The Ghosts of Squirrel Cage Jail, Part Two | Grave Talks CLASSIC
The Grave Talks | Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural
Ghost Stores, Haunted, Paranormal & Supernatural Stories
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 6 April 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! PART TWO
The Squirrel Cage Jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was once considered a revolutionary design—built in the late 1800s as a rotating structure meant to house inmates efficiently. But what looked innovative on paper quickly became something far more complicated in practice.
Operating from 1885 to 1969, the jail witnessed decades of confinement, hardship, and death—leaving behind a history that some believe still lingers within its walls. Reports of paranormal activity date back decades, with both staff and visitors describing experiences that are difficult to explain.
Kat Slaughter, Director of the Squirrel Cage Jail and RailsWest Railroad Museum, takes us inside the history of this unusual structure and the activity reported there today. From unexplained sounds to encounters within the rotating cells, the stories tied to this location continue to raise questions.
It’s a look at a place where design, history, and the unexplained come together—and where something may still remain.
#paranormal #squirrelcagejail #iowahauntings #hauntedjail #paranormalinvestigation #ghosthunting #hauntedlocations #ghosthunters #supernatural #ghostevidence #paranormalactivity #hauntedhistory #midwesthauntings #paranormalpodcast #thegravetalks
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today on The Grave Talks, a conversation about the Squirrel Cage Jail and the Rails West Railroad Museum with Cat Slaughter. |
| 0:15.0 | The Squirrelcage Jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is just minutes away from the old Rock Island Depot, now known as the Rails West Railroad Museum. |
| 0:26.0 | Their histories are very different, yet they share a very distinct similarity. |
| 0:32.1 | They are both very haunting. |
| 0:35.5 | Today on the Grave Talks, we'll talk about the museum's hauntings with museum director, |
| 0:41.5 | Kat Slaughter. |
| 0:44.4 | And I've heard of full-body apparitions there. |
| 0:48.6 | Yes, there's been a few photographs captured over the years, just a couple, but it looks like the same shape each time, |
| 0:57.7 | which is exciting. Do they think they have any... Could be a jailer? Yes. We think that's also why |
| 1:05.4 | things aren't too crazy for us, is that there's still a jailer on staff, which we appreciate. |
| 1:11.8 | That makes some sense, doesn't it? |
| 1:14.8 | Because if there are other people hanging around there that were the inmates, |
| 1:21.6 | you've got to have somebody. |
| 1:23.6 | And this was their career. |
| 1:25.1 | There wasn't that many people that worked there to this day. |
| 1:28.2 | When you think of from 1885 to now. |
| 1:32.2 | So I would imagine the jailers were very connected to their jobs. |
| 1:37.9 | Oh, definitely. |
| 1:38.6 | And you're never off shift there, really. |
| 1:40.8 | You would just go upstairs. |
| 1:43.0 | And, you know, people don't get arrested at, you know, |
| 1:45.5 | nine to five. They're getting arrested usually around two in the morning. And so even if he's gone |
... |
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