Ed Gein’s House
Ed Gein’s house, the dilapidated Wisconsin farm where he lived alone following the death of his father, brother, and mother, became the primary location where he carried out his crimes. He hauled bodies from cemeteries back home to dismember. Years after his arrest, human remains were still found on the property. Where is Ed Gein’s house of horrors?
The property where Ed Gein’s house was located is just a few miles southwest of Plainfield, WI on the corner of Archer and 2nd Ave. The house burned down in March of 1958, and all the outbuildings were razed in the following years by the new owner. The site where the farmhouse once stood is now just an empty, overgrown lot.
Ed Gein House Location
The Gein Family in Plainfield
In 1914, when Ed was about 8 years old, the Gein family sold their grocery store in La Crosse and moved to the isolated farmstead outside of Plainfield. In statements following his arrest, Ed described hardship on the farm as they struggled to grow crops in the area’s sandy soil, a problem he said the locals were unwilling to help them with.
It was here that Gein’s psychosis developed and grew into a burgeoning madness, an obsessive and melancholic desperation through which he seldom saw clarity.
Loneliness, coupled with his mother’s oppressive religious indoctrination, drove Ed to commit extreme acts in the years after the rest of his family was gone. Whether freshly murdered or dug up, Ed brought his victims back to the farm where they became part of his macabre collection.
Horrific Evidence
When the Wisconsin State Crime Lab arrived at the Gein farm, they discovered inside a ghastly collection of objects fashioned from Ed’s victims, including:
- A female “mammary suit”
- Masks made from human faces
- Skull sawed open for use as a bowl
- Lampshade made from human flesh
- Chair upholstered in human flesh
- Human nipple belt
- Box of painted vulvas salted for preservation
It was during this removal of evidence, according to now deceased Plainfield resident Hollis Brown, that he discovered a cauldron containing human remains.
An extensive search of the property revealed no noticeable burials where Gein may have disposed of remains. However, in May of 1960 workers on the property unearthed previously undiscovered human bones.
Fire & Auction
Days before the property and all of Gein’s possessions were to be auctioned off in March of 1958, a fire reduced the house to a smoldering pile of debris. The fire was never investigated, but rumors of the property being purchased and opened as a tourist attraction called The House of Horrors may have precipitated the event.
The property was bought in the 1958 auction by Emden Schey. He tore down the outbuildings, planted trees, and sold off most of the land except the homestead site. Schey’s grandson Mike Fisher later inherited the property.
In 2006, Fisher attempted to sell the property by listing it on Ebay for $250,000 under the heading “Ed Geins Farm…The REAL deal!” Ebay removed the listing several days later.
The property eventually changed hands and the chain across the driveway with a sign that read “Fisher” was replaced by a plain metal gate.
The land is private property. The current owner has granted access to the property for film crews in recent years to shoot television content about Ed Gein.
See more about the Ed Gein house on Wisconsin Frights.
Have you visited the Gein property? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.
Going through Plainfield the other day and had to stop. Yep, there it is….. not much else to say other than it was a house of horrors from a very sick man.
So who owns it?
Strange how things like this make people visit
I had a dream about this property and Geins last night and woke up & looked it up. I don’t know why I would dream about something like this. I am certain I saw something about this crime many years ago but did not remember this man’s name so its all very odd. This is all very sinister. Probably one of the most gruesome things I’ve seen.
southwest corner?
It’s hilarious they never investigated the fire. They we like “fuck it.”
This story has captivated and intrigued me for years. How he ended up doing what he did has surrounded Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Criminologists and decades. If permitted, I’ve love to get a photo outside of his house. But, all in all, what a horrible childhood he had.
never have,but it would be an interesting trip
Are you able to take pictures by the gate?
Stop spamming ads you cunt
So is it the Southwest corner of the crossroads of 2nd Ave. & Archer? As Monique was asking. I would to travel to this place and camp out right on the spot where the house was and stay up through the whole night and just listen, record any energy reading through detector’s, and just might do a conjuring ritual to enhance the field of any possible forces. Mostly likely negative and demonic forces I’m sure. I would think there would be any spirits or entities lingering around there just residual energies of the family and mostly Ed’s macabre doing’s. But… Read more »
HES EVIL
Everyday my life is a nightmare. The ED GEIN RESIDENTS STALK, SLANDER ME EVERYDAY. JANUARY 9, 2024 JOHNNY MAC GEIN HIT AND RUN INTO MY SMALL CAR THEN ABDUCTED ME FROM MY CAR KIDNAPPING ME FOR 7 MONTHS, WITHOUT MY GOING TO THE V.A. HOSPITAL TO HAVE MY BONES SET! I REMAIN IN DISCOMFORT, ROBBED OF A 2010 DONGFANG CHOPPER 250 CC MOTORCYCLE, STOLEN SINCE, JANUARY 9, 2024.PLEASE HELP ME! MY CAREERS ARE RUINED BY ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE PLAINFIELD, WISCONSIN 1957 MASS MURDERS AND ARRESTS. I AM LITERALLY RUINED! MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD. I CAN NOT HAVE A… Read more »
“Loneliness, coupled with his mother’s oppressive religious indoctrination, drove Ed to commit extreme acts in the years after the rest of his family was gone.”
Far fetched theory. His murderous acts came late in his life, at 38, long after his mother was dead.
Such a delay action from “indoctrination” is just minless speculation.
Why anti-religious freaks have to explain evertything through religion?
My Grandmother would take eggs to his home when his folks were still alive. They were nice people. They call Ed a serial killer but I don’t know of anyone Ed killed. He robbed graves!! That not a serial killer, that’s a psycho!!