Have You Been to Rochester’s Creepiest Place?

With Spooky Season now upon us here in Minnesota, creepy and scary things will be popping up all over. But have you ever been to the creepiest place in Rochester?

What Is the Creepiest Place in Rochester, Minnesota?

'Creepy' is a word that's a little difficult to define. We likely all know what creepy is when we see it, but how do you actually explain what it is? Well, according to the crew over at Merriam-Webster, 'creepy' is defined as "producing a nervous, shivery apprehension," or something that's "annoyingly unpleasant."

And I would like to submit this feature as the Creepiest Place in Rochester for 2026. It's a place that's been around for a LOT of Halloweens-- seeing as it was first created nearly 144 years ago. But my wife and I toured it a few years ago and, while I'm not quite sure I'd call it 'annoyingly unpleasant,' (the tour was actually quite pleasant), overall, it's still kinda creepy.

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Rochester's Historic Quarry Hill Cave Dates Back to 1882

Which place am I talking about? That would be the historic man-made sandstone cave at Quarry Hill Nature Center, located on Silver Creek Road, just off East Circle Drive here in Rochester, Minnesota. The cave was carved way back in 1882 by patients and an attendant from the Rochester State Hospital to serve as a giant root cellar for storing fruits and vegetables.

Curt St John/Townsquare Media

According to Quarry Hill, six patients and one attendant hand-carved this 34-room cave out of the surrounding sandstone layer using only pickaxes! When it was complete, it functioned as an early natural refrigerator. Temperatures in the cave routinely stay between 40 and 50 degrees year-round, which meant it was the perfect place for keeping produce stored there fresh from the harvest in the fall through the next spring.

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These days, the cave is mainly empty-- except for some native Little Brown Bats that use it as a seasonal nesting area. Quarry Hill also gives tours of the cave twice each month on Sundays. My wife and I took the tour a few years ago, and found it amazing that it was entirely carved by hand!

Curt St John/Townsquare Media

How to Tour the Quarry Hill Cave in Rochester

You'll find the cave on the Quarry Hill property, about a 10-minute walk from the main Nature Center. If you want to check it out, Quarry Hill is offering cave tours this fall, which run for around an hour, this fall on the following dates:

• September 27
• October 11th & 25th
• November 15th & 29th
• December 13th & 27th