There are stories of ghosts and hauntings all throughout Nebraska, but most towns seem to have only one or two locations that are said to be haunted. Columbus, however, has a high concentration of haunting activity. Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, you have to admit that it's pretty unusual for one town to have so many ghost stories.
1. Platte County Historical Society and Museum
This century-old building houses artifacts and memorabilia from Nebraska's history, and spirits are said to walk the halls. A paranormal investigation team checked out the building in 2012 and had some strange experiences. They observed an unexplained shadow, electromagnetic field disruptions, and recorded voices, in addition to a feeling that there was something there other than the investigators.
2. Scotus Central Catholic High School
This school is said to be haunted by a nun and former students. Given the school's very long history, it isn't hard to believe that there may be some residual energy of those who once walked the halls. There is a series of tunnels beneath the school, and ghost hunters have been exploring them for decades.
3. St. Patrick's Cemetery (The Glowing Graveyard)
The cemetery is a little bit outside of town limits. It gained its reputation as a haunted place in part due to some misinformation. First, the "glowing gravestones" are actually just limestone reflecting the moonlight. Beautiful, but not a sign of haunting. Secondly, a bus full of schoolchildren is said to have plunged off of the wooden bridge formerly at the site, leaving the ghosts of those children to haunt the area. However, there is no record of a school bus crash at this location.
Regardless of the inaccurate stories, there is still said to be some significant haunting activity in the cemetery. Ghost hunters report encountering numerous non-specific spirits - even more than at most other cemeteries. Please admire this beautiful (and possibly haunted) cemetery from the road. If the gate is locked, do not attempt to go in.
4. Hy-Vee Building
This grocery store seems an unlikely place for hauntings, but there is said to be a resident ghost named Scooter who "screeches" in the middle of the night. This location is open 24 hours a day, so you can go stand near the dairy section in the middle of the night and see if you can hear Scooter. If not, at least you can do a little late-night shopping.
There are several anecdotal stories of other haunted places in Columbus, including the public high school, a couple of houses, and the Walmart. Do you live in or spend a lot of time in Columbus? Have you ever experienced ghostly activity? Share your stories in the comments!
For more hauntings throughout the state, check out these 20 haunted places in Nebraska.
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