Urban Exploring at ISU

[jaretac]

Another thread perked my interest. There are allot of strange places around campus and Ames to explore and I know there are allot of people who explore them. I was just curious about some of the strange places some of you have been.

Disclaimer- I'm not trying to encourage trespassing. There are allot of people that have special access to places because of a job, club, or degree. Remember, anything you say can be used against you- just kidding.


I think the strangest place on campus has to be Spangler Lab. Back out of sight, behind a fence and over the hill and always locked. The building looks occupied with offices and shops, but as you walk down some of the hallways you feel like you need a machete to get through the spider webs. It looks like the building was suddenly abandoned 20 years ago, cause there is nothing in the building that looks new- including the old dos computers and typewriters.

 

[cyco2000]

I think the strangest place I had ever been on campus was the Design Center. That place was filled with kooky people with kookier ideas. And, the building was built diagonally. Strange.

:wink:

It may be of note that I'm a civil engineer.

 

[SeattleClone]

I’ve been on the roof of pretty much every dorm building, including all 4 towers. I worked maintenance for the res halls as a student. Unfortunately I never had a camera with me.

 

[MaxPower57]

Anybody ever been out to that "twisted" playground north of town where they guy built a shrine to his dead daughters, or whatever the story is.? Pretty strange.

 

[MidwestZest]

Kind of cool old train bridge next to riverside park. on 6th street, just south of the skate park and the current train bridge. if you walk on the bike path that is just south of 6th street, you'll come to the old rr bed that keeps going straight. walk about 100 feet down that and there's the train bridge. I don't know that it's strange or anything special, but just kinda cool.

 

[BooneCy]

I used to work for Central Stores on campus. They deliver supplies to all the buildings and various other activities. I have been in every building on campus, and there are some buildings that people don't know about. I would say the coolest building might have been Morrill Hall, when we were cleaning it out for remodeling. In the basement there was a giant concaved lensed taller than me. The chapel was pretty cool.

In Vet Med there is a large freezer that has a frozen dead horse in it hanging upside down. I'm guessing for Vet Med students. The cow with the cap that you can unscrew and see into it's stomach is also pretty cool.

The giant book archive building north of campus is neat to see just because of the amount of books in there. The questionable facility in West Ames by the train tracks is interesting. Can you say X-files? j/k

 

[Knownothing]

I was at a place on campus where everyone gathers and watches opposition wide receivers run like deer and catch passess. It's a great place.

 

[ornryactor]

I think the strangest place on campus has to be Spangler Lab. Back out of sight, behind a fence and over the hill and always locked.

For a minute, you had me stumped. I was pretty sure I'd heard of and seen everything on ISU's campus, but I'd sure never heard of Spangler Lab, so I looked it up. Applied Sciences Complex? Come on, that is NOT "on campus". By that definition, the new dairy farm down in Ankeny is "on campus", too! I will give you, though, that the whole ASC is creepy as all hell. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just being in the parking lot.

 

[The_Architect]

There is a really bizarre place a few miles NW of Ames. I know this is a bit OT since this isn't about ISU but there is a strange farmhouse with a really really odd "front gate." That's about the only way I can describe it and it's really spooky to see at night. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

 

[MaxPower57]

There is a really bizarre place a few miles NW of Ames. I know this is a bit OT since this isn't about ISU but there is a strange farmhouse with a really really odd "front gate." That's about the only way I can describe it and it's really spooky to see at night. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

That is what I was describing in my post above.

 

[jaretac]

In Vet Med there is a large freezer that has a frozen dead horse in it hanging upside down. I'm guessing for Vet Med students. The cow with the cap that you can unscrew and see into it's stomach is also pretty cool.

Have you ever seen the cart full of Beagles? I guess they use Beagles for practice and they occasionally will have a cart coved in Beagles sitting in the hall.

 

[cmoneyr]

Anybody ever been out to that "twisted" playground north of town where they guy built a shrine to his dead daughters, or whatever the story is.? Pretty strange.

I've been there, weird stuff.

 

[jaretac]

I've been there, weird stuff.

Is that along 69?

 

[The_Architect]

I've been there, weird stuff.

Agreed. My old college gf and I drove out there once late at night and we both got really strange vibes from that place - very creepy/weird.

 

[The_Architect]

Is that along 69?

It's out west of the Ames Country Club.

 

[chuckd4735]

Kind of cool old train bridge next to riverside park. on 6th street, just south of the skate park and the current train bridge. if you walk on the bike path that is just south of 6th street, you'll come to the old rr bed that keeps going straight. walk about 100 feet down that and there's the train bridge. I don't know that it's strange or anything special, but just kinda cool.

Im pretty sure (not 100%) that bridge/rail line is for the old Dinky.

 

[jaretac]

It's out west of the Ames Country Club.

That along Cameron School Rd?

 

[flynnhicks03]

I've been there, weird stuff.

Does anybody have the back story of this place? Can you tell us any more about it? I've never heard about it.

 

[cyQlone]

I used to work in the basement of Friley when I worked for Dept. of Residence. There is a locked room on the far west side that if, with a master key, is opened, it is a room full of dirt. Also in the basement there are old butcher areas and old meat lockers. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[MaxPower57]

Does anybody have the back story of this place? Can you tell us any more about it? I've never heard about it.

Apparently this guy had twin daughters who were walking along the road one day and a supposedly somebody in a red car hit and killed both of them and kept going. The father then created this twisted playground in their honor or something, it is really a weird place.