As you may have already noticed, there is no shortage of alleged hauntings here in the Sunflower State. From the story of a monster near Hutch who kidnaps and grinds up his victims for hamburger meat to Atchison’s legendary “Sallie”, there is plenty of the paranormal to go around. Today’s story, however, may just be one of the most terrifying to come out of Kansas; it’s worth a look.
Located near Ashland is the beautiful 1,818-acre Big Basin Prairie Preserve, a unique area filled with impressive sinkholes and buffalo herds galore.
Leaflet/Wikimedia
While the spectacular and diverse area may seem wholesome to the max, it hides one of the most haunted places in all of Kansas: St. Jacob’s Well.
Leaflet/Wikimedia
At first glance, this picturesque water-filled sinkhole may seem innocent enough, but once you hear the stories of the lives it has taken, you may decide otherwise.
frank thompson photos/Flickr
The first life that was documented to have been lost to the rumored 30-yard-wide, 18-foot-deep well is that of a traveling cowboy and his horse who (allegedly) tried to cross the seemingly shallow well in the 1890s, only to meet their fate by drowning.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Sadly, the cowboy’s death was the first of many. In fact, legend has it that dozens have lost their lives to St. Jacob’s while attempting to find the bottom of the (supposedly) bottomless well.
Lane Pearman/Flickr
If the well is supposed to measure at only 18-feet-deep, where did it get its reputation for being bottomless? According to scientists and geologists, its depth has most likely changed over the years due to geological shifts.
Rotareneg/Wikimedia
The next time you visit the Big Basin Prairie Preserve, be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for the ghosts of St. Jacob’s Well; you may just hear their gut-wrenching screams and see their spirits arise from inside the water.
frank thompson photos/Flickr
For even more of the paranormal that seems to run rampant in beautiful Kansas, check out The 8 Most Terrifying, Spooky Places To Visit In Kansas This Halloween.
Leaflet/Wikimedia
frank thompson photos/Flickr
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Lane Pearman/Flickr
Rotareneg/Wikimedia
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Address: Saint Jacobs Well, St Jacobs Well, Englewood, KS 67831, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Kansas Ghost Stories October 04, 2021 Tori Jane What are some real haunted places in Kansas? It’s always a good time to have a spooky time, and luckily for us, there’s no shortage of spooky in Kansas. It’s home to many haunted places, and that makes sense – it’s an older state with lots of history, and usually, with history comes ghost stories. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Kansas include a strange place in the woods called Molly’s Hollow in Atchison. Tucked away within Jackson Park is this hollow, where legend has it that a young woman died brutally there (though the cause and manner of death is lost now). It’s said to carry with it a sense of crushing sadness, and some folks have even reported hearing screams in the area despite being the only persons around. Yikes! There’s also the witch’s grave in Galena, where – supposedly- every morning at 3:33 a.m., the spirits awaken and roam the grounds. Folks have reported seeing things like apparitions, capturing EVPs, and much more. Enter if you dare! If you’re interested in visiting some of Kansas’s most haunted places, you might want to consider taking this haunted places in Kansas road trip. Where is Jacob’s Well in Kansas? St. Jacob’s Well is a notoriously creepy place nestled within the Big Basin Prairie Preserve in Ashland. It’s a weird place where folks have been getting the creeps for decades; it’s said that a creepy spectral cowboy roams the area and terrifies visitors from time to time, and there are whispers about bodies in the well and a mysterious spring that feeds the well to this day. Legend also says that it’s bottomless, but that one isn’t true. Maybe the ghost stories are, or maybe they aren’t. You might just have to check it out for yourself. You’ll find St. Jacob’s Well in the Little Basin portion of Big Basin Prairie Preserve.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Kansas Ghost Stories
October 04, 2021
Tori Jane
What are some real haunted places in Kansas? It’s always a good time to have a spooky time, and luckily for us, there’s no shortage of spooky in Kansas. It’s home to many haunted places, and that makes sense – it’s an older state with lots of history, and usually, with history comes ghost stories. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Kansas include a strange place in the woods called Molly’s Hollow in Atchison. Tucked away within Jackson Park is this hollow, where legend has it that a young woman died brutally there (though the cause and manner of death is lost now). It’s said to carry with it a sense of crushing sadness, and some folks have even reported hearing screams in the area despite being the only persons around. Yikes! There’s also the witch’s grave in Galena, where – supposedly- every morning at 3:33 a.m., the spirits awaken and roam the grounds. Folks have reported seeing things like apparitions, capturing EVPs, and much more. Enter if you dare! If you’re interested in visiting some of Kansas’s most haunted places, you might want to consider taking this haunted places in Kansas road trip. Where is Jacob’s Well in Kansas? St. Jacob’s Well is a notoriously creepy place nestled within the Big Basin Prairie Preserve in Ashland. It’s a weird place where folks have been getting the creeps for decades; it’s said that a creepy spectral cowboy roams the area and terrifies visitors from time to time, and there are whispers about bodies in the well and a mysterious spring that feeds the well to this day. Legend also says that it’s bottomless, but that one isn’t true. Maybe the ghost stories are, or maybe they aren’t. You might just have to check it out for yourself. You’ll find St. Jacob’s Well in the Little Basin portion of Big Basin Prairie Preserve.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
It’s always a good time to have a spooky time, and luckily for us, there’s no shortage of spooky in Kansas. It’s home to many haunted places, and that makes sense – it’s an older state with lots of history, and usually, with history comes ghost stories. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Kansas include a strange place in the woods called Molly’s Hollow in Atchison. Tucked away within Jackson Park is this hollow, where legend has it that a young woman died brutally there (though the cause and manner of death is lost now). It’s said to carry with it a sense of crushing sadness, and some folks have even reported hearing screams in the area despite being the only persons around. Yikes! There’s also the witch’s grave in Galena, where – supposedly- every morning at 3:33 a.m., the spirits awaken and roam the grounds. Folks have reported seeing things like apparitions, capturing EVPs, and much more. Enter if you dare! If you’re interested in visiting some of Kansas’s most haunted places, you might want to consider taking this haunted places in Kansas road trip.
Where is Jacob’s Well in Kansas?
St. Jacob’s Well is a notoriously creepy place nestled within the Big Basin Prairie Preserve in Ashland. It’s a weird place where folks have been getting the creeps for decades; it’s said that a creepy spectral cowboy roams the area and terrifies visitors from time to time, and there are whispers about bodies in the well and a mysterious spring that feeds the well to this day. Legend also says that it’s bottomless, but that one isn’t true. Maybe the ghost stories are, or maybe they aren’t. You might just have to check it out for yourself. You’ll find St. Jacob’s Well in the Little Basin portion of Big Basin Prairie Preserve.