Ghostly Tales of Minnesota

by Ruth D. Hein

Read 33 chilling ghost stories about reportedly true encounters with the supernatural in Minnesota. The ghost of a murder victim attacks a woman in her sleep. A jealous spirit pushes people down the stairs. A helpful phantom guides a loved one to a vital missing document. Minnesota is among the most haunted states in America, and this collection of ghost stories presents the creepiest, most surprising tales in the Land of 10,000 Lakes! Minnesota author Ruth D. Hein developed a fascination for things that go bump in the night. The historian and professional writer spent countless hours combing the state for the strangest and scariest run-ins with the unexplained. Horror fans and history buffs will delight in these 33 charming yet chilling tales about haunted locations. They’re based on reportedly true accounts, proving that Minnesota is the setting for some of the most compelling ghostly tales ever told. The short stories are ideal for quick reading, and they are sure to captivate anyone who enjoys a good scare. Share them with friends around a campfire, or try them alone at home—if you dare.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ghosts, Paranormal, Horror

120 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

Reviews

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off... Do we really sound like redneck's in Minnesota? Holy smokes some of the dialect was painful.. Short stories with not a lot of depth, most of them likely folk tales the author found around small towns. Nothing too creepy. Was hoping this would be a good Halloween read.. swing and a miss.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely short stories that take place in Minnesota, though most of them don't actually mention where in MN. Pretty poorly written in multiple ways. Some of the stories were slightly spooky, some seemed like they ended before anything happened at all, and some were just boring. Unfortunate read.

[Leslie Callahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reserve one stars for books I can’t finish. Two stars is too generous for this book. Most of the tales in this book took about a page and a half of print; very short little stories. I feel like the author started each story with great gusto but each one fell flat at the finish. Most were just a relative lingering around. Nothing of too much interest or variations.
I feel like these stories are better for personal family use so when grandma isn’t with us any more the family would still have a document of her experiences. Not really important to any of us readers.

[Aimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really much background information or historical context. Nothing too interesting really happens in the stories. It feels like you told your grandma you visited somewhere haunted and now she calls you to tell you the ghost stories she heard from her church friend. Lol.

[Brent Abels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered this one from when I was a kid. Back then, it was too scary to finish. It's not quite that spooky now. The highlight for me has to be that my hometown, little Rushmore, is in one of the stories.

[Samantha Mix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and local ghost stories. Loved it!

[Tabitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was only somewhat interesting. Really didn’t give a lot of details on any of the stories and didn’t give much background on any of the “hauntings” or “ghosts.”

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't a lot of depth to this, but it's got some intriguing stories.

[Heidi Bakk-Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apocryphal stories about hauntings around Minnesota. I was looking for something to read to kids, and this wouldn't do it.

[Pam Herrmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

33 ghost stories from around Minnesota. Quick read.

[Shelby]

DNF'd at 47%

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun book to read at night while visiting in MN.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting this to be a scary, thrilling book. Turns out it’s just a collection of interviews. Not what I was looking for.

[CJ Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving 5 stars because the 2.98 rating feels mean y'all

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little romp and while the stories may be meant more for kids, I did get a few goose bumps!

[ruby woletz · Rating 2 out of 5]

i j wanted actually scary stories from mn. also y were they almost all in southern mn?

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as hair raising and scary as I'd anticipated, a snapshot in time, quick read, lots of short tales.

[Krystl Louwagie · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, I feel a little bad giving this 2 stars. That being said, I'm pretty sure I won't remember hardly anything in this book and it won't make much of an impression on me.

It was fun reading the names of all those towns and colleges I'm familiar with. However, this book reads like you were sitting around a very large Minnesota camp fire-but in the middle of the day (most of the stories don't do much to scare-even if I DO admit to getting slightly spooked just because I was reading this at midnight while pet sitting in a house I didn't know too well and no tv or radio on-it was more the IDEA of ghosts and creepy things than anything I was actually reading). What I mean is, the stories don't feel like they're told by a skilled storyteller. They're extremely short stories that sound like a person saying, "that one time, this and this and this sort of weird un-explainable thing happened in our house and we blamed it on a ghost". After getting used to this style of the book, it's a little entertaining because it all feels so old school small town and conversational-which is a little interesting in itself. But not as interesting as a well told story.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I wrote at the time, "I read this 113 page book in one day. It is a compilation of strange stories told to the author by the people who experienced them (or by their descendants)." Four of the stories were particularly good, including one about an 8 month old baby who had mysteriously been moved from its crib to the upstairs.

[Kasey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this tucked away in my moms closet and being a lover of ghost stories pulled it out. Not the best I've read but had a couple interesting stories.