it an ominous addition to such an otherwise peaceful park setting. 

Many visitors report feeling watched while exploring the tower grounds. Some have even spotted a man looking out from the tower’s upper windows, only to find the inside vacant upon being investigated. Rumor has it that this is the ghost of an unknown man who leapt from the tower to his death in 1948. His body was never identified, and his story remains a mystery. Next time you visit Duluth, take a look up at the tower, you just might see someone watching you.

3. The SS William A. Irvin - Duluth

You'll also find the SS William A. Irvin in Duluth. The first of a four-ship class of lake freighters, the Irvin was launched in 1937 and transported ore across the Great Lakes for decades, until its final layup in 1978. Over the years, the ship did its job well, but disaster struck in 1964. One night, William Wuori, the ship’s boiler man, was killed in a tragic explosion due to faulty equipment. Since then, his spirit is said to roam the halls and lower decks of the ship. 

But Wuori isn’t the only ghostly sighting on the Irvin. Perhaps even more unsettling is the little girl in a white dress who has been seen countless times on deck, only to disappear upon approach. No one knows who she is or why her ghost remains, but she’s become one of the vessel’s most enduring mysteries.

Have you visited any of these haunted places or any other cursed Minnesota spots? If you’ve got other ghostly sites that you want us to look into, please share them through our nomination page.

 If you're feeling inspired to create your own spooky experience, plan a trip using Only In Your State’s itinerary planner.