What Makes Baraboo The Most Haunted City In Wisconsin?

If you listen closely along the Baraboo River on a clear Wisconsin night, you might just hear it—a low, distant howl that doesn’t belong to any living creature. Welcome to Baraboo, the small south-central Wisconsin city with a circus past and a haunting reputation that’s earned it the title of the most haunted place in the state.

A Circus Town That Never Lost Its Spirits

Circus World via Facebook

Baraboo’s spooky fame isn’t just about creaky inns and foggy forests—it’s about the ghosts of its past, literally. Once home to the Ringling Brothers Circus, this “Circus World" city has long claimed to be haunted by the restless spirits of both performers and animals. Locals say ghostly elephants still roam the old circus grounds, and mysterious noises sometimes echo through the famous AL. Ringling Mansion.

The Old Baraboo Inn’s Paranormal Past

Old Baraboo Inn via Facebook

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Built in 1864, the Old Baraboo Inn has been everything from a brothel to a saloon, and now, a hotspot for paranormal activity. Visitors report flickering lights, disembodied voices, and even the occasional phantom bar patron. Brave souls can take one of the inn’s popular ghost tours, if they dare.

Devil’s Lake and the Ghost Wolves

Just south of town, Devil’s Lake State Park adds another eerie chapter. Visitors claim to hear howling from ghost wolves and see shadows along the shoreline.

So if you’re planning a fall road trip through haunted Wisconsin, Up North News says Baraboo might be the one place where the ghosts never left the show. Book a tour here.