Haunted Sioux Falls Episode 1 The Old Courthouse Museum

Welcome to Haunted Sioux Falls, I’m your host, John Small. On this episode, we step across the threshold of justice—or perhaps something darker—inside the Old Minnehaha County Courthouse, now the Old Courthouse Museum. Could some spirits may still linger where trials and verdicts once echoed? Let’s find out. Have you ever heard footsteps in a courtroom when no one is there? Or watched a light flicker in an empty gallery? That’s exactly what some visitors claim happens at the Old Courthouse Museum! The building at the corner of Main Avenue and 6th Street in Sioux Falls was built in 1890 as the Minnehaha County Courthouse, in a Romanesque style using the famous Sioux quartzite stone. It served as courthouse until 1962, when county services moved to a new facility nearby. Today, this beautiful building operates as the Old Courthouse Museum, featuring exhibits about local history, culture, and artifacts. As a building that once housed legal proceedings—sometimes tense, emotional, even tragic—it's not surprising that many believe residual energy or restless spirits might linger. Today it’s a museum, but the echoes of its past linger. Visitors have reported cold spots, phantom footsteps on the grand staircase, and even the apparition of an old custodian, still sweeping the courtroom floors. Lights flicker, faucets misbehave, and on quiet nights, staff claim to hear murmured voices in empty galleries. Could these be echoes of long-forgotten trials? Or maybe restless souls who never left? Skeptics blame drafts, old wiring, or an over-active imagination. Believers hear the whispers and feel the chill. Either way, the Old Courthouse has earned its reputation as one of South Dakota’s most haunted spots, so if you ever visit the Old Courthouse Museum after hours, keep your ears open, your flashlight steady, and your mind open. And if you experience something unusual—footsteps, whispers, or pranks—please reach out. I’d love to hear your story. Connect with us at the bottom of the page at HauntedSiouxFalls.com Until next time… stay curious, stay brave, and beware of the whispers in the dark.