Haunted Sioux Falls Episode 3 RF Pettigrew Museum Home

Welcome to Haunted Sioux Falls, I’m your host, John Small. On this episode, we step into the home of one of our fine city's most prominent people. A man who left a lasting impression... and he may still linger! At the corner of Duluth Avenue and 8th Street stands the Pettigrew Home, a mansion frozen in the late 1800s. Built for South Dakota’s first U.S. senator, Richard or RF Pettigrew, the home later became a museum filled with his vast—and sometimes odd—collection of artifacts. But the Pettigrew Home isn’t just a time capsule. Staff and guests have long whispered about strange activity inside. Doors that close on their own. Objects shifting ever so slightly in display cases. A presence felt in Pettigrew’s old bedroom. One story tells of a night guard who heard footsteps upstairs. When he went to investigate, the sound moved to another room—then another—always just out of reach. Others describe cold drafts that have no source, and the uneasy sense that someone is watching from the grand staircase. Is it Pettigrew himself, guarding his treasures? Or perhaps another spirit tied to the home’s history? We may never know. But those who’ve spent time inside insist the Pettigrew Home is very much alive… with the past. Have you experienced something strange or spooky in the Sioux Falls area? 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.