Is McGregor Iowa’s Very Own Haunted Ghost Town? I Booked an Airbnb To Find Out.

McGregor is a quaint, picturesque town bobbing on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River.  It feels like a place suspended in time, exuding a distinct artsy vibe and historic nostalgia. The first time we drove through, I felt a remarkable pull towards its main street, immediately feeling like we should’ve booked a hotel in town. But we were there for other reasons.

We had come in search of fall colors, and I had heard the nearby parks were among Iowa’s best for leaf peepers. The three pinned on my map were Effigy Mounds National Monument, Yellow River Forest, and Pikes Peak State Park. After hearing me ooo and ahh at the promise of fabulous fall foliage, my husband surprised me with an impromptu road trip.

Where Is McGregor in the Driftless Area?

It was our first time in the Driftless Area, the regional namesake for a pocket of unique landscapes stretched between the four corners of neighboring states: Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It’s a far cry from the row crops that might come to mind anytime someone mentions Iowa. Instead, the Driftless Area is forests, deep ravines with sparkling brooks, towering bluffs, secret caves, and even a waterfall or two.

Within a few hours, I was obsessed with it all and felt a deep growl in my traveler’s belly—my insatiable longing to know more, see more, feel more about all things Driftless Area. Particularly the Iowa part. And especially McGregor. 

So on our way home, I begged to stop, just for a minute or two. It was late evening, most of the shops were closed, and there was no sign of a hotel. Equally confused and intrigued, there was nothing to do but save it for next time.

A few weeks later, I still couldn’t get McGregor off my mind. So I went poking around online to discover it’s full of vibrant boutique shops, unique eateries, and a handful of places to sleep. No chains of any kind, just a hyperlocal vibe. It felt neither like a tourist town nor a ghost town, but something blissfully in between. I mingled with a few locals, and then the magic of online algorithms put me screen-to-screen with an Airbnb owner, a woman so similarly obsessed with McGregor that she bought a home there. 

Staying at the American House 1854 in McGregor, Iowa

But American House 1854 isn’t just any home; it's a vacation rental. And as its name suggests, it was built in 1854, three years before the town’s official incorporation. It’s the oldest standing building in McGregor, originally built as a hotel to accommodate travelers coming through by train, steamboat, and stagecoach. It is undeniably the soul of this town, and I knew we had to stay there.

We returned the following June to experience a quintessential summer in small-town America. Staying at the American House 1854 strengthened the nostalgic vibe, helping us feel a deep connection to the roots of McGregor’s bygone eras as much as its modern evolution. And with each step over the threshold, I became increasingly mesmerized by the rich mosaic of women-owned businesses, independent artists, and eclectic personalities.

I was love-struck as a person can be for a place, and before we were gone, I was already planning our return. The locals insisted that fall is the most intriguing time of all, when all the town’s lore comes alive, including the ghosts who haunt American House 1854.

McGregor History and Hauntings

Since 1847, McGregor has been beckoning others, much like myself. Sometimes en route elsewhere, sometimes on purpose, and occasionally with the intent to stay. People with stories, humble and grand, with undeniable contributions to the aura that permeates this tiny Iowa town on the Mississippi. 

Many of them are now ghost stories, originating from within the very walls of American House 1854, tales of a waterfront hotel, a railway ticketing office, a brothel during the Civil War, and even the office of the first female to graduate from dentistry school. Although we hadn’t felt any ghost presences so far, I wanted to know if they’d surface during the spooky season in October.

Some people might’ve felt afraid, worried about experiences that might make them fall out of love with such a cherished place. But I didn’t feel that way, after all, we’d already slept in this house, kids and all, and never felt anything on the side of paranormal. So we booked our next stay, with nothing on our agenda but to sit in the house and mingle on the streets. 

Is the Americanhouse 1854 in McGregor Haunted?

We got lucky with a cool and dreary weekend, rain streaking the panes, and distorting the glow of the train lights passing by. Outdoorsy stuff was out of the cards, so we hopped between the boutique shops and movies on the big screen at the Airbnb. 

We had many wonderfully bizarre encounters in McGregor, including a piano playing in the park in the pouring rain, with no one at the bench. A bewitching woman who taught us about crystals and sold me a singing bowl. A gallery with necklaces made from forks run by women who hunt for mushrooms in the surrounding forest. A man standing on the corner playing his saxophone with his hat placed on the ground to collect cash. And lastly, a ghost walking tour that stood below our balcony after dark, holding glowing lanterns and pointing at our windows. 

However, we didn’t experience a haunting in McGregor; instead, we felt a sense of belonging. A welcoming, a particular kind of understanding that only happens when you’ve been lucky enough to meet kindred spirits. In the end, we pulled away from this haunted stay, wondering if perhaps we could call McGregor home.