Dartford Cemetery

Dartford Cemetery sits just outside the historic downtown of Green Lake, Wisconsin. Established in the mid-1800s, it serves as one of the area’s oldest burial grounds, holding generations of early settlers, prominent local families, and veterans. The cemetery is divided by the roadway, with sections on both sides, and features a mix of traditional headstones, weathered markers, and a small mausoleum that has become an unsettling focal point for visitors.

Today, Dartford Cemetery draws attention not just for its history, but for its reputation as one of the most haunted cemeteries in Wisconsin since it was featured in a 2007 episode of the Discovery Channel series A Haunting in which local “legend trippers” encounter the restless  spirits of children who died of polio, Civil War soldiers, and a spectral Native American chief among the old tombstones, as well as ghostly presence that pushes them from the top of the Jackson-Walker crypt. Visitors frequently seek it out for its atmosphere, its layout, and its connection to longstanding local legends. While it remains an active and maintained cemetery, it has also become a regular stop for those exploring haunted locations across the state.

The site’s notoriety largely stems from stories tied to a figure known as Chief Highknocker, along with reports of unexplained activity that have circulated for decades and the dare challenge to sit on the mausoleum and get pushed off by ghosts. These accounts, combined with its age and setting, have placed Dartford Cemetery firmly within Wisconsin’s haunted folklore.

Reported Paranormal Activity

• Ghost of a Native American chief
• Unexplained lights and orbs appearing among the graves at night
• Reports of shadowy figures moving between headstones
• Sudden cold spots and feelings of being watched
• Spirits of children and Civil War soldiers
• Ghosts push you off the Jackson-Walker mausoleum

Learn more about the history and legends surrounding Dartford Cemetery →