Villisca, Iowa: Villisca Ax Murder House and Museum

Darwin is a super-nice guy. He really gets a kick out of showing people the house, and telling the history of the house (and the whole town). I spent almost 2 hours there. The axe murder house is cool, but Darwin makes it a special, one-of-a-kind experience. If you are bored with the "canned" and scripted walking tour, this is for you.

We caught the movie "Villisca: Living with a Mystery" at the theater in town, and then toured the house. You must go! It was a surreal experience, having just learned about the backstory through the film, and learned about the various suspects. What really creeped us out was the computer animation of the murder scene in the movie, and where evidence was located, and then to go through the actual house where the murders were committed. You don't get an opportunity to experience the tragedy in such a way. The house was tastefully done, and the guide very nice. See the documentary first, and then take the tour, you feel like you're in a time warp.

We visited this interesting house this summer after seeing the documentary, "Villisca: Living with a Mystery", about the infamous 1912 axe murders --one of the country's worst mass murders. It truly was eerie touring the house after seeing the film. The Linn, who own the house, were very kind and provided interesting stories. There is a contingent that visits the crime scene because they think the house is haunted. We went for the historical tour, and found it a fascinating side-step. The town is lovely! Nice people, gorgeous old houses, remnants of the past surround you.