Nunnery’s new owner wants to re-open Logan Canyon's paranormal hot spot

Plans are being made to re-open a historic — and possibly haunted — property in Logan Canyon.

Volunteers met at the property known as The Nunnery on Nov. 22 to begin discussing renovation projects that will take place in the spring. Although no plans are set in place yet, new owner Matt Nielsen is hoping to begin offering tours of the property once the buildings are restored.

Sarah Argyle, The Nunnery’s Facebook page administrator, said Nielsen is “hoping that people will be able to enjoy it once again.”

The property has not been open to the public since 1978, when it was still in the possession of the Salt Lake Catholic Diocese.

Since then a succession of property owners have come and gone, often abandoning dreams of re-opening the property after incidents involving trespassers and vandalism. The public’s intrigue was particularly stoked by a 1997 incident in which a group of trespassing teens were ambushed, shot at, and handcuffed by men who claimed to be security guards hired to patrol the property once known as St. Anne’s Retreat.

Other stories about The Nunnery abound, including tales of World War II-era murders and ghost sightings. Those urban legends have propelled a large volunteer interest in the refurbishment effort.

Camon Riggs of Logan was one of the volunteers who met last month.

“I've honestly always been curious about the place, but I was always too chicken to trespass and check it out,” Riggs said. Riggs plans on helping with grounds clean up and organizing fundraising events come spring.

Logan resident Amberli Misener said she was also curious about the property.

“Every time I drive up the canyon I'd see The Nunnery and wonder what was behind the closed-off gates,” Misener said. “After the many years of wondering, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go up there and see this historic site.”

The Cache Valley Paranormal Society is also excited to see the renovations take place. Its members recently joined the Travel Channel’s "Ghost Adventures" team to scope out the property.

"We are excited that the new ownership is doing their renovations and getting the historic location some interest,” said Nick Riggs, the founder of CVPS. “However, we highly discourage visiting the retreat without the proper permissions."

Cache Valley residents who are interested in volunteering can contact The Nunnery via its Facebook page.