Spiritland Cemetery is a small rural burial ground in Portage County, just outside Plainfield, Wisconsin. Its significance is tied directly to Ed Gein, who exhumed graves here in the 1950s and brought the stolen remains back to his house. Spiritland is one of three cemeteries Gein robbed, placing it within the physical landscape of one of Wisconsin’s most disturbing true crime cases.
Local legend says name “Spiritland” originated from a story of a man who would visit the cemetery to commune with the spirit of his deceased wife. Over time, that story, combined with Gein’s documented activity, shaped the cemetery’s reputation. Some believe the disturbances caused by Gein left the spirits of Spiritland restless, contributing to ongoing claims that the cemetery is haunted. The location also drew visitors for years who mistakenly believed Gein himself was buried there, though his actual grave is located nearby in Plainfield Cemetery.
