Villisca Ax Murder House - Villisca, IA

Lots of information has been reported on this home but I will give you the short version.

This small house in the tiny town of Villisca, Iowa was owned by the Moore family. On the night of June 10th, 1912, all four member of the Moore family, as well as two neighbor girls who were spending the night, were all brutally murdered in their sleep by an unknown person weilding an ax. The murder remains unsolved to this day. The house has been featured on many "ghost tv shows" as it is a mega-hub for paranormal activity. In fact, this home has been ranked in the top five most haunted houses in the world.

 The above and below photos are real photos of the Moore family which hang in the home today.

 The above and below photos are the kitchen of the home.

The above photo is the livingroom where the bodies of the two neighbor girls were found. Below is a photo of the steps leading up to the bedrooms.

The above photo is where the two adult victims were found. Below is the childrens' room, where the final two vistims were found.

The next three photos below are all from the childrens' room where most of the paranormal activity is recorded.

The above photo is the attic/storage area where experts think the killer hid until the family was asleep. Once they were asleep, the rest is history.

I have my own theories about what happened but that's a long story. If you visit the house, like I did in June of 2014, pay to take the tour. The tour guides will give you all the information you need!

Main Street - "The Crazies" 2010 Filming Location - Lenox, IA

Main Street in Lenox, Iowa was used as the Main Street of the ficticious Ogden Marsh, Iowa for the filming of "The Crazies" remake in 2010. The two images above are stills from the film; below in June of 2014.

Here is another shot of the street. In the image above, you can see the crew getting ready to shoot. The image below is the same spot in June of 2014.

Slippery's Tavern - "Grumpy Old Men" Filming Location - St. Paul, MN

The Half Time Rec (as of 2014) is the location used for the interior of Slippery's Tavern in "Grumpy Old Men." The address is 1013 Front Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. The above photo is a still from the film; below is 2014.

 Some of the decor has changed, but not by much. The above image is a still from the film; below in 2014.

You can see a wall behind Jack Lemmon's character as he is sitting at the bar. That was was a fake one put in by the crew from "Grumpy Old Men" to give the bar a much smaller feel. You can see in the image below, the bar goes back pretty far. The wall would've been approximately where that book bag is sitting on the bar top.

Canteen Lunch - Ottumwa, IA

The inspiration for Roseanne's "Lunch Box" restaurant on her hit TV show was this little restaurant located at 112 East 2nd Street in Ottumwa, Iowa called Canteen Lunch. Many of the items used on the Roseanne show were inspired directly form the interior of Canteen Lunch, who specializes in loose-meat sandwiches and pie. This building is such a historic part of Ottumwa that when a new city parking ramp needed to be built, the ramp was built over the top of it so the building wouldn't have to be torn down.

I stop here every time I am in town. The facility has undergone some well-needed updates and the new owners (since 2015) have done an excellent job keeping the same quality in their amazing sandwiches and have improved the customer service dramatically. I can't recommend this establishment enough! I have even nominated this restaurant numerous times to the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" television show. Canteen Lunch is a gem and should be recognized nationally.

Adventureland - Altoona, IA

Iowa Capital Building - Des Moines, IA

I don't care what anyone says, the Iowa capital building is beautiful!

Slippery's Tavern (Exterior) - "Grumpier Old Men" Filming Location - Minneapolis, MN

Located at 331 13th Avenue Northeast in Minneapolis, the exterior of the 331 Club was used for the exterior shots of Slippery's Tavern in "Grumpier Old Men." The above shot is a still from the film; below in June of 2014.

Iowa State Savings Bank - "The Crazies" (2010) Filming Location - Lenox, IA

Located at 200 North Main Street in Lenox, Iowa you will find the location used us the exterior for the Ogden Marsh Sheriff Station in The Crazies. The above image is a still from the film; below in June of 2014.

Bonnie & Clyde Shootout - Dexter, IA

On the outskirts of Dexter, Iowa, basically in the middle of the country, is an open field which holds some historical merit. On July 24th, 1933, the infamous Bonnie and Clyde had a shootout with law enforcement in the very field pictured above. This image was taken in June of 2014.

There are a few markers on the side of the road that tell the tale and commemorate such a historical event.

The Pink Beaver Waxing Studio - Des Moines, IA

I saw this place of business in downtown Des Moines (333 East Grand Avenue) and I couldn't help myself...I HAD TO TAKE A PICTURE! This photo of The Pink Beaver Waxing Studio was taken in June of 2014.

The Doctor's Office - "The Crazies" (2010) Filming Location - Lenox, IA

This residential home on East Temple Street in Lenox, Iowa was used as the exterior for the doctor's office in the remake of "The Crazies." The above image is a still from the film; below is the location in June of 2014.

Zombie Burger - Des Moines, IA

I was fortunate enough to be able to eat at a restaurant I have been eyeing for quite some time. Zombie Burger, located at 300 East Grand Avenue in Des Moines, has been featured on Destination America programming. Being a huge horror fan, there's no way my life would've been complete without eating here!

 My wife ordered the Trailer Trash Zombie Burger (above). I ordered the They're Coming to Get You Barbara Burger (below).

My advice, if you plan to eat here, make reservations. Our wait was approximately 1 1/2 hours. I assumed this place would be all gimmick but I was WRONG. The food is incredible! I highly suggest you visit Zombie Burger the next time you are in Des Moines.

Nodaway Consolidated School - Nodaway, IA

I was passing through this tiny town on a Saturday afternoon in June of 2014. I happened to look to my left and up a hill when I spotted this beauty! I slammed on the brakes and turned around; I couldn't resist going to take a long look at it. At one point in time, this school was buzzing with happy kids. Ironically, this town and school is called Nodaway. It seems this school has definitely nodded away.

The Baseball Field - "The Crazies" (2010) Filming Location - Lenox, IA

I had heard rumors that The Crazies remake of 2010 was filmed partially in Iowa. I scoured the internet and Google Earth for days trying to find precisely where some of these locations were. In an article somewhere online I read some of the movie was shot in Lenox, Iowa. Knowing Lenox wasn't that big, I figured if I just drove into town, I would spot a few locations immediately. Boy was I right! Nobody to date has ever chronicled any Crazies remake locations. I am proud to say I am the first!

The first location I found was the baseball field. VERY easy to find in such a small town. Not much has changed since the filming. The above shot shows the first person in the film who had gone "crazy" as he marches onto an active baseball field. Below, you can see the same spot in June of 2014. The "Tigers Field" sign is gone. I was actually pretty bummed about that. The hole in the fence the crazy character walks through has been boarded up, but more on that below.

 Here is another still (above) from the film and a photo of the same spot in 2014.

 The building in the background was a dead give away!

 In the still above, Timothy Olyphant's character rushes onto the field to check on the crazy man carrying a gun. Below is the same spot in 2014.

 Above, still from the film; below, photo from 2014.

 The above photo is a shot from behind the fence. it was taken down for the film and boarded up again after they were done shooting. The wood from the fence is cut perfectly from when they removed it. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't see it.

I also walked up and down the fence looking to see if anyone from the cast had signed the fence or anything crazy like that (no pun intended). I did find a piece of the outfield foot measurement that you can see in the film. I snagged it and took it home with me. Hey, when I see a piece of free movie history for the taking, I'd be CRAZY not to take it!