Iowa City, Iowa: The Black Angel
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
Oakland Cemetery
- Address:
- 1000 Brown St., Iowa City, IA
- Directions:
- I-80 exit 246. South on Hwy 1/Dodge St. for about 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Summit St., then right onto Dewey St., then left onto Brown St. to the Oakland Cemetery entrance. The Black Angel is in a ways, but straight in from the entrance. Lot 1, Block 24.
- Hours:
- Gates open daily 7:30-dusk (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 319-356-5105
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Go to the cemetery, kiss the angel statue, drop dead -- or so the legends say. The 1912 sculpture has spooked generations who prefer the supernatural over any scientific explanation of the statue's blackness.
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A little creepy. We did not kiss it (directly).
[Mindi, 06/14/2017]
Access to the cemetery is restricted, with hours of permitted entrance. There is a small gate that had to be opened to permit entrance at one street we used, but it is easily opened.
[Stephan Parsons, 05/01/2015]
We went during the day but my oldest son was still afraid to even look at the Black Angel. Another son (a Whovian) thought she looked like a Weeping Angel and loved staring her down. Personally, I thought the angel was a beautiful guardian. But no, none of us dared to kiss her!
Another note: My sister said when she was in college they used to leave pledges of her sorority at the Black Angel as part of their test.
[Zoe Roberts, 07/24/2014]
If you go at night the angel is very difficult to find -- only one entrance is open through Brown St. Pay attention to which turns you made; it took us at least 30 minutes to find our way back out. Very spooky and humbling due to the fact the angel towers over you at 13 feet!
[Ryan Haag, 08/12/2013]Page of 3 [Next 5 items]
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Air kisses are probably safe, or only trigger a half-strength curse.