Albion

History

The first settlement at Albion was made ca. 1875. The city was named for Albion, the poetic name for Great Britain. The 1893 establishment of the Albion State Normal School in Idaho marked the birth of a premier teacher's college that would eventually evolve into the Pacific Northwest’s largest paranormal destination. Built on land donated by passionate local citizens, the campus opened its doors in 1894 to just 23 students, eventually growing into a bustling institution that graduated over 6,000 educators. Renamed the Southern Idaho College of Education in 1947, the school was ultimately forced to close in 1951 due to severe funding shortages and low enrollment. After sitting vacant, the campus was briefly revived in 1957 as the Magic Valley Christian College under the Church of Christ. However, financial instability forced its permanent closure in 1969, a sudden shutdown that sparked intense local rumors of occult activity and supernatural occurrences. Following nearly four decades of decay and vandalism, the property was purchased at a public auction in 2007 by the Mortensen family, who transformed the historic site into a dual-purpose complex. Today, the campus operates year-round as a scenic retreat and conference center for weddings and corporate events, while transforming every October into "The Haunted Mansions of Albion"—a massive, actor-filled Halloween attraction utilizing historic buildings like Comish Hall, which remains famously haunted by real urban legends and investigated by television paranormal crews. D. L. Evans Bank was founded in Albion in 1904. Although the bank's headquarters is now located in Burley, it continues to operate a branch in Albion.

Geography

Albion is located at (42.410882, -113.580901). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• DECLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · DECLO · 450 students · 23.7:1 ratio
• DECLO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · DECLO · 298 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• DECLO JR HIGH SCHOOL
  Middle · DECLO · 279 students · 21.5:1 ratio
• ALBION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · ALBION · 27 students · 13.5:1 ratio