For many, the most terrifying sight in Bloomington is the bathroom in a freshman dorm, but even more disturbing things lurk in the dark corners of this college town. Two haunted portraits hang in the Indiana Memorial Union Building, and the ghosts from suicides roam the stairwell at Ballantine Hall. At the end of every night, bartenders at a downtown pub pour a shot of whiskey for a not-so-dearly-departed spirit. At a nearby old manor, two ghost children stir up trouble. Farther out of town, in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest, lies Stepp Cemetery, a remote and desolate graveyard that is one of the most haunted locations in Indiana. Join Bloomington native Klara Lee Sweet on a spine-tingling tour of the city’s spectral history.
Coffee addict, rock-and-roll drummer and horror enthusiast Klara Lee Sweet travels as frequently as possible with her husband throughout the country and overseas. On each adventure, they enjoy ghost tours and collect folklore stories. Books in Klara’s personal collection include those of Stephen King, ’80s rock-and-roll autobiographies, cozy mysteries and Haunted America series books she’s collected on her travels. Haunted Bloomington, Indiana is the first book Klara has written or published. As she’s a proud Hoosier, this was her way of helping local businesses and educating others about the hometown she dearly loves.