Most Haunted Places in America: Hibbing High School
About an hour and a half northwest of Duluth Minnesota is the town of Hibbing Minnesota. Popular for its steel mines, Hibbing is known as the town that moved. In 1920, large quantities of iron ore were being discovered all over the residential areas of Hibbing. The main mining company, Oliver Mining, was buying up all the property it could which lead to whole neighborhoods being relocated. As compensation for all the upheaval, Oliver Mining Company built a luxurious high school which has turned into one of the most haunted places in America.
It is the auditorium that has captured the attention of many ghost hunters. Built to resemble the Capitol Theater in New York City, this auditorium boasts many of the elegant details in which it is modeled after such as crystal chandeliers, detailed woodwork and wonderful artwork. It seats 1800 but there is one seat, J47 that is occupied by the ghost of Hibbing High School.
The current Stage Manager at Hibbing High School, Chuck Perry, has been there since 1979. Being a long time resident, he was familiar with the ghost stories and rumors circulating about. Though there are many stories of deaths surrounding the auditorium, Mr. Perry has only verified two. A disabled student died in the auditorium and the passing away of the first Stage Manager in the 1940’s.
Mr. Perry was not a firm believer in the ghost stories and has said he never experienced anything out of the ordinary himself until a visitor came one day and said she felt a presence in the auditorium. After walking around some more specifically honed in on the seat J47. It wasn’t until later after seeing a show about people trying to capture ghost on film that he decided to try this in the auditorium.
Using an old Polaroid camera, Chuck Perry took about 50 pictures of seat J47 and the rest of the auditorium. 6 of those pictures showed what seems to be an apparition. The ghost is attributed to the first Stage Manager of the school. There have been other unexplained instances in the schools as well.
There are ten dressing rooms in the auditorium and one story is that when a girl was in one of the rooms putting on makeup, someone walked into the room. When the girl looked up, it disappeared. The other reports are from school employees that have heard footsteps in the hall and coming into the classrooms yet no one is there.
A local paranormal investigating team went to the school and tried to catch some of these spirits using Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). According to their findings they got a few responses during their EVP session and conclude there are a few ghosts residing in Hibbing High School. Here is a Hibbing High School ghost video which includes the 6 pictures that Chuck Perry took with the Polaroid.
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hi i go to the hibbing highschool only 7th grade i have never been in any scary thing though but i say if any one goes to investigate again i think they might see something upstairs from the auditorium in the dressing rooms i have been up their once well snuck up their once… and weird stuff up their
Cindy,
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on this, we really appreciate it.
hibbing is haunted. be scared very very scared
I was at a play there in 6th grade and I got j47 and it was cold and I looked on stage and I saw a figure poke it’s head out the side curtin and dissapeard and nobody belives me that Hibbing adatorium is haunted.
I spent a lot of time in the auditorium and backstage of the theatre because I was in Thespians and it does have an eerie sense about it when it’s empty. But, never once did I see or feel anything odd or unusual.
I guess the ghost of J47 is the official “seat saver” now. Do they assign this seat to kids today or is it now left vacant? I wonder why that specific seat also. Maybe they need to do a history of who has been given that seat through the years. Perhaps the ghost isn’t the stage manager. Although, the hand in the apparition to me looks male and old.
who are the students that were assigned to that chair J47