Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 88: Sioux CIty's Haunted History Part 10: Graceland Park Cemetery

Graceland Park Cemetery is one of the largest, if not the largest cemetery in Sioux City. It has over 25,000 graves and is huge. It is filled with odd stones, has a unique history and there is a former Iowa governor buried there. It is for these reasons the cemetery has numerous visitors each year. Many of those visitors believe the cemetery to be haunted.

Here is what is reported to happen within the boundaries of the cemetery:
1. Cameras mysteriously stop functioning while inside the graveyard.
2. Strange orbs of light have appeared on the film and/or photo’s of those who are able to get their caeras to work.
3. Visitors experience disorientation while walking in the cemetery.

History:
1909 – The Graceland Park Cemtery was established by A. M. Jackson.
1912 – The Graceland Park Chapel was built for $32,800.
1917 – A white marble mausoleum was constructed at a price of over $100,000.
1943 – Mr. Jackson passed away. The cemetery began to decline.
1951 – The cemetery was paced into receivership. A lawsuit was brought against the Graceland Cemetery Association alleging misappropriations of funds. To resolve the suit, Mr. Snyder was appointed as a receiver.
1953 – The Graceland Cemetery Association was reorganized to look into transferring the cemetery to the city. The city accepted ownership of Graceland Cemetery.

Other Details:
Graceland Park Cemetery was designed by landscape architect Charles M. Finley.

During the early 1900’s Graceland Cemetery was so highly regarded that people came from hundreds of miles away to purchase a plot.

Thousands of people came from neighboring states to witness the dedication of the mausoleum. The main address during the dedication was deliverd by Iowa Governor W. L. Harding.

College kids call for information about the cemetery being haunted.

Paranormal investigators claim to have captured strange orbs on their film.

When I was in the cemetery my wife and I were driving through it in our Jeep. We would stop to get out to take photo’s. The camera worked fine. I did not experience any disorientation, but my wife did. She stated as much with out me asking and with out knowing this is what people experience in the cemetery. After she told me she felt this way I explained this is what others have experienced and why they think it is haunted. What I have experienced is when I have ridden bike by the cemetery on South Lakeport Rd. When doing so I have felt a slight disorientation and also what felt like something pulling me toward the cemetery, like something wanted me to turn in to enter through the gates. I never really put it together as to why this happened until I discovered it is haunted.

As I stated the camera worked fine. There are some photo's that look like they have orbs of light in them. See for yourself.
Photo’s: