People in Table Rock, in Pawnee County, are really into their town’s history. There are nine museums in this tiny town, all dedicated to preserving the area’s unique past. Along with that history comes several ghost stories – some might say there’s an abnormally high concentration of them, given the town’s size.

Some of the most well-known ghost stories involve the opera house, which has stood in the same place since 1893.

By Ammodramus (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons Legend has it that if you step into the alley behind the opera house on a dark night, you might see two ghostly figures, a man and a woman, step out from a second-story door and onto a landing at the top of a flight of stairs. But from the inside, there is no door there; it was bricked over many years ago. The only trace of the door exists on the outside, so the man and woman could not possibly be exiting the opera house. Furthermore, there is no landing and there are no stairs on the outside of the building.

Then there were the horse thieves who met their gruesome fates at the hands of the townspeople.

By Ammodramus (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons (The above photo is of the town square; it is for illustrative purposes only and was not the site of this story.)In 1864, a group of citizens captured three men who had been stealing horses in Pawnee County. Horse thieves were not looked on kindly in those days, of course, and the townspeople vowed to get revenge for their stolen property. Despite the protestations of some Table Rock residents, angry men lynched the thieves from a sturdy tree in town. It’s said that their tortured souls never left Table Rock, and today they still wander restlessly.

There are other stories to be uncovered here…

By Ammodramus (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons (The above photo is of the historic Lindsley House in Table Rock; it is for illustrative purposes only and was not the site of this story.) The Table Rock Historical Society keeps records of the town’s rich history…and the ghost stories that go along with it. You can visit them at any time (with an appointment) or wait until Halloween when they host a Ghost Museum Tour to hear about more hauntings in this little town.

The Table Rock Historical Society complex does not have regular hours; they are open by appointment only. Contact them at 402-839-3003 or visit their website. Be sure to ask about the dentist and his little dog!

By Ammodramus (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Legend has it that if you step into the alley behind the opera house on a dark night, you might see two ghostly figures, a man and a woman, step out from a second-story door and onto a landing at the top of a flight of stairs. But from the inside, there is no door there; it was bricked over many years ago. The only trace of the door exists on the outside, so the man and woman could not possibly be exiting the opera house. Furthermore, there is no landing and there are no stairs on the outside of the building.

(The above photo is of the town square; it is for illustrative purposes only and was not the site of this story.)In 1864, a group of citizens captured three men who had been stealing horses in Pawnee County. Horse thieves were not looked on kindly in those days, of course, and the townspeople vowed to get revenge for their stolen property. Despite the protestations of some Table Rock residents, angry men lynched the thieves from a sturdy tree in town. It’s said that their tortured souls never left Table Rock, and today they still wander restlessly.

(The above photo is of the historic Lindsley House in Table Rock; it is for illustrative purposes only and was not the site of this story.) The Table Rock Historical Society keeps records of the town’s rich history…and the ghost stories that go along with it. You can visit them at any time (with an appointment) or wait until Halloween when they host a Ghost Museum Tour to hear about more hauntings in this little town.

If you’re a ghost hunting enthusiast, take this road trip to some (but not all!) of Nebraska’s most haunted places.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.