Entry No. 30 — the Des Moines file — filed under: poltergeist
Boone County Historical Society (former Masonic Temple)
The 1907 Champlin Memorial Masonic Temple — now the Boone History Center — is a legitimately operating county museum whose resident poltergeist "Frank" is blamed for slamming doors, triggering the old elevator, and switching lights back on after closing. Staff working late have reported hearing their names called in an empty building, giving the place a genuinely eerie layer beneath its exhibits on Eisenhower, Kate Shelley, and early Boone history.
The move: Visit during open hours (Tue–Sat, 10am–1pm) to tour the museum's history galleries in the atmospheric old Masonic lodge, then linger near closing time when the building is emptying out and "Frank" is most active — listen for footsteps on the second floor or the elevator moving on its own, and end with dinner in downtown Boone a block away.
📍 Before you go The History Center sits in the imposing 1907 former Masonic temple on Story Street in downtown Boone, an easy day trip northwest of Des Moines (roughly 45 minutes). Free street parking is usually available right out front on Story and on 6th Street. It's a small county museum open only a few daytime days a week, so confirm the schedule before you make the drive. Bundle the visit with the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad — the museum's Kate Shelley exhibit ties neatly to the famous Kate Shelley High Bridge nearby. The Mamie Doud Eisenhower birthplace house is also in town, but check whether it's open before counting on it.
- 📍 Boone
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 602 Story St, Boone, IA 50036
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · hauntedplaces.org · traveliowa.com
last checked: 2026-06-07