Old Minnehaha Courthouse Museum in Haunted South Dakota

The Old Minnehaha Courthouse Museum is one of the oldest buildings in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It used to be the county courthouse, and it was saved from destruction in 1974 by the citizens of Sioux Falls. They successfully convinced the county to convert it into a museum. Wallace L. Dow was the man who came up with the idea for the courthouse. He was a designer who had made other buildings in that area such as the All Saints School. The courthouse was the first one in the area, and Wallace began working on it in 1889. It opened for official use in 1893, and it was operational until 1962. The reason it was shut down was because it became too small, and the officials believed demolishing it would be the best course of action. That was when the citizens spoke up and stopped it.

Photography is allowed inside the museum, so the likelihood of ghost sightings is high. Many believe the courthouse is haunted due to how the place was operated in high stress. The emotions there create an attachment, and past workers want to go back there because of it. One of the most common occurrences of paranormal activity happens on the balcony. Visitors report hearing voices and whispers. The creepiest part is that many guests report feeling a sudden blast of cold air only for it to disappear mere seconds later. More evidence of ghost activity include staff hearing someone fall down the stairs only to find the stairwell empty, water fountains turning on by themselves, toilets flushing on their own, museum displays having items rearranged, and lights flickering all over the courthouse. The most direct evidence comes from guests seeing an elderly custodian in the building. This man is unnamed and a ghost who randomly appears and disappears. He’s spotted in one of the many courtrooms, and when visitors get close to him, he disappears.