US Ghost Adventures
usghostadventures.com › home › blog › haunted stories › the mysterious haunting of the tallman house
The Mysterious Haunting of the Tallman House - US Ghost Adventures
November 13, 2025 - Over a decade later, nearly 1,000 ... hardship as the Lutzes. Deborah and Allen Tallman, along with their three children, experienced a corruption of what was meant to be their dream home....
The Tallman Haunting - a demonic entity terrorized children until the family finally moved in Horicon, Wisconsin.
In 1986, Allen and Debbie Tallman, along with their three young children, moved into a modest home in Horicon, Wisconsin. The family was excited to start a new chapter in their lives and had no reason to believe that their new home would become the site of terrifying events. However, what began as a typical move into a new house soon turned into a nightmare that would haunt the Tallmans for the rest of their lives. The Tallman House case is often associated with a seemingly innocent piece of furniture—a bunk bed. According to the Tallman family, the haunting began shortly after they brought a secondhand bunk bed into their home. The bed was intended for their two younger children, but it would soon become a focal point for the strange occurrences that plagued the family. The bunk bed was purchased in early 1987, and almost immediately after it was brought into the house, the family began to experience disturbing phenomena. The children, who had previously been healthy and happy, started falling ill with no clear explanation. They also began to complain of seeing strange figures and hearing ominous voices in their rooms. Initially, the Tallmans dismissed these complaints as the result of childhood imagination, but it wasn’t long before the parents themselves began to witness unexplainable events. As the months went by, the paranormal activity in the Tallman house escalated. The family reported a wide range of phenomena, including disembodied voices, objects moving on their own, and mysterious figures appearing in various parts of the house. One of the most terrifying incidents involved the garage door opening and closing by itself, even when it was locked and there was no one nearby. Allen Tallman, the father, was particularly affected by the haunting. He described being tormented by a voice that taunted him, telling him to “come here” or “come get me.” On one occasion, while Allen was painting in the basement, he heard a voice call his name. When he turned around, he saw a red-eyed figure in the room with him. The figure quickly disappeared, leaving Allen shaken and confused. Another disturbing event occurred when the family’s youngest daughter claimed to see an old woman with long, dark hair standing in her room. The figure reportedly had glowing red eyes and a sinister expression, terrifying the child. Despite their best efforts to comfort their children, the Tallmans found themselves powerless against the malevolent forces that seemed to be taking over their home. The final straw came in January 1988 when the haunting reached a fever pitch. One night, Allen Tallman was awakened by the sound of chanting and saw the bunk bed engulfed in flames. However, the fire did not behave as a normal fire would—it produced no heat, and when Allen tried to extinguish it, the flames vanished as quickly as they had appeared. This event was so disturbing that the family decided they could no longer stay in the house. Fearing for their safety, the Tallmans reached out to their pastor and asked for help. The pastor conducted a blessing of the house, but the paranormal activity continued unabated. Desperate and terrified, the family made the difficult decision to leave their home and move in with relatives. They left everything behind, including the bunk bed that they believed had somehow unleashed the supernatural forces in their home. Media Attention and Unsolved Mysteries The story of the Tallman House quickly gained media attention, and it wasn’t long before it caught the eye of the producers of Unsolved Mysteries. The show featured the Tallman House case in an episode that aired in October 1988, just months after the family fled their home. The episode included interviews with the Tallman family, dramatizations of the events they experienced, and commentary from paranormal experts. The episode became one of the most popular in the show’s history, sparking widespread interest and debate. Many viewers were captivated by the story and found the Tallmans’ account credible, while others were more skeptical, questioning whether the events could have been the result of stress, imagination, or even a hoax. Despite the differing opinions, the case left an indelible mark on the public consciousness and remains one of the most talked-about segments from Unsolved Mysteries. After leaving their home, the Tallman family never returned. They eventually sold the house, but the new owners reported no paranormal activity. The bunk bed, which had been at the center of the haunting, was destroyed by Allen Tallman, who believed that it was the source of the malevolent forces that had tormented his family. The Tallmans have largely remained out of the public eye since the events of 1987-1988, but their story continues to intrigue those with an interest in the paranormal. The case has been featured in numerous books, documentaries, and articles, and it remains a popular topic of discussion among paranormal enthusiasts. The Tallman House case has generated a number of theories and explanations over the years. Some believe that the haunting was the result of a poltergeist, a type of ghost or spirit that is known for causing physical disturbances, such as moving objects and making noises. Poltergeists are often associated with individuals who are experiencing extreme emotional or psychological stress, and some have suggested that the haunting could have been a manifestation of the Tallmans’ own anxieties and fears. Others believe that the case could be an example of a “cursed object” scenario, where an inanimate object—in this case, the bunk bed—acts as a conduit for supernatural forces. The idea of cursed objects has a long history in folklore and paranormal research, and there are numerous stories of objects that are believed to bring bad luck, misfortune, or even death to their owners. Skeptics, however, have pointed out that there is no concrete evidence to support the existence of ghosts, poltergeists, or cursed objects. They argue that the events in the Tallman house could have been the result of sleep paralysis, hallucinations, or even a psychological condition known as “folie à deux,” where two or more individuals share the same delusions or hallucinations. More on reddit.com
The Tallman House
I remember when this episode first aired. There have apparently been no reported paranormal events before or after they lived there. It’s been a while since I talked to any locals about it, but I gathered that most folks thought it was a hoax. I personally find the nearby Satterlee Clark House to be far more interesting. I have a family member who claims to have witnessed poltergeist activity there. More on reddit.com
9 haunted houses in the Milwaukee area and Wisconsin with Halloween on the horizon
We finally did Hill Has Eyes for the first time this year and were not impressed. If you're afraid of waiting in line you will be terrified. There's a line to get scanned, then a wristband line, then a big courtyard where you wait to be called (a line), then get in line to finally start, then there are long slow lines between each attraction. It took us almost 3 goddamn hours to get through the place. In total you spend maybe 30 minutes tops actually walking through all 4 sets, the rest is standing in one line or another. There's no flow at all and all the joy gets sucked out by waiting in 20-40 minute lines between each attraction. More on reddit.com
Redditors, where is the best haunted house in the State?
Like... Real haunted houses, or employees jump out n go BOO haunted houses? More on reddit.com
Videos
The Most Haunted Places in Wisconsin On today’s episode of ...
10 HAUNTED Places in Eau Claire Wisconsin That Will TERRIFY You ...
02:40:59
SO HAUNTED WE HAD TO LEAVE: The CLOWN HOUSE Of Wisconsin (TERRIFYING ...
28:12
Wisconsin's Most Haunted Town & its Chilling SECRET - YouTube
13:38
The Wisconsin Haunted House That'll Give You Nightmares - YouTube
Ghost Outpost - 17 Chambers Of Fun & Frights - Haunted ...
Facts-Chology
factschology.com › mmm-podcast-articles › haunted-tallman-house-horicon-wisconsin
The Haunted Tallman House of Horicon, Wisconsin — Facts-Chology
January 14, 2023 - The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Paranormal believed the Tallman’s were being affected by a gas leak that caused hallucinations this is bolstered by the fact the Wisconsin Power & Light Company had to replace faulty gas fittings in several homes in the area except the Tallman home wasn’t one of them. Also, a question would be why did the hauntings begin after the bunk beds were brought into the home and not prior?
Uncomfortably Dark
uncomfortablydark.com › post › 01-10-2026-haunted-location-the-tallman-haunted-bunk-beds-in-horicon-wisconsin
01/10/2026 Haunted Location: The Tallman Haunted Bunk Beds in Horicon, Wisconsin
January 10, 2026 - So, after all this happened, the Tollman’s are under the impression that it’s the house that’s haunted. They called their reverend to come over and bless the house, hoping that it would remove anything evil and that things would be good. WRONG. The reverend came into the house and told them to remove the bunk beds.
Buzzsprout
buzzsprout.com › 1188959 › episodes › 8497557
The Tallman House Haunting of Horicon, Wisconsin - Myths, Mysteries, & Monsters
... On April 13th, 1986, the Tallman family consisting of husband and wife, Allen and Debbie Tallman along with their three young children, a boy and two girls moved into a new home in the small farming town of Horicon, Wisconsin.
UPI
upi.com › Archives › 1988 › 02 › 19 › Haunted-house-to-be-sold-bunk-beds-buried-in-landfill › 4254572245200
Haunted house to be sold; bunk beds buried in landfill - UPI Archives
February 19, 1988 - HORICON, Wis. -- The bunk beds have been buried and the Tallman family home is up for sale, apparitions and all.
YouTube
youtube.com › scary mysteries
Unsolved Haunted Horrors Of The Tallman House - Horicon, WI - YouTube
The Tallman family from Horicon, Wisconsin experienced 9 months of horror when they transferred to a new house in 1987, and it all started when the family bo...
Published October 21, 2022 Views 66K
UPI
upi.com › Archives › 1988 › 02 › 20 › Haunted-house-will-be-sold › 8807572331600
Haunted house will be sold - UPI Archives
February 20, 1988 - HORICON, Wis. -- The Allen Tallmann family hopes to find relief from the supernatural by turning their home over to the Farmers Home Administration and burying a set of suspect bunk beds.