Detention Never Ends: The Haunted Halls of Farrar School
Some schools close their doors for summer. Farrar School closed its doors for good – and apparently forgot to tell some of the students.
Tucked into a tiny community, this three-story brick schoolhouse has spent more years empty than it ever spent open. And somewhere between the last bell and the first ghost hunter, Farrar earned a reputation as one of the most actively haunted school buildings in the country.
A Monument Built to Outrage the Neighbors
Farrar came to be thanks to local farmer C.G. Geddes who donated the land upon which the school sits. The school district had a plan: stop scattering kids across a patchwork of one-room schoolhouses and consolidate everything into one modern building.
The modern school came with a hefty price tag for the time — a jaw-dropping $100,000 for 1921. It was, enough that locals grumbled about the extravagance despite the district getting its money's worth: boiler heat, electric lights, and indoor plumbing all considered borderline luxurious for rural Iowa at the time. The doors opened on April Fool's Day 1922 — which, in hindsight, might be the single best timed opening for this haunted building history.
For the next 80 years, Farrar functioned first as a k-12 school and later as an elementary school, educating generation after generation of local kids. Then, in 2002 it closed for good — and sat empty.
The Stories Started Before the Building Emptied
Here's the detail that separates Farrar from a lot of haunted school claims: the ghost stories didn't start after closure — they started while the school was still in session. From the 1980s onward, teachers and students reported strange occurrences: unfamiliar figures wandering the halls and doors slamming shut with no one nearby. By the time the last class walked out, the building already had a reputation.
Reported Paranormal Activity
A tall/imposing apparition – seen in the top floor office, described as a towering 9-ft shadow;
A boiler room apparition – another figure often seen near the boiler room often described as aggressive;
Doors and sounds- doors slamming without explanation, plus loud knocks and bangs heard by visitors;
Disembodied children — disembodied voices and the sounds of children playing have been reported throughout the building;
Toys — toys around the school are said to be moved and played with by unseen forces; and
The ghost of a small boy – he’s often seen in the stairwell, and has been heard talking and laughing on audio recorders.
Present Day
The Farrar Schoolhouse is a partially restored abandoned school known for paranormal activity and ghost tours. Much of the school is still intact, including the old gym. As we wandered the halls and classrooms, we saw many items left behind from the last class.
Two Doors That May Not Lead Where You Think
Local paranormal lore holds that Farrar isn't just haunted — it is a crossing point. The legend claims the school contains two portals, linking it to the spirit realm: one in that same third floor principal's office, the other in the auditorium. It's an unverified piece of ghost hunting folklore rather than a documented finding, but it's become part of Farrar's identity, and it's exactly the kind of detail that gives investigators a reason to linger and those two rooms a little longer than the rest.
From Abandoned to Internet Famous
Today the building is partially restored for safety, but otherwise left largely as it was — old gym, leftover classroom items, and all – with guided investigations run through paranormal tour operators. Just don't expect the heat to be on; Farrar's history includes indoor plumbing, but climate control isn't part of the modern-day tour experience.
Our Experiences
The team and I have traveled to Farrar four times, and we have had a variety of experiences:
Unusual activity was picked up on our Rempod right outside of the office we used as homebase;
A shadow was observed in the boiler room as well as the feeling of hostility and aggression;
We heard a bang so loud it vibrated the floor;
Our recorders picked up the sounds of the intercom system….the owners told us the intercom was dismantled and lying in a box;
A few of us observed blue lights just outside of the principal’s office; and
Blue and red lights were observed in one of the second floor classrooms;
Should You Visit?
If you go, know before you book: this isn't a wander in anytime kind of place. Farrar operates through scheduled investigation bookings, not open public hours, and the building sits directly across from a cemetery- which locals will happily point out is either a coincidence or exactly the point, depending who you ask.
*********
Farrar School spent 80 years shaping the lives of the kids who walked its halls. It seems fitting that so many people believe some of them simply never checked out. Whether it's the shadow in the third floor office or the laughter with no source, Farrar has become proof that a building doesn't need to be open to still be full.
Have you been to Farrar, or has it been on your haunted Iowa bucket list? Drop a comment below — I'd love to hear it.
Make this beautiful day count!
Annette