52 Nebraskaland • October 2026
Two Strangers, One Caboose
T W O R I V E R S S T A T E R E C R E A T I O N A R E A
Normally, when I hear a spooky story, I tend to lean on the more skeptical
side of things. That said, I've also had my own share of strange encounters
that cannot be explained.
Two Rivers is home to 10 of the ever-popular, retired Union Pacific cabooses that have
been renovated into a unique lodging experience for folks to enjoy from mid-April until
the end of September. Managing these cabooses can be challenging at times, requiring
a great deal of time, personnel and resources in addition to a duteous staff to keep them
clean and running properly. Among the staff, we have had not one, but two separate
housekeepers who believed caboose No. 2 is haunted.
These housekeepers both claimed they had doors close behind them, light switches
flicked on or off on their own, heard disembodied whispers and footsteps, and had the
ever-present sensation of unease like they were being watched inside the unit.
Two Rivers has been my "home" since 2009, and I have been in that caboose countless
times. I have never experienced anything spooky or strange in caboose No. 2. However,
these two housekeepers do not even know each other. In fact, they worked at Two
Rivers three seasons apart.
It is certainly enough to make the imagination run wild. Is there some old railroad
worker dwelling there who refuses to retire? Do we have a spiritual caboose squatter
and if so, will one of our brave conservation officers come ask them to leave?
~ Kirk Pawloski, Park Superintendent
