Urban Legends in Indiana

Every state has its folklore and the Hoosier State is no different. Home to lots of rural land, there are plenty of creepy Indiana urban legends regarding very old buildings, deserted roads, and remote cemeteries. If you live in Indiana, or ever find yourself passing through, you may want to visit some of these locations. Who knows? You may catch a glimpse of Black Annie in Booneville or run into the Lady in Grey while stopping by Evansville's Willard Library.

Ghost stories from Indiana often encompass the state's history. The Battle of Tippecanoe has supposedly left its mark on Battle Ground, Indiana and the state's association with the Underground Railroad has resulted in some lingering spirits. If you're looking for something to do in Indiana, browse this list and pay some of these locations a visit.

The Willard Library's Lady In Grey

The Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana has long been rumored to house the eerie spirit known as the Lady in Grey, who some visitors have sworn they've captured in photographs. Some theorize she is the daughter of the former owner of this house turned library, Louise Carpenter, although no one knows for sure. Her presence is said to sometimes be accompanied by musky perfume, moving books, flickering lights, and faucets turning on and off on their own.

Over the years, there have been many Lady in Grey sightings and psychics even visited the library in 2007 and claimed they could confirm a ghostly presence. Police officers once arrived at the library when the security system went off and reportedly saw ghosts in the upstairs window. She has also appeared to library patrons in the elevator and a local weathermen also claimed to have an encounter. The library sponsors ghost tours every year during October so Evansville residents and visitors can get a chance to spot the Lady in Grey themselves.

The Legend Of Black Annie

A woman named Black Annie still walks the streets in Boonville, according to legend. She supposedly died in a house fire in the 1930s and appears to visitors as a figure dressed in black. On occasion, she's been known to jump on people's cars. She is also spotted wandering the cemetery where she is buried, and haunts the still-existing remnants of the house that burned down with her in it. So many people have witnessed her haunting that the town organized an event around her called the Black Annie Walk.

Cries Come From A Gravestone in Mount Zion Cemetery

According to legend, Mount Zion Cemetery in Van Buren Township, Indiana is haunted by a murder victim. The story claims a man named Dan Guthrie was murdered in Henryville and his body was dumped in a shallow grave at the corners of Cemetery Hill and Pixley Knob Road in order to cover up the crime. Once his grave was discovered, he was reburied in nearby Mount Zion Cemetery.

That hasn't kept him from haunting his original grave site, or from crying out late at night from his new cemetery plot. Ghost hunters once placed a tape recorder on his headstone and captured a man's voice repeating "Help me, God help me, please help me" over and over again.

The House That Smells Like Death

Hannah House is a historic mansion in Indianapolis that supposedly gives off the ghostly stench of death and human decay. According to local lore, in the 1850s staunch abolitionist Alexander Moore Hannah owned and built the house. Hannah participated in the Underground Railroad and often had groups of escaped slaves hiding in his basement.

One night, a lantern got knocked over, setting fire to the basement. The slaves were trapped, and several burned to death. The smell of death lingers in the basement to this day. In addition to this, guests report other paranormal activity such as doors opening and closing and mysterious voices.

The Crosley Monster Lurks In Jennings County

Jennings County, Indiana is home to its very own Bigfoot legend called the Crosley Monster. It resembles the typical depictions of Bigfoot: half man, half monster, nearly seven feet tall, with huge glowing eyes. It walks on two legs, and is covered in fur or hair. However, this Bigfoot is slightly different - it will chase you instead of run away.

Back in 2006, several kids were camping at Harsin Pond in the Crosley Fishing and Wildlife area when they saw the monster, which immediately leaped onto all fours and began chasing them. They got away, but only because they found themselves on a main road. The monster disappeared into the nearby woods.

Diana Of The Dunes Wanders The Beach

Diana of the Dunes’ real name was Alice Marble Gray, a free spirited woman who lived in Indiana in the 1920s. While some details of her life are veritable facts, a lot of specific stories are wrapped up in local folklore.

Gray was known as a free spirit throughout her life, but her reputation as a nonconformist really took off when she moved to a remote location near Lake Michigan at 35 and chose to live off the land in an abandoned shack. The area is now known as Dunes State Park. It was there that she met fellow recluse Paul Wilson and the two began sharing a shack and may have married. Accounts vary. Trouble struck when Paul Wilson became a murder suspect after the burned, beaten body of a man was discovered near the couple's beach home. This, and the couple's unconventional lifestyle, generated a lot of unwanted media attention and they allegedly planned to travel via raft to Texas. Unfortunately, Gray died due to kidney trouble, although some local legends claim Wilson poisoned her.

A Green Clawed Beast Swims In The Ohio River

In 1955, a tale emerged about a green clawed human-sized beast waiting in the Ohio River to attack unsuspecting women. This legendary creature exists right outside of Evansville, Indiana, and supposedly attacked a woman that year while she was swimming. It had hairy arms, large clawed hands, and green skin. It grabbed at the woman, trying to pull her under several times, before she managed to scare it away with a huge splash. She was left with multiple wounds, including a green stain shaped like a human hand.

Incidentally, this occurred on the same day as the famous Hopkinsville Goblin sightings. This was an incident in Kelly, Kentucky in which a family reported seeing flying saucers and goblin-like creatures outside their rural home. Some believe the Ohio River creature was an extraterrestrial related to the Kentucky goblins, which likely arrived on earth the same day.

A Witch Still Lives In Devil's Hollow

Devil's Hollow, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is allegedly home to a witch's house that you'll want to avoid. The remains of a house with a long chimney is located on a hill deep in the woods on Cedar Canyon Road. According to local lore, a reclusive old woman once called the house home. Teenagers began gathering near her house due to its secluded location to have parties and hook up free of parental supervision. The old woman began spreading rumors she was a witch in hopes of scaring off the troublesome teens, but the plan backfired. A Fort Wayne resident burnt her house to the ground out of fear of the occult and witchcraft, killing her. No one was ever caught or charged with the crime and her spirit supposedly still haunts the grounds.

Like any urban legend, there are some variations. In some versions, the woman actually was a witch and cursed a group of teens who slowly died via various means. Eventually, the teens decided to burn the witch alive. However, her body was never recovered and some say the witch is actually immortal and still roams the grounds.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For The Ghost When Crossing Dogface Bridge

An old bridge in San Pierre, Indiana is allegedly a hot bed of paranormal activity. According to legend, back in the 1950s, a honeymooning couple was crossing this bridge when a dog ran in front of their car. They swerved to avoid it, and were killed when their car ran off of the bridge. Visitors have reported many apparitions near the bridge, most notably appearances of a female body with a dog's head. You can also sometimes hear sounds of dogs howling and growling in the area.

The Ghost Of Bud Berger At The Embassy Theatre

Fort Wayne's Embassy Theater opened in 1928 and, since the '70s, visitors reported paranormal activity. The ghost is allegedly of the much beloved stage manager Bud Berger who worked in the theater throughout the '30s and '50s and even lived there for a time. His ashes were spread on the roof when he died, which apparently caused his spirit to latch on to the building.

Many stories have circulated over the years. Guests have claimed to see ghostly entities and there has been other paranormal activity, like lights turning on and off and mysterious phone calls.

The Haunted Barbee Hotel

Back in the 1920s and '30s, the Barbee Hotel was a very popular hotspot for members of the mafia and old Hollywood celebrities. Both Al Capone and Rita Hayworth stayed there on occasion. According to local lore, the hotel is haunted by the spirit of its famous and infamous guests. Visitors report seeing orbs and seeing the ghost of Rita Hayworth. Many guests also hear the voice of a woman screaming. This is supposedly the sound of a woman who was murdered by her gangster boyfriend in the hotel.

Where The Battle Never Stopped

The aptly named Battle Ground, Indiana is home to the Tippecanoe Battlefield Memorial and Museum, on the very spot where the battle once took place. Supposedly, many locations near Battle Ground are haunted by the spirits of those killed in combat. Gravestones are said to move around in the nearby Harrison Cemetery and ghosts and flashes of light appear on Hamilton Road.

Do you still want to visit Indiana?!