Every state has its whispered tales of murder and mayhem from years gone past, and Indiana is no exception. Each Autumn, as the year’s spookiest month approaches, Indianapolis citizens prepare to be terrified as they seek out some of the Midwest’s scariest spots for their annual Hoosier hauntings.
This Halloween, if you want to be spooked but think you’ve already hit up the best haunted places in Indiana, turn to the great outdoors for your ghostly pleasure. In addition to the centuries-old houses that frighten Hoosier visitors year after year, there are several trails, bridges, and cemeteries that provide just as much eerie entertainment.
The Cry Baby Bridge is a prime example of the bone-chilling experiences those looking for Hoosier hauntings will find. Located in the small town of Anderson, Indiana, not far from Indianapolis, this bridge is known for harboring the spirit of a baby who met an untimely end when the car he occupied crashed through the bridge’s guardrail. The body of the baby was never found, and as you drive over the bridge to this day you can hear an infant’s anguished wail.
Feeling a little uneasy now? If not, there are plenty more haunting locations scattered through the state to visit when the leaves turn brown and the air turns cooler. Wait until nighttime to head out to the Step Family Cemetery. Buried deep in the heart of the Hoosier National Forest, this holy ground is now home to two brothers who quarreled and killed one another over their father’s inheritance on this very stretch of land. Visitors to the cemetery, if they dare to enter the gates, will find that ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises await them.
If it’s too chilly to get your frightful delight outside, pile in the car and head to the Barbee Family Hotel. This notorious building was once a favorite resting place to gangster extraordinaire Al Capone, who always insisted upon staying in room 301 for the duration of his visit. Upon his death in 1947, employees of the hotel began noticing unexplained instances of cigarette smoke emanating from the room, mysterious footsteps, and a strange man sitting alone in the bar, only to disappear before anyone can approach him. If you choose to make Barbee Hotel one of your Hoosier hauntings, make sure to ask to stay in room 301.
Another popular destination for Halloween lovers is the Guyer Opera House. The Opera House, located in Lewisville, is home to its very own collection of spooks and spirits, including the ghost of a little boy who was killed in the early 1900s during a Wild West show when a bullet fired into the audience and struck him. These “Guyer Ghosts” are headed up by the spirit of the owner of the opera house himself, whose funeral was held right in the auditorium.
For more Hoosier haunting ideas, check out this comprehensive collection of haunted houses in Indiana, throughout the Midwest, and beyond.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
i want to learn more about Hoosier Hauntings & Ghosts in the Hoosier state!
First of all it’s in new castle and I would know that because I was born in new castle
i am trying to find more scary legends about lafayette indiana. its my home town.
Cry baby bridge is scary s***! and it is in Anderson,IN ! get ur facts straight bro!
I believe the “Cry Baby Bridge” was located close to Dublin, IN instead of Anderson, IN. You might need to research this out and make the correction, if necessary. There might have been two different bridges, but the story is the same. – Thank you – George
DOCUMENTED IN THE HERALD BULLETIN OF ANDERSON INDIANA!!!There is a cry baby bridge in anderson indiana. on 675 east. main street turns into 50 west. then curves into nashville road. but there are many cry baby bridges. but this one in particular u turn into the little road and there will be a church with stain glass windows and houses surrounding it. if u go over the bridge get out and listen. or keep going and there will be the hays cemetary. this would be the “main street cemetary (hays)’ hence cry baby bridge.. email me and i will enform u of more to this. if u want to know.