Nearly everyone loves a good mystery. They’re made even better when they have a local subject. Lucky for Minnesotans, our state has several puzzling mysteries that have yet to be solved. These local conundrums should get your gears turning, but they will likely leave you baffled.

1. Who - or what - was the Minnesota Iceman?
Jesse Thorstad/Flickr
Ever heard of the Minneosta Iceman? It was a sideshow attraction in the middle of the 20th century that has since turned into a local legend. The Iceman was described as a tall, hairy, humanlike figure, and it toured the country as a mysterious creature from Minnesota. Some have called it an early human, or even a Bigfoot, but those claims have been dismissed as hoax. The Iceman was still at large as recently as 2013, when it was sold to someone in Texas. Will we ever know the truth of this mysterious creature?
2. Where did the Kensington Runestone come from?
jpellgen/Flickr
Discovered in 1898 by Olaf Ohman, the Kensington Runestone has been a point of contention for over a century. The runestone was first alleged to be left behind by early Viking explorers, though scholars have since dismissed the it as a hoax. The true origin remains a mystery to many locals, who continue to believe in the original story. We may never know where it came from or, if really is a fake, the purpose of the hoax.
3. Who stole Dorothy's slippers?
Kevin Burkett/Flickr
Here's a more recent Minnesota mystery that still plagues authorities to this day. In 2005, Dorothy's ruby red slippers disappeared from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Valued at over $1 million, the theft has led to many searches throughout the past decade. But the shoes are still at large.
4. Does Minnesota have a Stonehenge?
Michael Janke/Flickr
Blue Mounds State Park is known for its natural beauty, but those pink quartzite cliffs hold an interesting mystery. A 1,250-foot wall runs along the top of Blue Mound, consisting of boulders and rocks. But that isn't the strange part. During spring and fall equinox, sunrise and sunset closely align with the rocks. Is it an ancient time-keeping structure? A replica of the real Stonehenge created by early European settlers? We may never know.
5. Is the Greyhound Bus Museum haunted?
Mark Goebel/Flickr
There are plenty of haunting stories out of Minnesota, but the Greyhound Bus Museum is one of the most unlikely. Why would a bus museum be haunted - especially one in the far stretches of northern Minnesota? But that's the story many have told since the museum opened in 1999. Tools go missing, and bus windows open and close. There's even talk of an apparition of a little girl showing up. Is something paranormal happening here, or is there another explanation?
6. Was D. B. Cooper a Minnesotan?
Dmitry Terekhov/Flickr
You're probably familiar with the story: in 1971, an unknown man hijacked an airplane, collected $200,000 ransom, and parachuted out of the plane. He has not been heard from since despite decades of effort in trying to find his identity. A few years ago, a Minnesota man spoke out about the event, claiming that his brother - a trained paratrooper and airline employee who purchased a house with cash soon after the hijacking - was in fact D.B. Cooper. The FBI has denied the claim, but many others find the theory convincing. Could D.B. Cooper have been a Minnesotan?

Do you have any other Minnesota mysteries to add? Feel free to share! And to learn about Minnesota’s most recently solved mystery, check out this article about Minnesota’s Devil’s Kettle.

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