It's Halloween time, which means we begin to hear stories about scary sights, strange creatures and other bizarre tales that have been passed down through the years. Eventually, these legends take on a life of their own...and the terror spreads every time they're told. And Iowa's most famous urban legend has some harrowing history.

The legend: Villisca Ax Murder House - Villisca

This urban legend is based on actual events. Josiah Moore and his wife, Sarah, as well as their four children (Herman, Katherine, Boyd & Paul), and two children of a family friend (Lena & Ina Stillinger) were bludgeoned to death in their sleep on June 10, 1912.

It is believed that sometime between midnight and 5:00 a.m., an unknown assailant entered the home and murdered everyone inside with an axe. To this day, the murders have remained unsolved. Multiple suspects were questioned and linked to the crime--some even confessed to being the killer--but no one was convicted.

The Villisca Ax Murder House is one of the most well-known unsolved mysteries in the U.S. Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures even visited the infamous house in Southwest Iowa to conduct their own paranormal investigation.

The house is open to the public for tours; you can even stay overnight if you're feeling particularly brave (I'll pass, thanks). Take a virtual tour of the house HERE.

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