Entry No. 16 — the Minneapolis file — filed under: haunted
Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse
This massive Richardsonian Romanesque fortress is haunted by the ghost of John Moshik, who in 1898 became the last person executed in the building after a botched, agonizing three-minute hanging.
The story
Designed in 1888 by architects Long and Kees and completed in 1902, this red granite Richardsonian Romanesque monster was built to dominate the skyline as the tallest structure in Minneapolis. Behind its towering clock face and thick fortress walls, however, city officials reserved a quiet upper floor for the state's most permanent sentence.
In 1898, the building's fifth floor served as the gallows site for John Moshik, a man convicted of murder who became the last person executed inside the structure. The trapdoor dropped, but the trap failed to break his neck—leaving Moshik to choke for three agonizing minutes before he finally quieted. The brutal spectacle unsettled even the hard-nosed lawmen of the era, ending executions in the courtyard.
The gallows were dismantled, but Moshik apparently never checked out. Decades after the trapdoor was locked away, late-night security guards and shift workers still report sudden, unnatural plunges in temperature and the sound of deliberate footfalls pacing the fifth-floor corridors long after the municipal staff has cleared out.
What it's like
Because this is a functioning municipal office and active courthouse, you will pass through basic security before stepping into the gargantuan rotunda. Take a moment to look up at the intricate skylight design and the massive, 19-ton white marble 'Father of Waters' statue resting at the center. Take the elevator up to the fifth floor to wander the cavernous, echoing hallways; the stark, quiet administrative atmosphere makes the lingering history feel even colder.
The move: Walk through the public hallways of this active municipal building to the fifth floor, where Moshik was hanged, and look for the grand 'Father of Waters' statue in the rotunda before seeing if you can feel the cold spots reported by late-night workers.
- 📍 Downtown Minneapolis
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 350 S 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Rockman Sculptures at Federal Courthouse Plaza — Walk right out the door into the plaza to contrast the grim granite courthouse with whimsical bronze figures scattered over teardrop mounds.
- Hennepin Healthcare History Center — Head four blocks east to continue the morbid history dive in a hospital basement packed with vintage medical oddities.
- Sculpture Clock — Walk a few blocks downtown to check out another peculiar piece of public engineering—a 600-part kinetic mobile clock.
Good to know
Where in the building did the famous execution occur?
The gallows were erected on the fifth floor, where John Moshik was hanged in 1898.
Can I visit the building without an appointment?
Yes, the public hallways and central rotunda are open during standard operational hours since it is an active government building.
What is the large statue inside the main court?
It is the 'Father of Waters,' a giant heroic sculpture carved from Carrara marble depicting an allegory of the Mississippi River.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: municipalbuildingcommission.org · mndaily.com · Wikipedia · kfi-eng.com
last checked: 2026-07-21