Skip to content
Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, IA
Sightseeing

Villisca Axe Murder House

Preserved 1912 Iowa farmhouse where eight people were killed in an unsolved axe attack, now offering tours and overnight stays.

Villisca, IA

About Villisca Axe Murder House

The Josiah B. Moore House in Villisca, Iowa, is the site of the June 1912 axe murders, which killed eight people, six of them children, as they slept after a church service. Two trials and several suspects did not produce a resolution, and the case remains open. In the 1990s, historians Martha and Gavin Linn restored the home to resemble its condition on the night of the crime, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house has no plumbing or electricity. Visitors can take daytime tours, book one of three rooms or the whole house for an overnight stay, or take a self-guided cemetery and town tour through a mobile app. Many guests report unexplained experiences there.

  • #haunted
  • #true crime
  • #overnight stay
  • #guided tours
  • #historic house

What's around here?

The closest stops to Villisca Axe Murder House, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Viking Lake State Park

    Check prices

    A 1,000-acre Iowa state park centered on a 136-acre lake, offering trails, fishing, boating, swimming, and lakeshore camping.

    4.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Lake Anita State Park

    Check prices

    A 1,062-acre Iowa state park centered on a 171-acre lake, offering fishing, boating, trails, and camping.

    36 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Museums

    Iowa Aviation Museum

    Under $25

    A Greenfield museum preserving antique aircraft and honoring Iowa's aviation pioneers, housed at the local airport.

    39 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Council Bluffs

    No admission fee

    Visitor information for Council Bluffs, Iowa, a Missouri River city across from Omaha at the gateway to the Loess Hills.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    51 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Pottawattamie County

    No admission fee

    Southwest Iowa county anchored by Council Bluffs, with riverfront trails and a historic downtown.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    51 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Omaha

    No admission fee

    Nebraska's largest city, a Midwest hub of museums, riverfront parks, and the Henry Doorly Zoo.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    54 mi awayMore like this