Iowa City, Iowa: The Black Angel
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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I discovered the Black Angel of Iowa City right here on RoadsideAmerica.com. I took a trip out to Iowa a couple weeks ago and decided to check it out. It is beautiful AND spooky! It can be found in the back portion of Oakland Cemetery at the top of Brown St.
Legend has it that if you kiss the angel, you will die INSTANTLY. I debunked that myth! (...or maybe I just got lucky!)
The statue is made of bronze, and hence has turned black over the years. It is a European angel, not an American one, so its wings and head are lowered toward the grave above which it rests. It's gorgeous and worth checking out!
[theALTERNAtraveler, 12/31/2007]The black angel statue was built over a woman's grave, not a cheating husband's. The woman's name was Teresa Feldevert, and her son is buried next to her, but he died when we was 18, not as a child. There are many legends surrounding her, and people say you can feel her watching you when you walk away. She is a very interesting statue and you automatically get chills upon entering the grave yard and seeing her.
[shannon, 07/20/2007]Large black angel headstone that, according to local legend, was white until it was placed on the grave of the unfaithful husband. The wing of the angel also covers the grave of a small child. The headstone of that grave is a tree with an axe buried in the top and mushrooms and ivy growing up the base.
[Cindy, 06/13/2006][Previous 5 items] Page of 3
The Black Angel
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
Nearby Offbeat Places
Hamburg Inn: Booths of Reagan and Clinton, Iowa City, IA - < 1 mi.
The Sitting Man, Iowa City, IA - 2 mi.
Medical Museum, Iowa City, IA - 2 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
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