List of Haunted Places of Illinois    

Be sure to check out our homepage 
for our latest investigations.

Know of a haunted place in Illinois that's not on this list? 
Let us know Be sure to include the City and State that
the haunted place you are submitting is in.

Towns Listed in Yellow
Haunted Places Listed in Red

Abingdon

Abingdon Middle School - There have been stories of a teacher who hung herself because her kid fell down the stairs on a tricycle. They have heard screaming and yelling and squealing of the tricycle tires. There have been sightings of the woman and child together again. There has also been blood stains found on the walls of every room and above the steps and on the steps of were she hung herself and the child fell down the stairs.

Algonquin

Algonquin cemetery - on Rt.31 And Cary / Algonquin Rd there are two sides. The side that touches 31 is more of a good side in terms of the way the spirits are. The other side has a rapist that has been bound to his grave spot by a high priestess. Do not enter this circle or you will be at the mercy of his anger. A little bit further down the cemetery is a murderers spirit he has also been bound to his grave. When you find the rapist grave towards the back of the cemetery if you stand in one spot you will fell his bad energy and you will hear him running back and forth through the woods. A little boy has also been seen by this area watching the rapist and watching you trying to protect you from harm. The only way to be safe is to stay on the trail until you know where they are.

Square Barn Road - 2 kids run in front of cars, usually at midnight, running from 3 nasty killers. 2 boys 1 girl.

Allerton Park

Allerton Mansion - There have been reports of a mysterious lady in white. She, according to witnesses and old photos of people that use to go there as guest of Mr. Robert Allerton, is a guest that frequently visited there. She has been seen walking along the pond in the back of the mansion, and in "her" room putting on hats and gloves. She's been heard coming down the stairs and pacing the hall in front of "her" room. This is all I know, I've been to the house many times and I've always noticed a strange feeling in the air. BTW the gardens there are wonderful.

Alsip

Cemetery(s ) - Alsip was once a huge brickyard for Chicago, as well as a planned cemetery. A really large one, supposedly dubbed The City of Chicago Cemetery. Many of the older houses have pre-dug graves within. Since not all of Alsip was used as a cemetery, the plan was debunked. However, Alsip has Illinois' largest cemetery count. There have been cases of ghosts, poltergeist activity (objects moved around homes), voices, etc. Besides its own graveyards, Alsip also borders several famous ones such as Holy Sepulcher.

Altamont

Devil's Peak- It has a rock shaped like the Devil's horns out of the hill you can see it really well and it is said that the devil roams down there, it is in the valley, don't know if the one talking about St. Elmo-valley is talking about the same one.

Alton

Lovejoy Monument cemetery - In the cemetery is buried a little girl that died suddenly from a mysterious illness and she walks around the cemetery and darts behind the gravestones like she is playing hide and seek. You can also see the ghost of Elijah P. Lovejoy walking around his monument. If you go into the cemetery at night you will constantly walk into chill spots and it could be 90 degrees out.

Lovejoy School - Many reports of ghostly walking, doors opening and closing, on their own, lights going on and off, and objects being projected across the floors. It is believed that the school is partially located on Indian burial grounds. There have also been ghostly sightings and the scent of strong perfume.

McPike Mansion - The owners have an outside annual Halloween bonfire. The house is extremely creepy looking, the owners are trying to restore the mansion. It is now condemned by the city of Alton, so you cannot go inside the mansion. There is a lot of history and unexplained things that go on here. Presences felt, perfume smelled, apparitions, and strange electrical phenomena. Check out the Main Page of the house. McPike Homepage

Mineral Springs Hotel - The Lavender-Lady is one about a woman who loved the lavender smell. She had an affair and her husband found out. He chased her down some steps and nobody really knows the rest of the story except that he killed her. There is also a story about the pool area at the basement level. A woman drowned in the pool and it was because of a man. WARNING: There is a fee to see the hotel

St. Anthony's hospital - this is a very haunted hospital. there is at least three ghosts there. on is a small boy on the third floor in the administration area. another is said to be on the second floor near the endoscopes dept. the third is on the first floor in the sterile processing dept. this ghost is said to be one of the nuns from the order that is in residence at the hospital.

Amboy

Franklin Blacktop - There is a house that sits catty-corner from the 4-H Center, it is reported that in the 1800's a man was murdered in his home and buried 500 feet from the upstairs bathroom window. If you go into the master bedroom upstairs, (known as the warm room) no matter if it is the middle of winter the room feels heated. It is also reported that if you are looking into the lower level of the house from the outside you can see a small light appear from room to room.

Anna

Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center - Reports of apparitions of people running, people standing in the windows as you drive by, also reported a man that walked in the tunnels and felt a hand on his back. It is reported that there are faces in the buildings and the uppers and lowers the cottages are also EXTREMELY haunted by nurses and prior residents. There is also reports of a "devil dog" attacking a resident and when lights in the room were turned on there was nothing just scratches all over the persons body. There are several accounts of choate being haunted but it is mostly under choate in the tunnels where all of the activity happens because the old buildings burned and all that was left was the original basements which is now the tunnels that run all under choate and some even run out of Choate.

Union County Hospital& Nursing home - On the second floor of the hospital there is a little boy who died in the 50's and when you go there in the night you see him. In the nursing home there are many people who were once residents there and every now and then you catch a glimpse of them.

Antioch

Antioch Movie Theatre - This old theatre has been around since the 40's. It used to be an old theatre house, where plays were held.  There has been many stories about the old theatre. Like a girl had hung herself from the balcony, and that Al Capone had tunnels dug underneath the theatre leading towards Fox Lake. If those are true or not employees have reported that flood lights have come on out of nowhere and turned off by themselves. Also reported hearing things after hours like noises, bangs, and people on the stairs. Some employees report having a sence that there is something else in the room, when they are really alone.

Arcola

The depot by the rail road tracks - There is a ghosts seen holding and swinging a lantern.

Ashley

Abandoned candy factory - A ghost inhabits the factory. She is said to have been killed during a normal day at work. The roof has caved in and covered the spot where she was supposedly killed. When circled, it is possible to see a face or silhouette of the woman in a doorway of window. At night it is also possible to hear her cries just before she died.

Ashmore

St. Omer cemetery - A large gravestone with a crystal ball said to be that of witch, the date of death on the tombstone is Feb 31, 18??. Many have tried to take pictures but they never turn out. Sometimes there is strange glow coming from the tombstone.

Ashmore Estates - South of Ashmore - Ashmore estates was an old insane asylum, legend has it that the government stopped the funding and all the employees left the patients. With no where to go and the inability it help themselves. The patients all died of starvation and dehydration. Illegal as it may be, when people venture into the building, strange voices are heard, and when leaving people have reported loud banging noises, and when looking back they saw the trunk of their car dent in and out as if being pounded on.

Argyle

Old Church at 173 & Beloit Rd - Legend has it witch's were hung there along time ago. People who have witnessed a lady in black sitting in the window by the bell late at night then disappear. The church painted the window black recently. Several people have witnessed the "lady".

Arlington Heights

South Middle School - Other than the fact that it's a Middle School, this place is known to have a gateway to Hell or something of the like in it's lower floor. Strange noises have been heard there by several kids who want to be daring.

St. Viator High School - Rumor has it that one night a janitor was cleaning in the auditorium while it was dark. While cleaning the stage he bumped into something...when he looked up he saw a boy hanging from a rope. people say you can hear strange voices and see odd things.

Aurora

Baymont Inn and Suites - A former employee and guest heard people talking in an empty room late at night none was registered in room and when door was opened voices stopped and none was in there.  Another employee reports a guest coming downstairs and wanting out of room #208 because he woke up and felt someone strangling him with none there.  There was also an incident in the lobby and office with a guest on the phone nearby we both witnessed a white ball of light shoot from behind the office and out into the lobby then vanished the guest was very disturbed this happened on St Patrick's day 2001 at approximately 2am.

Leland Tower Hotel - The Leland Tower, 21 stories and the tallest building in Aurora is said to be haunted. Numerous suicides have taken place by guests jumping from upper floors into the Fox River. At night bad smells come from the elevator banks and the elevators seem to moan.

Mount Olivet Cemetery - Women in 1950's clothing are seen in the cemetery standing by a 1958 Lincoln Continental. They seem to melt and fade away.

Barrington

Cuba Road - White mysterious orb follows passing cars on the metal gate of the old cemetery.  There is also a disappearing house on Cuba Road. If you go out on the road during a full moon and turn off your headlights you can see the house. If you enter the house and stay until the sun comes up you will disappear with the house forever.

The haunted Silo - there is a haunted farm house with a silo. The legend is a man went crazy because he thought his wife was cheating on him, so he murdered her and his kids. He killed himself as well. There is also a five-point star located about 20 yards away from where he buried his family. The star has a dead tree at each point of the star. Apparently you can still hear noises and see something moving around in the house late at night. Even if it is 80 degrees outside you can feel a bitter uninviting chill. It is located in Barrington Illinois on shoe factory road.

Shoe Factory Road - first driving down the road there is a forest where you can see little children running though the woods mostly around where the lake is it is said that there had been deaths there when Hoffman was a farm town if you go a lot father you can then see a barn on the right side and it is said that seventeen years ago that a man escaped from the psycho ward and was staying in the barn but when the owners of the house found out and tried to get rid of him he killed the family and they were found hanging in the barn you can see lights on in the barn sometimes little more down you see an abandoned house on the left where a child killed his parents five years ago because they treated him like a child if you drive pass the house there are roses on the street sometimes and you can see a child playing on the steps with a knife.

White Cemetery - Glowing orbs are seen from the road, and a phantom black car can be seen driving from the entrance of the cemetery then disappearing a few blocks down. Also, when pictures are taken of the cemetery the pictures do not develop or the camera is lost.

Bartelso

Old Carlyle Road - If you sit out on the road for a little bit with your lights off you will see a car coming towards you and then it goes below a hill and disappears. It is said to be the ghost of a girl who was raped and killed. NOTE: There's a road over a field that appears to be coming straight at you, only it goes down a little hill and then turns left, so the lights appear to disappear, but really, the car has turned.

Bartlett

Munger road - They say if you park your car on the tracks and put it in neutral and put baby powder on the trunk, you will see fingerprints of a boy who got killed on those very tracks.

Sunrise Park - There was a man in his mid 40s where he had a house by the trees and was right next to a school. People have weird tingling in there back and when they turn around it gets very hard to breathe. PLUS THERE HAS BEEN SCREAMING IN THE WOODS OF THE PARK. Later then his house had to be destroyed because of complaints from the parents. So then he got revenge on the children by killing them every day from the mid 1800s to now. then he would leave the bones in this little area surrounded by wood.. That is why Bartlett is so lightly populated today.

Bartonville

Bartonville Insane Asylum - The Bartonville Insane Asylum has been closed for many years. Patients in the Asylum where given cruel treatments such as water submersion, shock therapy, and many other forms that would be considered inhuman today. Many people who have ventured into the run down Asylum have heard strange noises and have even seen apparitions. It is a 3 story stone building on Fiefer Road. Many of the other buildings used for recreation at the Asylum have been renovated, but the main housing facility still stands and looks the same as it did years ago. There is a grave yard across the street from the Asylum at the end of the road on the left down a long dirt lane. Many of the headstones have only numbers on them because they did not know the names of the patients. Other headstones have names and dates. If you at the dates you will find that someone died at the Asylum every single day. - Warning: Police will arrest anyone trying to get inside the Asylum, or the cemetery.

State Hospital - They say the residents of the Bartonville State Hospital haunt the grounds and can be seen at various times. Bartonville-old Illinois State hospital - More info here: http://theshadowlands.net/famous/bartonville.htm

Batavia

The Batavia Inn - Bed and Breakfast - reports of visitors feeling a ghost running it's fingers through her hair and it would get freezing cold until she could see her breathe. This was sometime in the summer. She yelled out, "There's a ghost in here and I know it and I'm going to take your picture!" She took a picture and she reports right where the cold spot was and it was a large black spot that looked like it had hundreds of screaming faces in it.

Belleville

Belleville West - The Auditorium - of the old Belleville West campus, now Lindenwood University campus, is haunted by a former teacher that died before the production of her play. Props move after practices, she is friendly.

Lincoln Theatre - There Are 7 Ghosts that haunt this theatre. 3 of them are as follows. One haunts the projection booth, one haunts the stage in the main theatre, one lurks downstairs in the basement. It is located on E. Main street couple of blocks away from the square. One time a guy told me he was putting new tile in, in the projection booth and he went to get something came back and the tile that still needed to be laid was already done.

Pasta House - It is said to be haunted by a family that was killed when it was a hotel many years ago. If you are there late enough you can hear a woman and child scream.

The Ghost Tracks - Possible Urban Legend - The ghost tracks are the alleged resting place of a young boy killed by a train on the tracks. It is said that if you roll over the tracks and stop just after you cross them and put your car in neutral, the boy will push the car back over the tracks, up a hill, to save you from his fate. If you put baby powder on your bumper, after he pushes you, you can see his fingerprints. - September Update: the tracks have since been removed.

Belvedere

Blood's Point Cemetery - Sightings of white orbs, mists, and leaves manifesting into human forms. Electrical malfunctions such as flashlights turning off and cameras turning off, that function normally outside the cemetery, Also heard, peculiar cries, whistles and whispers, and an occasional growling from around the shed area.

Bishop Township

Kings Cemetery - Pictures have been taken at night, and mysterious orbs are seen in the pictures, And silhouettes jumping out of the person, though not moving....At least 5 different cameras used and different kinds of film. It's in the Middle of Nowhere, no houses, just trees.

Bloomington

Blooming Grove Academy - Old Junior High School - Some sort of haunt on the 3rd floor that likes to rattle doors and play music loudly. Can be heard only at night. Upon further inspection of the room that the music has been heard in nothing was found to show that there was anyone in there. Could possibly be the spirit of a basketball player who choked on his own vomit trying not to be embarrassed.

Illinois Weslyan University -International House - The International House is a huge mansion-sized house on the Illinois Weslyan Campus in Bloomington, IL. Since it's first days as a private residence it has since been converted into co-ed dormitories. There was an old elevator that used to be in service in the house and has since been sealed up. Apparently there was a young man who was stuck in the elevator and died when it fell. People still claim to hear the squeals of the elevator gears as it falls. There is also rumored to be the spirit of a young girl who walks around the 3rd floor. She was supposed to be the niece of the President of the University. She died in the house and still wanders the halls. The boys who live on the top floor can sometimes hear the laugh of the little girl.

Old Federal Prison on Market - stories of young boy looking out the attic window. Boy said to be hatchet to death.

The old Mennonite hospital (now Eureka) - There is this one room on the 3rd floor at the end of the hallway where a lady passed away a very painful death from cancer. After she passed the call light would always go on and off, there would be the smell of death in the room, that no matter how hard they tried it couldn't be removed. There were always strange noises coming out of the room. That room was never used again.

Buckner

Harrison Cemetery - In this cemetery are 2 ghosts. They are supposedly guarding the cemetery. If you go there late at night, you can see them. However, some nights they do not show themselves. They are supposedly a man and a woman. There is also a piano that only plays at exactly 12:00 midnight. The man usually shows up as an orange glow in a field beside the cemetery. The woman is usually a whitish glow. She usually shows up near a group of pine trees in a far corner of the cemetery. That corner is usually where the piano plays.

Buffalo Grove

Dead Man's Creek - This is the woodsy area behind Prairie Elementary School. The lunch ladies yell at any kid who steps off the playground and into Dead Man's Creek. This is because about a decade ago there was a red barn in the woodsy area where Dead Man's Creek now stands. There was an old who lived all alone inside this barn. One day the barn burnt down and he burnt down along with the barn. He now haunts the area behind the elementary school looking to kill little hopeless children so that the children can suffer the same painful death that he suffered.

The Intersection of Buffalo Grove Rd and Half Day Road (Rt 22) - This is a very dangerous intersection. There is an accident there at least once a week. It is said that these accidents are caused because the victims of past accidents, who are now dead, want to see other people suffer. They haunt the intersection.

Bullvalley

Stickney Mansion - This house was built in the 1800's. The family that lived in it all died in the upstairs, the only part of the house with corners. The reason for the downstairs and outer perimeter not having corners was for the purpose of ghosts and spirits to have no place to hide. Late at night, in the dark of the upstairs windows, figures can be seen moving about. Sounds of steps can also be heard faintly. On the second floor is the door to nowhere that is up on the house leading to no deck nor any stairway. one of the stories is that one of the Stickney children hung himself in an upstairs room. They say anyone is welcome to visit the station. Yet, a visitor to the house recently was told they'd get back in touch with her to give her more information. they never did. Beware you may get to go inside and get some stories, but not much else. - October 2004 update: It has now been remodeled into a police station.

Cambridge

Death Curve - In 1907 there was a women and her husband living in a house in the country. They had seven children. Her husband was a farmer. She was a stay at home mom with her kids. One day her husband came down with a very bad cold. A few weeks after getting the cold, He died of unknown reasons. She however could not take care of her seven children alone with no income. So one day she took her kids lined them up in a line in the front yard. And she decapitated each one. When she realized what she had done she set her house on fire and shot herself in the head. So at night if you go and sit on the curve where the house used to be at the time she killed herself at 10:27 pm you can see a women in all white sitting on this post out in front of what used to be her house. They say the reason she did all of this was because she was temporarily insane. And when she saw what she did she couldn't take it. And Her and her Seven children are buried in the Cambridge Roseville Cemetery.

Canton

Baby Cry Bridge - On black jack road the first bridge u get to you are supposed to stop and turn your car off, roll up the windows, and lock the doors, Don't go alone, and don't get out of your car. If you listen you will here a baby crying, the story goes that a young mother had drowned her baby in the creek.

Carpentersville

Instant Replay Sports Bar - formerly Big Boy's restaurant - in Carpentersville on rte 25 and Lake Marion Roads now closed! resold threes x over but the same building is occupied. Five ghosts linger there. No facts on record except for my experiences and its history!

Cary

Cary Road - St. Barnabas - This place was torn down in October 1997. Whatever this "place" was abandoned and in sad shape probably dating back to the 1960s or 70's at the least. What's left if it is still forest but it all once stood across the street. A silo still stands as well. There was an old house (originally built in the late 1880s at first guess) overlooking Cary Rd and behind that was to us what was a "ski lodge" and further down from that were remnants of an old park district -- complete with tennis courts, a concession/locker room building and a huge in ground pool. None of this made any sense from a common-sense point of view. And all of this was in the confines of a huge forest. No old roads, no parking lots, nothing that should have been there was there. Witnesses have clearly heard heavy boot steps and young female voices calling their names. Cleary nobody else was within three-football fields distance from them and they were the only ones there. what the place was or what its functions were is not known and the police are really reluctant to tell anyone what the place once was and patrol the area to keep the curious away.

Central City 

Central City Cemetery - Late at night when all is quiet in the southeastern part of the grave yard there is a statue of a girl playing the violin which you can heard clearly but faintly on calm nights. She is know throughout the small town as violin Annie.

Centralia

Centralia cemetery - It is said in an old cemetery in this town that a young girl was murdered by her father with her very own violin. There is a statue of her where she was buried holding a violin and at night on certain days if you listen closely you can hear her play the instrument.

Centralia cemetery - There is a statue of her where she was buried holding a violin and at night on certain days if you listen closely you can hear her play the instrument. - September 2004 update /correction: Annie ( Harriet Anne Marshall) was the daughter of a wealthy doctor. She took ill while on a family trip with her parents. She died of diphtheria. Her mother was so distraught that she eventually lost her mind. She did not beat the child to death. Annie was an accomplished violinist. Her grieving father had the statue done as a monument. It was based on a painting of Annie with her violin standing next to her father at the piano. This painting was at one time owned by an antique dealer in Centralia. Everyone growing up had head the story of Annie playing her violin at night. The Marshall family has tried to maintain the statue but it has been attacked vandals several times. Her violin bow is broken off.

Foundation Park - Stover's Hill a popular place where children go to sled when it snows. At the bottom of Stover's hill there is a marry-go-round, witnesses report getting an image of a family in a picture taken there.

Champaign 

Church St. YMCA - cold spots, lights turning off and on by themselves, feelings of being watched, balls rolling down stairs by themselves, strange noises, shadows moving. doors on third floor opening and closing by themselves.

The University of Illinois - The English building - is supposed to be haunted. The story is that it was once a girl's dormitory, and a girl killed herself there. Supposedly her spirit haunts the building.

Charleston

Eastern Illinois University - Pemberton Hall - where a young college girl was allegedly brutally murdered, before winter break, by a psychotic janitor. Clocks turn back in time, voices are heard in the halls and doors mysteriously lock after the young girls enter. Wet footprints on the floor or bloody footprints. The floor where she was killed is closed off but mysterious music still plays from a piano she once played on. The murder supposedly took place on the fourth floor, which is now boarded up.

Cherry Valley

Bloods Point Road - There is a bridge down this road with a train track running under it. At one time, a school bus full of children ran off the bridge, causing everyone to die. If you put your car in neutral in the middle of the bridge, you will be guided to safety on the other side. There is also a traffic light that keeps moving, never staying in the same place.  A ghost car will come out of no where and chase you and run you off the road. Off of blood point road there is Sweeney road where there is a spot to pull over by a stonewall. Over the wall is a field with paths that lead to the woods were red floating orbs have been seen. In the woods is the foundation of church of some kind. No flashlight will work it will turn off one step into the woods. an old farmer will came running through the woods with a shotgun then once outside the woods he disappears. At the end of Sweeney road at the stop sign it turns in to Pool rd. proceed with caution as a phantom black big rig will come out of no where. And on your way out you will be chased by the ghost car until you leave the area.

Chicago

Archer Woods Cemetery - The cemetery gates are never locked, so entry is easily accessible. As you walk into the Cemetery You follow a path that leads around in a circle. As you leave the cemetery it is said that a white filmy form floats among the trees near the gates. She is called the sobbing woman and you can also hear her sobs and wails. The strange part is that you only see her as you exit never when you enter.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery - Over the years people claim to have spotted glowing lights, phantom cars, and over 100 ghosts. The Ghost Research Society had seen a young woman dressed in old-fashioned clothes and perched on a tombstone on August 10,1991. But even though she seemed to be almost transparent, a camera caught her image pretty clearly. If she was a ghost that picture will prove that ghost are real to people don't believe in them.

Biograph Theater - the ghost of John Dillinger is seen running in the alley behind this building where he was killed.

The Dome Room - A nightclub that is believed to be haunted. It was built during the ballroom days of the 20's, so who knows what is haunting it. Before it was a ballroom, it was a warehouse, but no known history of warehouse stands out.

Garet Durson mental Hospital - Numerous flash lights going off and not working at the same time, hear people screaming , and a woman in a white robe running down the stairs.

The Givins Castle - In the small town of Beverly located in Chicago's Southside, there is a castle that an Irish man named Givins built for his wife while she still resided in Ireland. She died before she got to live in her castle. She lives there now and can sometimes be seen walking up the hill that leads to the castle door.

Graceland Cemetery - Graceland Cemetery is one of Chicago's oldest graveyards and boasts several hauntings. The most famous is the spirit of Inez Clark. Inez was just shy of seven years old when she was struck by lightening at a family picnic. Her parents, distraught over the loss, had a life-size statue of the child erected at her grave site. The statue is enclosed in glass, protecting it from the elements. On rainy nights, when thunder is rolling, the statue reportedly disappears from the glass box, and a young girl can be seen roaming the cemetery grounds.

Harpo Inc. - Haunted by victims of the Great Chicago Fire. It is now Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Inc. main studios. People refuse to stay in the building after dark for fear of the ghosts.

Holy Family Church - parishioners have seen a white apparition here.

The House of Blues - there ones was a little girl that died of an illness. There has been rumors that you can here her in the room. There will be imprints in the bed sheets and ones there was a little boy came to stay with his mother and at night a little girl was playing with his toys saying "want to play with me" so the little boy screamed and it went away

Hubbard High School - In the basement of Hubbard High School you can see and hear a teenage girl crying and sometimes screaming for help.

Jane Addams Hull House - Now a museum, said to have been the home of a devil baby. Sightings are still reported, as well as sightings of ghosts and Monks. Update - A fellow ghost hunter recently visited the Hull House stating, "if your there to experience anything to do with ghost forget it, you can't take camera's, video's or anything in there. You can't go upstairs, the tour consist of four small rooms. Ghost hunters don�t waste your time. We talk to one of staff who works there and she said it's not true about the devil baby, they just let the legend go on."

Kelvyn Park Highschool - about 5 years ago 3 teachers died but no students knew how or why. Reports of hearing voices, footsteps and feeling cold drafts.

Lourdes High School - It is claimed that nuns that have died over many years haunt the school. On the third floor you can hear someone walking down the hallway. In Stritch hall shadows have been seen. - May 2004 Update: About two years ago (2002) it became John Hancock High School. Reports say the ghost is still there.

Loyola University Chicago - Urban legend has it that long ago, a Jesuit priest and a nun had an affair. The nun found out that she was pregnant, and wanted the priest to runaway with her, so they could raise the child. The priest refused. The nun hung herself on the 13th floor of the Skyscraper building, the priest found the body, and jumped out of the window. The top floors of the building have long been vacant, but the light in the room where she killed herself can be seen lit from the outside. Also, those that have ventured up there have seen the nun and priest walking hand-in-hand. The story here is just a legend, as to why there is a phenomena, it is unknown at this time. If you have the true story, please email Haunted Places

Maryville Center For Medically Complex Children - The Maryville Center For Medically Complex children was an institute for drug addicted, handicapped, insane, and foster children. It was mysteriously shut down, and boarded up for reason related to asbestos. Located at Oak Park Rd. and Forest Preserve Rd. (Montrose ave.) in Chicago, you must park about a mile away and make the trip to the entrance on foot. Once inside you must pass numerous buildings marked: A, B, C, etc. Follow the main concrete path and follow it off to the left until you see a run down playground once used by the children who lived at the center. Go past the swing set and the 2nd slide you see and go between the two building before you. All but one of the windows around you will be boarded up. The one window that is not boarded up leads into the indoor pool. A main hallway can be reached through a room called the 'pool office'. From there you will find numerous stairwells that provide access to about 75% of the entire center. There are many reports of people hearing the sounds of children laughing, and in some instances even seeing people in white robes walking around. Lots of paranormal activity takes place in this abandoned asylum.

Monks Castle - Suppose to be a religious order that if you try to get onto their land, they will chase you. One particular story was about a bunch of kids going in at night and sneaking around (around 1983 - 1985), they said they saw something in the woods that had glowing red eyes that started to chase them. They made it across the gate, as one of the girls sat down on the curb by the street light, a monk grabbed her, and she was never heard from again.

Mount Carmel - Spirit of Julia Buccola Petta is said to wander the cemetery grounds. On one occasion when a young boy was left behind in the cemetery, the family saw the boy take the hand of a lady in a white gown upon their return to retrieve the boy. When they got closer the lady disappeared.

O'Hare airport - dead passengers and flight attendants pilots. An American airlines flight crashed into an airfield near the airport. The crash ignited a huge fireball all passengers and crew died in the disaster.

S-M-C Cartage Company - On Valentine's Day in 1929, Al Capone sent some of his men to leave a tragic message to Bugs Moran at one of his buildings. The building was called the S-M-C Cartage Company and was a red, brick structure on Clark Street. Seven men were lined up and mowed down with machine gun fire, leaving the wall splattered with blood and full of bullet holes. After hearing the news, Bugs was heard to exclaim, "Only Capone kills guys like that!" In 1972, a man bought the factory and transformed it into a 20's themed club. The brick wall the massacre took place on was dismantled and the factory was torn down. People still hear gunfire and screams coming from the area. Supposedly, before it was torn down, seven shadowy figures were seen lined up on the wall and the viewer would be filled with fear.

Options Exchange Building - In 1979 two traders had a disagreement over a trade. They decided to settle the matter outside by the horse statue/fountain. One of the men was so badly injured that he died before the paramedics could save him. To this day, janitors say they can hear what sounds like two men arguing after everyone has left.

Red Lion Pub - It is right across the street from the Biograph Theater. - Just ask some of the "regulars" of the noises, footsteps and voices they hear there on a regular basis.

Robinson Woods - Reports have been made that you can see black shadows, red, or white orbs, scents of violet, or lavender at times. Pictures of ectoplasm mist can be seen through photography.

The Congress Hotel - Numerous cold spots all over the old hotel and TV's going on and off for no reason at night. Things moved in the night. Lots of bizarre occurrences as well as doors closing and odd feelings walking down some hallways

Webster's Wine Bar - apparition has been seen at the second floor bar

St. Turibius School - Rumors say that that the ghost of Fr.Lechert a former priest who has passed away a long time ago, can sometimes be seen roaming the Church. By the tabernacle, near the a candle there, is said to be a black shadow lurking there. Sometimes late at night you can hear the organ playing. Some say it's a ghost. Others say it's just nun or someone else practicing playing.

Christian 

Anderson Cemetery - There are a lot of orbs that are seen by many. And on certain nights there are dark shadows with red eyes there. Also not far from this cemetery there is also a stone cabin that has figures that appear in it. It was said that a man, wife and there kids lived in the cabin. One day the man killed his family then hung himself on the bridge near by.

Cicero

Chodl Auditorium - A teacher\director is said to haunt the theater. According to legend he died of a heart attack the opening night of West Side Story and never got to see the production. Students have claimed to see and feel a presence in the theatre especially later at night after long rehearsals . West Side Story hasn't been put on out of respect but once since his death.

Morton College -This school is haunted by the spirit of a girl named Emily who was murdered. Before the school was built, her body was found on the site after being killed on Laramie Bridge. She has been spotted on the roof at night by security guards. She is rarely seen by the students. Emily has been heard in the theater, however. She usually appears during plays that involve violence and murder.

Warren Park - Inside the Warren Park administration building on the top floor people have heard (after hours) what sounds like moaning and footsteps and an actual sighting of a misty apparition, plus doors opening and once a glass window being totally shattered.

Clarendon Hills

The Country House restaurant - It is said that a young women with her child came into the bar one night upset and alone. She became angry when she asked the bartender if she could leave the baby in his care while she went out do some things. He refused, fearing that she was going to abandon her child. She then stormed out of the restaurant and sped away in her car. A few miles down the road, the women and her child were found dead in a car accident. Nobody knows whether she intentionally rammed her car into the tree, or is was just an accident. Many people, (mainly the employees) have felt or seen the ghost. She haunts the upstairs storage area where the lockers and dry supplies are. She has locked people inside the room, flickered lights on and off, and broke many dishes and glasses.

Colchester

Vishnu Springs - Vishnu is an old abandoned township located just west of Colchester. There are feelings of being watched, viewed shadow like beings in darkened corners.

Collinsville 

Cahokia Mounds - Ghost of Indians and strange shadows and balls of light.

Old First Baptist Church - The story goes that a German janitor was locked into the basement and then the building set afire. This occurred during WWI when tensions were high against German-Americans. The church was rebuilt on the original basement. Ironically, it is now used as a haunted house during October. Workers and patrons alike have experienced cold spots, uneasiness, footsteps, shadow figures, and images of both a hell hound and a hooded figure walking around. After some investigation it was found that seven spirits inhabit the building, and one referred to as the demon. This demon is responsible for hiding objects and grabbing people to the point of leaving bruises. - April 2004 Update: The Old First Baptist Church in Collinsville, Illinois, burned to the ground overnight just before Halloween this past October, 2003. Nothing is left.

Keeblerrd Mansion - walking slaves, eerie sounds - This old mansion used to stand on the curved Keebler Rd. It had at one time a stage like place in the basement with leg irons still in the concrete walls where they used to auction off slaves. At night when you would drive by the house, you could see like candles moving from window to window. Rumors about how sometimes slave women could be seen walking from the house to the old cemetery right down the road with baskets of clothes on their heads. Strange noises could be heard at different times, especially at night. A friend visited their as a child with her father, and they witnessed the slave auction area themselves. Several years ago, the house mysteriously burned down, and the old cemetery now goes unnoticed, but the old-timers remember it and where the house and cemetery were located.

Lebanon Rd. - Gates of Hell - On a lonely road called Lebanon road there are a series of concrete tunnels (gates). If you drive out there and park under any of them and turn out your lights, the spirits will send hellhounds out to bring back your soul. Legend around here says that if you drive through all of the gates without driving through one twice, at the stroke of midnight as you drive through the last gate, you will be plucked out of the night and taken to hell.

Miner's Theater - Located on Main Street, Miner's Theater is supposedly haunted by three ghosts. The first two are supposedly brothers, and one killed the other for ownership of the Theater. The murderer is supposedly hostile, and the actors who frequently act at Miner's always tell the new people to leave the murderer and his brother alone, and to never call on them. The third is the spirit of a young woman. She is a mischievous ghost, and harmless. Often, actors will find make up or costumes missing, only to find them after they looked everywhere they could possibly be. One time, a young actress was putting on make up, and couldn't find her mascara, so she went on to put on something else, when suddenly, the missing mascara rolled off the vanity, and rolled in the opposite direction the floor slated to.

Colona

Kauzlarich House - There had been shadows in the halls and things turning on and off without being touched.


Crete

Ax-Man's House - In the 1970's a man murders his wife and children along with two police officers, with an ax. After killing them he hung them from hooks in the meat shed in the back of the property. He was then chased through the woods near his home by the police until he was finally shot and killed near the road. Upon entering the grounds a strange feeling of being watched is felt, and if you go around to the back of the house you can still see the blood splattered in the meat shed. In the house you will find a staircase that leads into the ceiling. If you go into one of the upstairs bedrooms you will find women's shoes all over the floor and if you look out the window you will see what looks like a woman hanging from a rope in the tree. You can also still see the path that the ax man ran down to try to avoid the police. He is said to still haunt the bridge near where he died.

Monee Road - Upon driving over the railroad tracks late at night, one experiences a body chill and hears a girl scream. Once in a while one can even see a girl standing on the road side in a white outfit.

Sangamon Road - Sightings of a woman and child standing together in the middle of the road are seen from a distance, but they disappears when you get closer. Often on rainy nights.

Crestwood 

Bachelors Woods - you walk in to the woods in the Bachelors wood's and the tree's seem to hold you back from going in. all of the deer and mice stay away from where the old house's was and the grave yard makes you feel like your being looked at but no one is there. the trees seen to be moving in on you as you go to the grave yard. in the day time if you go there you feel some thing. And at night some times you see stuff. A hole house that is not there anymore. And a women with a baby. as you go in the woods you see deer tracks all over the place but not one by the where the old house's was or in the grave yard. And once there you feel like some one is always there but one is there.

Crystal Lake 

Barnes & Noble bookstore - An old woman who died had willed her property to a church, specifying that the property was to used for a school. Barnes & Noble (along with a couple other stores) now occupies this property. Employees have witnessed book carts moving by themselves, and have reported items being moved around. Some claim to have seen the old lady in the back storeroom.

The Fountains of Crystal Lake - On the upper floor there is an apparition of an old lady that wanders the halls and when you follow her, she leads you down a dead end hallway and she disappears. Also on the upper floor, there is an area with checkerboards to play checkers on. The checker chips move by themselves. In the basement, right when you get on the basement floor, you get the sensation of being watched. If you walk down the long dark hall, you hear footsteps follow you.

Lake view cemetery - The Lake View Cemetery is said to be haunted by the spirit of a women who set her self on fire here.

McHenry County - YMCA - Rumor is that there was a farmer that lived behind the parking lot in the woods. He killed his family in a barn. Rumor is screams have been heard.

Mount Thabor Cemetery - Red, green, and white glowing balls of light have appeared in photographs taken at this fairly isolated old cemetery. Erie shadows are also seen fluttering about the cemetery at night amongst a mass of green mist which sometimes engulfs the graveyard. Motorists passing this cemetery at night have often seen balls of light floating towards the road.

Palmer House - Palmer was a man who ran an orphanage. He beat and tortured and murdered these kids over the years you can hear cries from in the house if you put your ear to the door you hear kids scratching at the door. Then you hear palmer stomp on the floor or hit the door. Sometimes you see figures in the basement windows.

Park in Covered Bridge Trails - There is a stream behind the park that has some odd activity around it. Strange shadows have been seen there and a ball of light.

Danville

Cornfield Cemetery (Niccum) - very old cemetery in the middle of a cornfield. reported apparitions seen and very eerie feelings. Off of long rd.

Hungry hallow rd. - the road is haunted by little kids that has starved to death during the great depression times. it is really freaky you can go to the road and sit on this road and hear kids say, food, or say please food please. the kids that starved there lived in little shacks. they got snowed in where they or their parents could not get to town for a while so they starved.

New Holland Apt. Building - the building is now empty, but in the basement you can feel cold spots and the chains from the lights will swing with no one touching them. several pictures taken in the basement have has orbs. it is said that a man was found dead in the basement. not known if it was drug overdose or murder.

Decatur 

Avon Theater - The ghost of the original owner has been seen by many people roaming this old theater.

Greenwood Cemetery - Arguably the most haunted cemetery in central Illinois. Greenwood is home to "the Greenwood Bride" who can be frequently seen and heard weeping. , The Civil War section is filled with Confederate prisoners who died from yellow fever. Their bodies were buried in unmarked graves. Many say that these soldiers still walk the hills of Greenwood Cemetery and will even confront you. and a host of other spirits who prowl the confines of this large graveyard. For decades Ghost lights have been reported on the southern edge of the graveyard.

Lincoln Theater - A ghost called one-armed red is seen and heard here.

Milliken University - There are a number of ghosts who hang around the 150 year old campus. In the main theater, there is a ghost called "Track girl" for whom the performers leave candy before a show to ensure that all things will be well.

Des Plaines 

Galaxy Club - Late at night near the juice bar of the club, you can hear over the loud music people calling your name. There is a air hockey game in the back of the club and when nobody is playing it you can hear the puck move across the board and hitting the paddles. After the club closes and all the lights are off, you hear loud crashing noises. But when you go to look, nothing has fallen. You even can see orbs of light moving fast through the darkness of the club.

Maryville Academy - Back in the 1930's when the Academy was used as a Catholic orphanage, there was evidence that the girls' dormitory was haunted by the spirit of a nun. There were sounds of footsteps, swishing of skirts, and the sound of the rosary beads clicking, but the nun herself was invisible.

DeSoto

Desoto Grade School - In 1925 when the tri-state tornado ripped through this community it leveled the two story brick building killing many children. At night you can still hear children laughing and playing through the halls and on the playground.

Dogtown

Pleasant Grove Cemetery - To get to this cemetery, you have to take dirt roads about a mile back in a field. The cemetery is surrounded by forest. Once in the cemetery, different creepy sounds can be heard. Some figures have also been viewed here.

Douglas County

Airtight Road - Witnesses say specters can be seen along at night. If you stop and shut off your car, it is almost impossible to restart your car w/ out the aid of another.

The Lost Forties - Legend is a large area of land northwest of Oakland and southeast of Tuscola of a girl who runs out in front of cars and gets hit. Everyone in the car felt the impact, but when they stop the car and try to find the girl she is gone.

East Peoria 

Cole Hollow Road - Cole Hollow Road was the site of "Cohomo" (Cole Hollow Road Monster) in the 60's. There were tons of sightings of this monster back then, but there has not been any sightings since then, but strange phenomena such as rocks flying out of nowhere at your car and lights in the woods have been seen.

East St. Louis 

State street abandoned building - reports of hearing a faint scream. A figure that looked like a woman appeared from nowhere with its hand reaching out.

Edwardsville

Three Mile House - An inn and tavern established in 1858, became quite a popular destination along the St. Louis - Springfield stage coach route. Various reports of hauntings including those of slaves, children, various adults. Have been reported.. You can read more about it at: http://www.prairieghosts.com/threemile.html

Effingham

Ramsey Cemetery - Old cemetery that has haunted caves. A werewolf and a man in a black cloak with red eyes is said to be seen there. Many weird things have happened here.

El Paso

El Paso Health Care Center - Mental health facility that has call lights going off when no one is in the room. Doors slamming with no wind also occur. There is a presence on at least two of the halls and no one who works there now will go down one of these halls without the light on.

Elgin

Beef Villa - The restaurant employees have claimed of seeing orbs of light and feeling cold spots, as well as the lights and ovens turning on and off in many different occasions. Some of the people who have eaten there say they have felt as if someone was standing behind them whispering, when nobody was there. There have been stories of a young teenage boy having been shot and killed in front of the restaurant, in the 1980's sometime. It is said that it is his angry and depressed spirt that plagues this location with the paranormal.

Channing Memorial Elementary School - Everything from cold spots, to apparitions, to footsteps from the upper floor (when you are "alone" in the building)has been reported here. When an addition was built on to the building, over 13 skeletons were found in the ground under which the school was built. Most of them estimated to be children ages ranging 10 to 17 years of age. if you enter this building after dark, be prepared to hear voices whispering in your ear, as well as screaming from the upper floor (it all seems to be centered around the upper floor) doors that open and close by themselves, and an elevator that operates itself! Many night custodians have fled Phe building in the middle of their shift, leaving personal belongings, scared to death, refusing to tell what they saw, or heard. And refusing to ever enter the building again.

Elgin Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery - Documentation of patients being tortured in the turn of the century era before science understood insanity. They then were buried five in a grave with the name of the body on top marking that grave. All kinds of supernatural activity here ranging from orbs to apparitions.

Elgin State Mental Hospital - Elgin State was a relic of the 1950s era of using pain for mental treatment. Electroshock and cold therapy were some of the ghastly methods used on patients. Many died and as the years went on, and the cemetery ran out of room, the bodies were incinerated in the basement. The campus is shut down, and is closed down. Visitors have to hop a fence and run from the security guards to avoid being fined $5,000. Reports include tapings, screams, shadows, lights inside, cold fields, and fog. Inside, visitors claim to see blood stained walls, and smell the scent of decay. Many consider it the most haunted place in Chicago land. - September 2004 update: Reported as still being open today.

Ellis Middle School - The auditorium is supposedly haunted by a woman in a white lace dress, and can only be seen in the Hallways backstage.

Illinois Park School - The school was about 100 years old. People have said that they hear little children crying or laughing by the k.g. area. Down in the basement people said that they hear noise of someone hamming some type of metal. Teachers seem to stick together when going to their class room. During night time people have said that weird things happen in the building. Few years back the school had a vote to build a new school or to remodel the old building, students and staff voted for a new school. The school no longer stands and place where it once stood is now a parking lot for the new school.

Elkhart

Elkhart Cemetery - the cemetery where Governor Ogelsby is buried. The ghost of his wife visits his tomb. She will be seen sitting outside his tomb for a few minutes when a group of Indian ghosts come up and chase her off across the bridge leading over the road by the cemetery. The woods at the back of the cemetery there's a fence that separates them with a step stool and sign next to fence. The sign say's, grounds keepers don't wander back here neither should ladies and gents. Well it's a path over the fence going up the hill didn't explore to far up but u can hear voices footsteps through the woods and you can see black apparitions like there watching you. Urban Legend is that at the top of the hill the path branches you have to pick which way to go but you have to pick correctly or you don't come back.

Elmhurst

Abandoned Ovaltine Factory - In the late 70's early 80"s this building was used as a teenage party spot...it was also used by the homeless and for satanic rituals. Several of the homeless people who tried to stay there as well as some of the party goers in later days, have reported that this place is full of strange occurrences and cold spots, drafts, etc. The feeling of being followed and watched is also present.

Single track train track - reports of an apparition of a man with a lantern walking on the tracks and disappears.

The old Stone Cottage Pizzaria - At one time it was also called Spaso Speakeasy, not sure what it is now,...but originally it was a lovely stone manor. Directions to follow the story...It is said that long ago the woman that owned it hung herself in the attic/which has been converted to the office/storage space for whatever business inhabits the building. The small basement has been used as a liquor/storage room. The building has several dining areas with fireplaces in each one that have been converted to gas. Employees of then Spaso Speakeasy were almost asphyxiated by gas fumes when setting up before opening one day, everybody began to get sick...it was later discovered that the gas for the fireplaces had been turned on but not lit. For years employees have complained that the pull chain light switch at the top of the basement stairs, gets pulled and the light goes out, forcing you to either try maneuvering the stairs in the dark or leave the lower light on...if you walk up the stairs and turn it on and go back down to finish what you are doing, the light chain gets pulled ain, and the light goes out. There are secret panels and rooms behind the walls, that very few people are aware of, their purpose is unknown at this time. One in particular is between the front entranceway and the kitchen, along the wall to the left. The bar area is particularly active, and things disappear and reappear, such as a cork screw that disappeared. After exhaustive searching, the manager went out and purchased another one...a few hours later, the missing corkscrew was simply sitting out in plain sight on the bar, in the open. The ghost has been called Mrs. Murphy...although, it is not known if that was/is the true name, and is more like a trickster than a specter. Just an odd note...a Halloween party was held in the year 1989,(then Spaso Speakeasy) a raffle was given for door prizes and the first ticket drawn was *0666...No one held that ticket and it was not in sequence with the role of tickets being used. Most/all businesses in this building have failed...it is/was near the corner of North Avenue and Route 83...If you start out at the intersection of North and York...travel toward Route 83...it is on the right side...one business from the corner...a Peppers Waterbed Store used to be the business just past it. It is within visual distance of the Golden Pheasant restaurant which is across 83, and on the left.

Equality 

The Old Slave House - !!!WARNING!!! Was once a tourist attraction for history buffs and ghost hunters alike. The house was sold to new owners in 1994 and they do not give tours. They do not want guest and they do not want anyone near the property. they will call the police on trespassers. - the story of the Slave house is, the owner built the house to breed slaves and sell them down south. He had many studs, his most famous was named Big Jim. All of the Slaves, including Big Jim were kept chained in little rooms in the attic. Slavery was Illegal in IL, so the owner has a side entrance built on to the house that a wagon could pull up to and a person or persons could be taken into the house and up to attic without being seen. Some of his victims were free blacks that he kidnapped and held captured until they were sold down south when was done breading them. To this day the attic still has the little stalls with the chains on the wall and floor. You can hear the moaning and crying of the slaves. Some reported seeing Big Jim in the Attic and other places in the house. There is a lot of activity in the house. The owners would give tours and even let people spend the night in the attic. It is said no one has ever been able to stay till dawn in that attic. A few TV crews, ghost hunters and psychics have tried and failed.

Evanston 

The First Methodist Church of Evanston - The sanctuary is haunted by the ghost of a man in a black business suit. He has the way of not being involved with anyone in the room that all ghosts have. He walks down the side aisle in the sanctuary, coming out from behind one pillar and walking behind the next, but if you look behind the pillar, no one will be there. There are no doors or windows that he could have gone through, and no one in a black business suit was in the room. It is unknown who he is or why he is haunting the church.

Evergreen Park

Evergreen Cemetery - Evergreen Cemetery, 87th St.& Kedzie Ave., A young girl, 12 to 14 years of age, is said to haunt one of the CTA bus stops along 87th St. It is said that she will board a bus, at night, and go immediately go to the back of the bus, without paying the fare. When the driver turns around to tell her to pay, the bus is empty. Some drivers of cars on 87th St. have reported seeing "heads" floating above gravestones,( or late night "visitors" peeking from behind?) and people sitting on some of the stone benches in cemetery at night. As this cemetery has no fence a more mundane explanation could fit. The Writer has seen vehicles drive right off of Kedzie, over the curb, and into the cemetery at night. This was before this section of the cemetery along Kedzie was sold to the village of Evergreen Park, which built a firehouse, and a skating rink on the site. The Boundaries of the cemetery are 87th St. to the north, 91st St. to the south, Kedzie Ave to the east (actually behind the above mentioned firehouse, but visible from the street), and the B & O Railroad tracks to the west. On the other side of the tracks, is a separate cemetery, St. Mary's, more on that cemetery to follow.

St. Mary's Cemetery - St. Mary's Cemetery, The boundaries of this cemetery are, The B & O railroad tracks which cross 87th St. on the east side, Pulaski Rd. on the west, 87th St. on the north, and 91st St. on the south. Unlike Evergreen Cemetery to the east, St. Mary's has a fence going completely around it, with the main gate on 87th St. and a smaller gate on 91st St. located between Homan and Trumbull Avenues. Late night drivers on 91st St. have reported seeing someone leaning against a fence post along the fence bordering the railroad tracks, with his arms folding across his chest. One driver reported that the figure seemed to react to his driving by, by placing his hands on his knees and crouching down, as if to look at him from under the branches of the tree between them, after which the figure disappeared. That St. Mary's has not had more reports is somewhat surprising, as several deaths, all violent, have happened in and around the cemetery over the years. The first death was in 1927 at a restaurant/speakeasy located along the tracks, at that time many funerals came to the cemetery by train, where the party would have the funeral, then have the after funeral lunch at the restaurant while waiting for the return train. During Prohibition, this restaurant( known as "Vinegar Hill") was used as a speakeasy after dark, in 1927 one of the Westside O'Bannion Brothers was murdered there, by the Capone Mob. The next death happened in 1933, on the tracks, about 30 yards south of 91st. At this spot occurred the last daylight Train Robbery in the U.S. Two men stopped the train at this point and stole $50,000. from the mail car. One of the robbers was killed during the robbery and never identified, the other robber was never caught, and the money never recovered. Finally, in the 1990's two men where shot once each in the heart, around 2:00a.m. While "visiting" the grave of a rival street gang member, on the anniversary of his death, this murder is unsolved. Trespassing is not only not allowed, but unnecessary, as the only reports of ghostly activity have all been observed from outside the cemeteries, (Evergreen Cemetery, and St. Mary's).

Fairmount 

Fairmount cemetery - Really cold and eerie feelings when you walk in to it or drive by. you also feel like your being watched.

Falmouth

Haunted Hill - There is a hill with a cemetery on top, by Love Ford Bridge. The river runs under the bridge with the cemetery overlooks it. Some have died due to high waters and parties at the bridge. Reports of seeing a light on top of the hill that can never be reached, & cold spots.

Flora 

Kiwanis Park - This place is very spooky and eerie at night. The legend goes like this: one night a bunch of kids went there and this one climbed on the outside of the big rocket ship and he slipped and fell to his death.

Forest City

Mt Zion Cemetery - A church burnt down on this site while in session. The bodies of the victims were buried on the site. Late at night you can hear girls giggling and a sharp whistling noise. Also, there is always a brisk breeze in the area. The preachers tombstone is by a tree in the back ground and legend has it that if you knock on this tree, the echo goes down the roots and to the preachers body and he shrieks very quickly.

Forest Park

Jewish Waldheim Cemetery - Possible Urban Legend - A beautiful young spirit with brunette hair is said to hang out at the cemetery gates and at times hitch rides to 'Melody Mills Ballroom' just down the street

Galena

The Town Itself - Many Ghost sightings have been seen and documented in this town. We are the town of U.S. President U.S. Grant; many stories about haunted houses and cemeteries are here. This town is rich on haunted sights.

Galesburg 

Jail Cell - The old Knox County Jawas purchased by Knox College in the 70's, and it is located on the college campus. The front half of the building was renovated and is used for offices and classrooms, but the back half (the cell area) remains untouched and hasn't changed since it was built in the late 1800's. When the jawas still active, an inmate supposedly escaped, ran across the college campus, but was caught and placed back in his cell. He later committed suicide inside the cell on the second level, the second one from the stairs.

Knox College - Returning from a study group one night, a beautiful coed was bludgeoned with a brick, and left to die on the steps of her dorm. Some say late in the evening, one can smell the essence of perfume in the stairwell, as if the coed keeps a vigil of protection over this dorm.

Geneva

Girls' School Cemetery - shallow graves - Once an industrial school for girls, there is now a little subdivision. Although the school is gone the graveyard for it is still around. A graveyard that's about a hundred years old, just the feeling in the air is creepy. Supposedly late at night you can see a young girl (probably from the school) runs through the woods behind the little cemetery. sometimes you will see to glowing eyes in the trees.  It is also called girls' school cemetery.

Georgetown

Old Boy Scout Camp - This used to be a boy scout camp. It shut down a few years ago and is now a nature preserve. My husband went hunting for deer there last fall and came home scared with the intention of never going back. He said he heard voices, drums, what seemed to be something pounding on wood, and screams. I have spent a lot of time there, day and night. Over the past year I have collected video and pictures of orbs, sounds, and apparitions. The spirit of an old woman has been seen in the parking area along the tree line. She seems to be welcoming you in. The area to the north of the gate has the most activity. The area to the back of the main road is quite active. These have all been seen during the day as well as at night.

La Salette Retreat Seminary - La Salette was actually a college back years ago...The Dean Of The College committed suicide...there after retired priests moved into the dorms, and when they passed away they were buried on the property, eventually they were (supposedly) moved... sometimes when you walk onto the property, you can here footsteps walk beside you. Witnesses have seen the sighting of a ghost man in all black walking towards me...In the gym you can also here footsteps...all in all, it's a very wicked place. Georgetown has very old cemeteries back in the country, some dating back to the later half of the 1700`s.

Vermillion county - Ridge farm - These towns are located in Illinois almost every cemetery is haunted. Most of them are located back in the country where almost no one lives. About 99% of these cemeteries date back to the civil war times, and before that with heavy paranormal activity.

Gilberts

Tyrell Road Cemetery - This cemetery, with headstones dating back to the late seventeen hundreds, has been the site of many strange happenings. This old Irish farmhouse and barn has been the scene of many ghostly sites. From green orbs to a ghostly male figure holding lanterns and swinging them up and down as he walks.

Gladstone 

Monmouth - There is said to be a man at this cemetery standing and when you go by he looks at you and he is really mean.

South Henderson Church - A college group from Knox College took a field trip to the cemetery next to South Henderson Church. They took cameras and surveillance equipment and found many weird things. They found millions of orbs and deducted that the cemetery is a gateway to the other realm.

Glen Ellyn

Maryknoll Seminary - Has been knocked down -It was said that this Maryknoll Seminary is haunted by the ghost of a dead monk who hung himself in the bell tower. The monastery is huge, with hundreds of rooms and no electricity turned on as the place is boarded up and the bell tower sealed off. Reports of fresh blood "bleeding" from the exterior of the bell tower and strange noises are not uncommon, and the place is still used as a secret gathering place for various cults and possibly Satanists, as there are satanic markings and words from ancient languages on some walls. Unfortunately, this seminary has been torn down so it can no longer be seen. There are subdivisions and houses going up in that area now.

Godfrey

Lewis and Clark College - It used to be an all girls school. Many deaths have been reported on the campus. Also many buildings and locations are reportedly haunted. In the college library, someone supposedly hung themselves from the rafters. You can now feel cold drafts and a sense a presence behind you. Deceased teachers are also seen in the hallways of some of the buildings. Especially the main building.

Goreville

Happy Hollow - Various sightings and sounds have been reported through the years. Civil War infantry have been seen walking around, ghost cowboys, and other apparitions have been seen. Also, it is reported that if you drive through there after ten PM, you will see no wildlife in that area until 6 AM.

Granite City

Spanish Cemetery - also known as Irish Cemetery - There is an old cemetery down the street from the Wal-Mart (the only wal-mart in granite city). It was owned by the Irish family. It is said that if you trespass onto the cemetery, the ghost of an Irish family member will actually scare you so much, that you will have a Heart Attack. They said it only happens at night though, and to people that are not there to mourn the deaths of the Irish.

Great Lakes

Recruit Training Command - Recruit training command AKA boot camp for the navy is haunted my many spirits. In ship 12 you can hear a woman's scream loudly and fade within seconds. In ship 13, you sometimes will see a figure of a recruit who hung himself. In ship 15, which was once reported as a mental loony bin that caught on fire killing many people. Throughout the night, you will see figures and shadows walking around. Sometimes a ghost will whisper in your ear " Reveille Reville" This has happened to many people as well. One time a coat hanger flew off the wall, over the fan that was on at the time, and hit a friend of mine on the head. I was witness to it.

Gridley

Gridley Manor - One of the apartments - Things such as the shower turn on by its self, lights flickering by self, strange smells. There is a stain on the carpet that will reappear with in a few hours of it being cleaned; believed to be the spot where a former resident died.

Gurnee

The Gate - It is a clearing where a little school house was. The house is torn down. The road into the property is blocked off. All that stands is a huge black iron gate. The legend has it that, a crazy man broke into the school house and killed all the children. After decapitating a few of the children the man walked out to the gate and staked the children's head on the sharp points of the black iron fence. The community decided to tear down the house after the tragic act, but The Gate still remains as a memory. And it's told that you can hear children crying, and see heads on the gate every now and then. But just being there looking at The Gate is enough.

Hancock

Peyton's Place - A man supposedly went crazy on his family and killed them all with a pitch fork. if you walk back into the woods into their private cemetery, a young man's voice will call at you to run and leave. also, a black '62 mustang will chase you when you leave and then vanishes from your rearview mirror.

Hanover Park

Briarwood Street - A gang member was killed in a drive by walking down briarwood St. on October 10, 1999. When he would play cards he would rip up the king cards because the Latin Kings were his rival gang. Now if you go to that street and leave a king card on the sidewalk facing the apartment buildings and walk away for a few minutes at night, when you come back it’ll be ripped up. And when you walk under the streetlight at night if you look to your right you’ll see his shadow walking with you.

Hartsburg

The Old Red Barn - Near Hartsburg in a small wooded area is where cultists used to practice in an old barn. The barn has been burned down, but lights and apparitions can be seen, as well as strange noises can be heard.

Havana

Lawfard Theater - Cold chills have been felt behind the curtains before opening night performances. It is said that this is the presence of past actors coming back to watch a play one more time.

Old Park district Gym - 15 years ago a young man was playing basketball inside when he was locked in while using the bathroom. He was locked in for over 24 hours and could not reach anyone to let him out and he died. It has been said that at 12 o'clock at night at the gym the ghost of the man that died comes back to haunt the old gym. People have seen him at night; he will get a ball and shoot around at the basketball hoops. When the lights go on he will disappear. You can even hear him screaming for HELP sometimes.

Highland

Family Inn Restaurant - Reports of an apparition of the Lady that used to own the house, lights turning on and off and strange noises.

House of Plenty Restaurant - People have claimed to hear strange noises, and seen a weird light from the basement.

Highland Park

Highland Park High School - Many years ago, a small boy was crossing the street directly across from the high school and was hit by a truck. He died instantly. Just a few years ago, there was a janitor walking around the school on Halloween night and noticed a small boy standing across the street. The janitor went outside and saw a giant freight truck coming toward the boy. The little boy started in to the street and the janitor ran after him telling him to stop. Just as the janitor jumped at the little boy to get him out of the way, he disappeared.

Hillside 

Queen of Heaven Cemetery - Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago. It caught on fire 12/1/1958 and claimed 83 children and 3 Nuns in one day. By the way they did rebuild a new school over the burned out school - but no activity has been reported there. However the cemetery they are buried in, Queen of Heaven Cemetery has had some interesting reports. About 6 years ago a man started having visions at Queen of Heaven every day except Tuesdays. Said the Blessed Mother was talking to him. (His quote) Also a tree there started to take shape of either Jesus or Mary's face. Grew a huge crowd. The man died a year or so ago and so did the tree. People claim to see bright lights during the day at Queen of Heaven and have visions.

Hoffman Estates

Algrims Funeral Home - Located off of Golf Road, Many are said to have seen mysterious lights are seen in the area at night, Close neighbors of the area claim to this day that they see a black horse enter the parking lot and disappear at random.

Shoe Factory Road - Abandoned House - This isn't much of a haunting, but if you go West on Shoe Factory Road past Rohrsson Ave., there will be an abandoned barn on your right side. Directly after the barn, on your left side there will be a "No Passing Zone" sign, even closer, after the sign; there is a white, stone house. I have heard from a resident nearby, that it was an old schoolhouse. I went in with some friends and there are many odd things written on the walls, such as: "Die", "XIV", and a picture of a large eye that is bleeding, with a diamond at the end of the trail of blood.

Joliet 

Frank Shaver Allen house, corner of Morgan and Dewey streets - The Frank Shaver Allen house haunting was well-documented in the local press in the late 1970's after a team of psychics and a Joliet newspaperwoman investigated it. The family then living there cooperated in the investigation after having experienced very dramatic paranormal events for over a decade. The house was built for wealthy Frank Shaver Allen in the latter half of the 19th century. He is believed to be one of the lingering spirits there. Also, reported are an elderly woman, believed to be someone who died from a terminal illness in the house; a former nanny and her charge, a young boy; and other spirits not identified. Many, many sightings of spirits and other strange events have occurred at the residence and have been witnessed by occupants, visitors, the psychics and reporter and others such as gas meter readers, etc. A boy who lived there experienced repeated visits from the ghostly nanny and boy who repeatedly invited him to join the ghost boy forever as his playmate. Unexplained, illusory fires have been seen there. A renovation/redecoration of the house inspired a wave of supernatural occurrences. The usual door slamming, odors, shadow-figures, unexplained voices and screams abound.

Joliet Arsenal - Old army ammunition plant. Ghost cars (are heard but not seen or seen but not heard) far enough from main road where you cannot hear or see those cars, footsteps in empty buildings, strange noises that cannot be explained. Witnessed numerous times.

Johnston City

Hook's Tomb -Arrowhead Cemetery - The legend is that if you go up to the Tomb and run around it clockwise 3 times then knock on the door 3 times that you will smell roses.

Justice

Resurrection Cemetery - The famous ghost of Resurrection Mary is said to return here after being dropped off by young men after they picked her up hitch-hiking or at the local ballroom which she was at the night she died .

Kankakee County 

Haunted Railroad Tracks - It has been said that there is a train track in the city of Kankakee where a bus full of children were hit by a train. Now, when you pass over the train tracks at night, you can hear children laughing. A few have even been brave enough to stop their cars on the tracks and turn the car off, and they will hear the sounds of a train coming, and their car will slowly move from the tracks as though someone were pushing it to safety. Some who have tried this have sworn that there were small handprints on their cars afterward.

Kaskaskia

Kaskaskia - An Indian cursed Kaskaskia in 1735 right before he was murdered, FOR LOVE! It is said that his ghost will forever haunt Kaskaskia for the wrong that was done to him. His spirit has been seen by numerous people.

Kewanee

Amityville House - An old lady died here of a very painful disease shortly before a man hung himself at the same residence. Even though the house has been burned, at certain nights you can hear the blood curdling screams of the old lady, and see the rope from which the man hung himself. The deaths are true and even documented.

La Grange Park

Park Jr. High - The school used to be a nunnery in the 1950's. It was rumored that a nun killed herself in one of the upper floors in the building. Now she haunts the room (room number cannot be found). Students found erasers missing, felt chills around the room, and heard voices in the absence of the teacher.

La Salle

Kaskaskia Hotel - Many hauntings have occurred here, myself seeing a few of them while I worked there. A girl supposedly committed suicide off of the top floor (six stories) back in the twenties or so. However, it is said that she was pushed by her boyfriend during a fight. You can hear the clicks of her heels throughout the day and night. Also, coins are thrown in the lobby from time to time. The worker's elevator opens by itself and takes the employees to floors that they didn't push the buttons to. (Especially the basement-which is very creepy) The hotel is now not in operation, however it was just recently (about three years ago) that I worked there. Let me know if you need more info, thanks.

The LaSalle Inn - In the early 1920s there was a prohibition and this is where Al Capone stopped routinely on his way to Iowa and further west. It has been reported that his and other ghosts haunt this hotel in the basement. Late at night you can hear them playing cards and getting drunk.

Lacon

Old Salem cemetery - old Salem is the oldest cemetery in the area. It has many stories of hauntings and strange happenings. There is said to be a grave of a young girl who died in a fire, and that it is impossible to light a match anywhere near her grave. Also there have been a lot of locals mention of car problems leaving the cemetery.

Lake Forest

St. Mary's Cemetery - In the far back corner of the cemetery, by the creek and next to a fence is a grave with the name Dameon on it. Sometimes at night, if you go by it you can see a boy sitting on it staring at you. As you get closer, he disappears.

Barat College - The school is going to be 100 years old this year and there have so many ghost sightings there that you could write a whole book about it. Apparitions that have been seen include 3 children (2 girls and 1 boy), Nuns (not sure how many, but the school used to be Catholic and the Nuns used to live on campus) a groundskeeper and various others. A large majority of students have seen or heard unexplainable phenomena

Schweppe Mansion - was unoccupied for 50 years after the owner committed suicide, while mourning the death of his wife, Laura Schweppe. The ghost of the family's servant haunts the mansion's hallways and corridors, while the ghosts of the owners haunt the bedrooms. One of the windows of the master bedroom that never needed to be cleaned, while all the others collect dust over the years.

Lansing

St. Ann School - In St. Ann School the halls are haunted of a little boy dressed in the schools uniforms.  He roams the halls all night and day.  Children and teachers have experienced the presence of the little boy.  Children who stay after school usually see him walk from one room to another.  Other children have heard about him and have noticed a presence like a door opening when no one is there.  There is also wield laughter and toilets flushing constantly and lights going out when no one is there to turn them off.  Other people see him roaming the halls.

Lebanon

McKendree College - On the main campus, one of the original buildings is the chapel. It is said at the turn of the century, that a distraught student entered the bell tower and hung himself. At times his ghost can be heard walking the upper floors late at night.

McKendree College - Carnegie - three ghosts believed to inhabit this building. People have been grabbed. It will sometimes turn on the television on the first floor and even change channels. One other one is mean and fills the place with foreboding and the other is just scared.

McKendree College - Chapel - There is something in the chapel. A night security guard at the college in the early and mid 1980's, relayed plenty of stories of how he would hear organ or piano music being played in the sanctuary, which is on the second floor. By the time he would get there to check it out, the music had faded away. He would also hear sounds as if someone were running down the center of the sanctuary floor. This was odd since there is no middle aisle.

Lemont 

Old Quarry Jr. High School - Believed to be curse by souls that where buried there.

St. James Sag Cemetery - Also known as "Monk's Castle," an old cemetery where monks, a phantom carriage and Lady in white have been seen.

Lincoln

Lincoln College - Olin Sang - the oldest dorm on campus there is a ghost that likes to pull pranks. It shuts doors and turns on TV's when no one is in the rooms. It unplugged one girls computer speakers and plugged them back in the wrong hole. This ghost has not tried to hurt anyone it just likes to play pranks.

Lincoln College - University Hall - It is the oldest building on campus and several people have had weird experiences there. Reports of foot steps, and things being knocked over &/or disappear. A face will sometimes appear in the bell tower. At night if you look in the windows you can see white shadows in the Second through 4th floor windows. Some people are very sensitive to things and said that they felt something watching them.

Lisle

Benet Academy - used to be St. Joseph's Orphanage. The two halls, Benet and Joseph made up this orphanage. Many teachers believe that this place is haunted. There are many claims to orphan sightings. Also, on 4th floor Joseph hall there have been sightings of a nun who watches over the grounds. By the way, this floor is used as a closet to put all the old theater props and has many statues in it. Some have claimed that the statues move. The tunnels are said to be under Benet hall and that they lead to St. Procopius Abbey across the intersection. Some believe in the tunnels and ghosts some don't.

Benidictine University - There have been sightings of a little boy running around campus in a blue tee-shirt and a pair of shorts no matter what the weather, then just disappears. In one of the dorm buildings there is a heavy presence. They actually closed that dorm down now... Then there is Benidictine hall. All some of the janitors will not even go up to the 4th floor to clean it. A priest is supposed to haunt that floor. There are also underground tunnels under the campus that are also haunted. I have felt and seen these presences personally. All accept the underground tunnels.

Benedictine University - Benedictine Hall - There is a little room up there with a chair, a small window and there is supposedly white writings all over the walls. Also in Ben Hall there have been reports of people talking late at night in the Art wing, but when explored, no one is there. Another thing to note is the banging on the walls and the sighting of a monk that will appear out of nowhere and then turn and walk into the wall and is gone.

Benedictine University - Cemetery - A few years ago kids would party out in the cemetery. One night they decided to take a Ouija board out there to contact any spirits, just for the fun of it. One of the boys involved with the board began convulsing and screaming different languages. Public safety was called to the scene, but were unable to control the boy. Shortly following, the monks from the Abbey across the street showed up and declared the boy possessed. The boy was taken to the fifth floor in Benedictine Hall (which is no longer accessible to students) and an exorcism was performed.

Benedictine University - Jaeger Hall - The Basement of Jaeger is also said to be haunted with children as well as some of the second floor rooms. There have been instances when people's stereos will turn on in the middle of the night.

Benedictine University - Neuzil Hall - Another story is of all three dorms and sightings of children there. In Neuzil Hall, someone took a picture of the empty hallway. When the pictures were developed a little boy and a little girl were standing at the end of the hall staring at the camera.

Benedictine University - Ondrak Hall - there have been reports of televisions turning up and down in volume as well as very eerie chills passing through rooms. There is a specific room that is closed off now, no one lives in there anymore because of all the eerie things that have occurred.

Lockport

Bruce Road - On certain nights, some have seen a man's torso float towards you on the right hand side of the road, before you reach the stop sign at the intersection. The image is said only to last a few seconds, and then fade away.

Canal St. Junkyard - A ghost of a little girl can be seen in the junkyard.

Lockport High School Central Campus - In the auditorium of the high school cold spots can be felt on the stage. During certain performances people have reported sitting down in the auditorium next to a silent figure and the figure vanishes by the end of the performance.

Runyon Park - it used to be called legion park, and it was a swimming hole. There is also a cemetery of the first settler farmstead Runyons' family. You can hear people talking in the forest in the broad daylight, and it is not voices you would hear in every day tone. if you climb a hill, you will see where the old flag pole was, plus the old well. Some of the trails are treacherous so wear hiking shoes. it has since been renovated, and the old buildings torn down. it is very creepy at night, to the point that you can still hear the "witch" calling for her followers. Sometimes you hear a language you cannot even describe. if you must go, go in a group.

Macomb

Western Illinois University - Bayliss Hall - Room 1117 - It has been reported that a girl who once lived in this room still haunts it today. As the story goes a freshman girl was pregnant but didn't want her parents to find out and so she delivered the baby in her room and then threw the evidence (including the child) down the trash chute. The girl then returned to her room and hung herself in the closet. Today the cries of the baby and the moans of the devastated girl can still be heard.- December Update: A local ghost hunter believes this room to be haunted. Haunted Macomb The man running the above website had more information concerning all the WIU and Vishnu Springs hauntings.

Western Illinois University - Bayliss hall - 501 - Story has it, a girl stayed alone in her room all weekend while her roommate went home. This girl suffered from severe depression. During the weekend, she hung herself in her closet. Her roommate then found her upon returning for the weekend. Strange occurrences now happen such as occasional lights turning on and off, strange noises, and cold spots.

Western Illinois University - Simpkins Hall - This building is the second oldest on campus. It was a grade school, high school, and finally the English building. There is a janitor that haunts the third floor. Many a professor has claimed that the janitor turns off their office light and closes the door while they were still working within. A little girl roams the 1st floor. You can here her little running footsteps and an occasional giggle. If you're lucky she asks if "you want to play".

Western Illinois University - Tanner Hall - In this building, there is a ghost on the twelfth floor. In 1972 a young man ran into the elevator door during a water fight. He fell to his death in the elevator shaft down to the fourth floor. Many occurrences such as people being touched and seeing a mysterious male on the floor have been reported.

Macoupin

Moore Cemetery - About 5 miles off the main road a cemetery with some modern headstones with much older Civil War era stones towards the back. The trees are filled with bats and a lone streetlight illuminates the parking area. It is said that if the spirits don't want you there, the light will go out. Odd lights can be seen hovering the older area of the cemetery.

Mattoon

Behind Coles County Airport - Rag Doll Cemetery - A young girl, around the age of nine, was murdered in her own home. She would always carry around a doll, with red hair and a blue dress on it. It was referred to as her little "Rag Doll." When she was buried, her parents placed the rag doll in her coffin. The murderer was never caught and the case was mysteriously dismissed. However, to one person the murder was never left alone...."Her Rag Doll." Late at night around 12:00 midnight. If you go into the cemetery to her grave there is a tall tree right next to it. Look up and you will see her little "Rag Doll" hanging with a rope around its neck. However, when it becomes daylight the doll disappears. It has been said that the doll is alive and looking for the murderer who killed her best friend so it can get the right REVENGE!!!

Manteno 

Diverseatech - The mental institution was were many people died because of the sick test the doctors tried on them and when they got caught they had to shut it down. The most scary buildings have tunnels that lead all the way to Chicago.

Riverside Rehab Center - A long time ago this building use to be a morgue. On the top floor in the nursery, a crazed nurse hanged her self in the shower by the shower head. For many years to this day that tub has been boarded off. Late at night, there has been ghostly reports of a young women's face in the top window. Also, workers have herd strange noises at 12:00 in the morning.

Manteno State Hospital - State Mental Institution well known for its experiments consist of a huge complex of multiple buildings connected together via under ground tunnels. The state run facility had been abandoned years ago. The buildings lay empty today. Various sightings have been reported.

Manteno Insane Asylum - Manteno is an abandoned insane asylum that was opened in 1929 and closed in 1985. most of the buildings are still there. There was electro shock therapy, cold water treatment, and even lobotomies. Under ground tunnels connect all the buildings together, and go other places. For more info go to - www.mantenostatehospital.com

Maroa

Maroa Grade School - In the old Maroa grade school there have been reports by custodians late at night of a little boy that can be seen in the boiler room. He is said to be wearing very old style clothing like 1940,s. The School is very old, it was possibly built in the late 1930's to early 1940's. Others have seen the little boy through the 3rd floor windows. The creepy thing is that if you look at the old class photos hanging in the hall dated back from the very first class there is a missing photo of a child. The rumor is that the boy possibly contracted an illness and died, thus his photo was not taken, but he makes himself seen anyway.

Mascoutah

Renschler Road - February 2004 Update: A group of investigators took a bottle of water and Poured the water on the "hill." The water went IN the direction of the car when in neutral. So from their perspective it is nothing more than an optical illusion of a hill- Left off Highway 177, Renschler road splits. Turn left and there will be curves out to a railroad track. Supposedly, if you go out on top of the tracks and sit in the dark, a man and a little boy who were killed out there start to push your car off the tracks. Voices of a man talking can be heard distinctly while the car is being pushed off tracks.- December Update: The tracks have actually been removed. The submitter of the update has heard many different stories, but people all over southern IL seem to know something about it including their friend's dad in Steeleville. The townspeople talked to them about the legend.

Mattoon

Campground cemetery - Campground cemetery is a small cemetery located adjacent to a well traveled highway (Lake Road)at the corner of lake paradise road, a few miles southwest of Mattoon, Coles county, IL. Local legend says that on some days, people have passed the cemetery and have seen picnickers in the there dressed in clothing from the late 1800's or early 1900's. When they look back a few seconds later, no one is in the graveyard. Strange lights have been seen coming from the area, and when people have called the Sheriff's department to report vandals, no one has been found.

Rag Doll cemetery - Rag Doll cemetery is not behind the airport.  It is east off of route 45 south (between Mattoon and Neoga) there are several back to back cemeteries in this location.

Maywood

Lexington Elementary school - It is said that late at night the lights in the school flash and that loud screeches can be heard.

McClure

Grapevine Trail (Dead Mans Curve) - It is said that several car accidents have been documented on these treacherous curves. One in particular killed a couple of teenagers. On a certain night around midnight you can hear the screeching of tires and a crash shortly after the crash you can hear the screams of a woman and then an explosion.

McHenry

McHenry East High School - Their is a guy who walks around the cafeteria at 3:45 P.M. and every year, on the last day of school, there are over 50 spirits of jail breakers who never got caught walking all over the school. One Reported seen during lunch, Math Class and in the Library. (The School was designed by a man who designed prisons too) there are metal detectors in the library and they go off every year for no reason.

McNabb 

Putnam County Junior High - The owners of the Putnam County Junior High John Swaney and Sarah haunt the school. Lockers in the P.E changing rooms at games have been known to open and shut. When people stay after school sometimes you will find yourself being chased by a person in a black cape.

Middletown

400th Avenue Bridge - This site is where hangings took place. The tree, bridge, and fields are haunted. Whisperings, talking, chains, and screams can all be heard. Apparitions have been seen on numerous occasions. If you touch the tree, you sometimes get visions.

Midlothian

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery - This is the sight of a load of supernatural occurrences like : a "ghost house " , balls of light , the ghost of a woman and a young child who stand near the shore of a pond where a satanic cult dug up their bones and threw them in the pond . It's an old German cemetery with most of it's headstones dating to early 1900 or even 1800's .

Milan

Milan Manor Apartment Woods - In 1986 a young boy was ran over and killed by a tractor plow. The farmer who was driving the plow reported seeing another boy. The farmer stated the only description he could give of the second boy was, he was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and had dark brown hair and was around the age of eight. When the neighbors of the deceased boy who resided at Milan Manor Apartments were questioned they reported seeing him last with a young unknown boy fitting the farmers description. There were no reports of the boy in the red t-shirt being seen until 1989. There have been numerous reports of two boys playing in the woods together around dusk. Upon hearing this story a couple of explorers decided to check it out. They took a trip to Milan Manor Apartments parked in the parking lot found a trail that lead into the woods located past the cul-de-sac (circle). They followed the winding trail to a little stream, crossed the stream walking over a piece of lumber, took the path leading to the right, then they came to a fork in the path & decided to take the left path up a hill after we reached the top of the hill we stopped to catch their breath before continuing. As they caught their breath they saw two little boys, one of which was wearing a red t-shirt running into the cornfield as they entered the corn field they vanished. Unable to believe what they had just seen they walked toward the cornfield and was unable to find even a footprint but could still hear the laughter of the boys.

Millstadt

Zingg Road - This road is between Millstadt and Belleville off State Route 163. There are many stories about this road, such as a bridge where someone hung themselves and if you drive by there on the anniversary of this occurrence you can see them hanging from the bridge. Another one is of a house where when you drive by a ghost truck chases you. Another one that is of a house where supposedly a witch lived, that has since been torn down. - WARNING: If you go on this road, be very careful, it is full of curves and hills. In fact, on the first hill and curve of the road, a car hit the tree just before the bridge and a girl was killed.

Minooka

Dresden Cemetery - This is the oldest cemetery in the area. It's believed that the ground is spoiled and the graves did not want to be there. So the cemetery was moved to the current St. Mary's cemetery in Minooka. The only problem was when they moved the cemetery they could not find one grave, one of a little boy. It's said that he wanders the cemetery at night looking for his family, who was also buried there. Numerous cold spots and voices have been heard.

Minooka

Aux Sable Cemetery - It is said that if you go into the cemetery and go down the path a ways you can see a little girl sitting staring at you and it feels like you can not move but you really can. you can only see her if you get out of your car. there has been a lot more things that happened there. also when you try to leave the gates close but they have put up a big bar in the gate so that you can get out. sometimes if you stop and turn the car off your windows will fog up.

Moline

Haunted hospital - Update: Has been torn down - abandoned about five years ago stuff has been occurring such as stuff flying and such. Many have died in here as it is a hospital with its own church and skywalk. located in the basement is caged up. people have heard babies crying and doors slam with no wind nights.

Moro

Snake Road - On this road are many stories. The stories begin with the bridges on the road. First bridge: A woman had thrown her baby into the creek. Sometimes if you stop and look over the bridge you can hear a baby cry. Around the same area, a woman had hung herself in the trees. You can see her ghostly figure by the trees hanging from a rope. - November 2003 update: The bridges have all been taken down, and the church is gone as well.

Monmouth

Cry Baby Bridge - Story says that a bus full of little kids ran off the bridge and they all died. If you go there, turn your lights off, and put your car in neutral; something will push you across to safety. After you are pushed across get out and put powder on your windows and you can see little baby hand prints.

Sugar Tree Grove Cemetery - This is one of the oldest cemeteries in Warren County. Most of the stones date back to the early 1800's. There is an Indian buried there who was killed by the people trying to settle in the area. Story has it that this Indian was responsible for scalping a white farmer who was working in his field. The community hunted down the Indian a killed him. There has been documented investigations in this cemetery several times in just the past few years. Many uncertain images appear in pictures and audio recordings playback what sounds to be Indian chanting. The area residents discourage anyone from entering the cemetery after dark. This stems from several problems with cult activity in the years past. Many have stated that even on the hottest summer day once you enter the cast iron gates of the cemetery a cool breeze will follow you around. If you travel to the cemetery go to the farthest stone in the southeast corner of the cemetery and you will find the stone of the unnamed Indian.

Montecello

Cry baby bridge - Possible Urban Legend - There was a family driving across the bridge only that lived in the 1800. They were carriage driving across the bridge. Another carriage ran right into them. The baby fell out and drown. Now if you go across the bridge at night and turn you car off you hear the baby crying. Also if you stay long a blue green small fog will float were it drown and come close to you car.

Morris

Morris Community High School - IS located above coal mines, and students have spent the night their to investigate. They heard voices in the hallway and they believe that it is a librarian or someone of that sort. IN the boiler room voices are heard and the door classes behind you. No students are allowed after dark.

Old Stage Road - ghostly glows above old grain silos. It is said to housed many bandits in the 1800s.

Aux Sable Cemetery - Aux Sable is located in the countryside between Morris and Minooka. Paranormal activity includes the locking of car doors, fogging up of windows, and the entrance being blocked while attempting to leave. Fires have been started mysteriously. The old grave keepers house has tunnels under it two go to some where and the third has a gate to hell supposedly. There have been many sightings on paranormal activity. - No Tresspassing - Police will serve you a summands or possibly arrest you.

Mounds

Wagner Hill - The tombstones glow, there is often an figure of a woman in white seen floating around. It is said it is the ghost of Mrs. Wagner. She killed her husband after he was caught cheating on her. If she catches someone there it is said that she will throw heads at you. If they hit you, it will kill you instantly and the next person that ventures in there will see your body hanging from nearby trees by a rope.

Mundelein

Carmel High School - About 40 years ago in the rooms of this school the old monks and priests use to perform exorcisms here. Most of the time they were fake and nothing happened. But once a young boy was having an exorcism and nothing happened he was still doing all sorts of impossible things. One day after the priests performed this exorcism each priest died a horrible death. A train hit one in a car crash, another in a house fire and the third. After all of the priests died the boy next died. It is said today that every Friday night you will see the boy walking around out side the school. And every full moon it is said that the priests try to cast out the spirits of the young boy once again.

First Murder House - the first murder in Mundelein took place in this house. A wife was having an affair and the man she was having an affair with shot her husband in the front hall of their house. The family that lives there now has reported strange happenings. Every so often they will see a white figure moving/floating at a very high speed through out the house. Unexplained objects moving and noises have also occurred.

Nashville

The Old Han-Dee Mart Building - An old lady named Marie came into the store daily. After she passed away, odd things began to happen. Employees reported odd feelings when in the back room by the cooler; the remote control Christmas lights changing rotation only on second shift and once, a stack of paperwork slid off a shelf, sat in the air momentarily, and then fell to the floor. A customer and two employees once witnessed a loud scream. Customers outside pumping gas heard nothing. The old Han-Dee Mart building was sold and is being converted to an office building.

New Athens

Tunnel Hill - Kids party at this area and sometimes when your sitting all by yourself you hear growling and feel something rub up against your leg. Sometimes around midnight you can see a silhouette of a dog. It is now called the crazy tunnel dog.

New Lenox

The Town Itself - Just a hotbed for paranormal activity. The Sanctuary Golf Course unearthed an Indian burial site a few years back, and god knows what else has been unearthed and possibly ignored in the rapid sub-urbanization of this once quiet rural town. Neighborhoods located on Jackson creek seem to be especially susceptible for ghost activity that includes strange screams and unexplainable knockings and sounds.

Clinton Road - There is an abandon house on this road that at night red and blue glossy lighted objects flash from the windows. Other than the house on this road, you get the feeling that something just isn't right, it could be 90 degrees out and it gets chilly when you pass by the abandoned house. Even in the daytime when you travel on this road there is never any wind, you never hear birds or anything until you get back on the main highway

Gougar and rt. 6 - some have said to have seen a headless ghost walking on the north side of Gougar Rd. the story has it that the man lived in the farmhouse on Gougar Rd., he committed suicide in the barn by hanging.

Messenger Woods Forest Preserve - Strange, uneasy feelings occur to people as they drive pass this place. Some even say they've heard screams and have seen unexplainable shadow-like objects pass in front of their vehicles as they have drove by.

Normal

Soldiers and Sailor's Home - Used to be where from what i understand, soldiers and sailors left children in times of war.. Though some of the buildings have been renovated for offices, the theatre and select buildings still remain...At night glowing yellow orbs can be seen in buildings. Overwhelming feelings of depression can be felt whilst driving by the old infirmary.. Also if you go into some of the buildings they have been left as they were then. A few years back some friends of mine went into the theatre.... They said that everything is still backstage.

Illinois State University - Atkin Hall - Atkin-Colby Hall is 10 stories tall plus penthouses--what we call the eleventh floors. The building opened in the fall of 1962. The elevators only go up to the tenth floor; you have to take stairs from there to the eleventh floors. The eleventh floors are generally locked and used for storage. I believe people originally lived in them, although nobody has for years. The eleventh floor of Atkin has a presence in it. Nobody seems to know what could have caused a haunting up there, and I don't think a ghost has ever been sighted. But there seems to be a very strong negative presence. You can even feel it on the landing--outside that locked door. I know people who won't go up there alone at night.

Illinois State University - Fraternity house - A girl was said to have died in the back stair well to this fraternity house. Her bedroom was on the second floor and mysterious whispers and footsteps can be heard in the stairwell and in her old bedroom.

Illinois State University - Williams Hall - Williams Hall was once the first library when ISU was originally built. Angie Milner was the first librarian there. When ISU expanded, they erected a new library, Milner Library, in her name. However, the old librarian prefers her original home in the first library, now Williams Hall. Workers/visitors say that you can hear footsteps in the small room in Williams where rare and expensive books are still kept. The only way into this room is thru sign-in. So nobody can be in there without the on duty worker's permission. Sometimes, books are shipped-out to be rebound, and after they are placed back in the old room, they are found just as tattered as they were before. She stacks books in odd fashions, and has been sighted by a handful of workers and students. There have been many occasions where books have been mysteriously pushed one by one onto the floor and people have seen a white object out of the corner of their eye. The library was scanned and measured and the results were that there was some type of energy or spirit was present.

Oak Park

St. Johns Methodist Church - it's an old church with many rooms upstairs. People have seen an old lady in the basement area. They have a pool table in the basement. Some people were playing pool once, when one of them sank a shot and went to get the ball. He reached for the ball and the ball wasn't in the pocket. He looked up to the others and asked where is the ball. When he said that the ball fell from the ceiling onto the table. There are narrow winding stairs that lead to a room. In the secluded upstairs room, there are words written on the wall with red crayon in a little child's handwriting. The writing says, "Be kind in God's house."

Evangelical Church Cemetery - In a small town called Oakbrook behind the old Graue Mill underground railroad station there lies a church. Behind this church lies the most haunted cemetery in the entire world. It has been rumored that the church has been around since the early settlement of the Chicago area. The church was certainly around during the time of the fugitive salves and was the church of the mill owners and the mill's surrounding inhabitants. Buried in the cemeteries grounds are the bodies of the slaves which never achieved true freedom and died on their trek to Canada. On some late summer nights it�s been said that one can see the slaves not at rest, but stirring about in the cemetery and the church. The cemetery is most defiantly haunted by these restless souls as well as many other ghouls and probably monsters. Just joking about the monsters but for real the place is haunted and is defiantly worth a trip out to see.

Oakbrook

Peabody Masnion - Right off of 83 there is this massive gothic looking structure, that's quite creepy, this massive structure is Peabody's mansion, Peabody reportedly died of a heart attack and shortly after that his family moved out of the house, the place is truly creepy and locals often see apparitions.

Oakland

Lost Forties Near Oakland - natural phenomena, 40 acres of land that will not show up on any global positioning satellite (gps) system due to the curvature of the earth. a girl is said to fun out in front of cars and be hit, and when people check for the girl she is gone.

Oakly Township

Pecks Cemetery - Glowing dots have been seen floating in mid air, wolfs howling, and sounds of feet running and when you look there isn't anything there. - There is a NO TRESPASSING here.  You MUST have permission. You could get shoot. so absolutely DO NOT GO AT NIGHT.

Olney

Green Lantern Road - The legend is so old that nobody really knows what happened to the man but, as the story goes, if you travel down this road late at night you will see a green shining lantern/light quickly float behind your car, your car lights will shut off and the car will die, then a man in a trench coat ends up holding the lantern and walks out in front of you to the cemetery and disappears in the woods, where as, your car starts up again.

Mt. Pleasant Cemetery - An old church stands at the front of the cemetery. This church is said to be haunted. When the front door is knocked on sounds are heard within the church, sometimes choirs, footsteps and strange lights. On some nights funeral sessions are seen at the church. Although no funerals have taken place there since the 50's.

Salvation Army - This place is haunted by a ghost of a small boy who fell out of his mothers shopping cart and was killed. He spooks people in the back room with hats and books and magazines.

Oquawka

Alexis Phelps House - In the old days when slaves were being traded, Alexis Phelps kept slaves hidden from traders. It is said that slaves walk around the lower levels and crawlspaces of the house. Alexis Phelps is said to be walking around the entire house.

Oswego

Cherry Rd./Help Rd. - A long time ago, there was a girl and her boyfriend driving down the road after prom. Towards the end of the road, there is a sharp curve and at night you can't really see it. Supposedly they went off the road and the girl died instantly. The boy crawled out of the road and wrote help in his own blood. He died right after that. On some nights, you are supposed to see it written in the road and you can see the girl walking down the road. - This is rumored to be a hoax. It is said the road crews find it fun to write "Help" in the tar when resurfacing them.

Ottawa

Spook Road - people yelling, objects walking toward you

Wedron - Insane Asylum - there is a bridge next to an old abandoned insane asylum. If you drive onto this bridge, park your car, and turn it off for five minutes, a semi pulls up behind you out of nowhere and looks as though it will hit you. but your car wont start. just as the truck gets right behind you your car starts and the truck disappears. Some people are actually brave enough to climb inside through an old broken window and reports hearing voices and seeing cloudy substances that appear to be elderly people. Rocking chairs rock with no one in them, and things fly across the room. But be cautious, the place is watched by an old man who threatens to shoot you but ends up calling the police.

Palatine

Smith and Route14 - Shopping Center - Right on the northeast corner of this intersection, in front of the shopping center, once stood the old Browns Chicken & Pasta restaurant, site of the infamous Brown's Chicken Massacre of 1993. On a cold January morning in 1993, police found seven murdered people stuffed in freezers in the back room of the restaurant, apparently victims of a robbery. The building had stood empty until the following year, and then it became a dry cleaning establishment. It was then when some people experienced very violent, and angry vibes that were not their own, and some had felt sudden decreases in temperature, even during the height of the summer. Nearby residents even claimed they had heard the sounds of faint shots and screaming during the evening hours, often repeated time after time. The cleaning establishment finally went out of business in 1999, and the building was torn down the following year. The oddities still continued. In May of 2002, the two killers were finally apprehended after nine years of little or no leads or progress in the case. Since then, there have been no more reports of any odd feelings or ghostly sounds. It would seem the spirits have been able to rest. For a report on the murders 5 days after check out ABC 7 Chicago news - The story about the girl dying by the diving board in the 1970's was all made up as Halloween gag a few years ago by the swim team.

Fremd High School Pool - In the 1970's a girl drowned in the deep end of the pool. There has been reports of a swim suit floating in the water, and when people go in to retrieve it, the water is freezing cold where the suit is. The lockers in the Girls Locker room are also known to open and close.

The Parking Lot and Shopping Center at Rand and Dundee Roads - This is a deserted parking lot in a deserted shopping center. Geese roam the pavement of this huge lot. The stores in the shopping center of this parking lot are always deserted. They are open but deserted. There are also abandoned empty stores looking for owners. There is a curse on this shopping center so nobody wants to rent space.

Pekin 

California Road/Sheridan Road - There are three California Roads in Pekin. The one which connects Sheridan Road with Broadway Road is haunted. (This is the one you can get to by traveling on Veteran's Parkway and continuing at the light) At night, one can see bright lights in the trees ahead as if someone is shining a police spotlight on them and there will be no police in the area. Also, on Sheridan Road, there is a "wall" of mist that never disappears.

Pekin High School - The theatre at Pekin High School is haunted by Sid, who used to be a stage manager. He would sit upon the catwalks and do the lights. He died of a heart attack in the dressing room.

Peoria

Farmington Road - Parkside Tavern - One of the Shelton Brothers (local gangsters during the 1930's l940's and 50's) was shot and killed in the parking lot of the Parkside Tavern on Farmington Road. it was possibly Bernie and the submitter is not sure of the date but it was headline news in the Peoria Journal Star. They think it happened around 1953 or 54. The Shelton gang and the Burger gang (from down around Springfield Il) were rivals for control of the profits from the downstate crime (South of Chicago). It was a gangland style killing and the hit was supposedly ordered by The Burger gang. At any rate the tavern was a known stop for Bernie at pretty much the same time each day. Many people now claim that the tavern is haunted by Bernie Shelton and there was quite a story in the Peoria Journal Star a couple of years ago where a reporter interviewed the owner and several patrons who swore that the have witnessed experiences of Bernie�s presence in the tavern.

Bradley University Theatre - An apparition of a man in a brown suit has been seen, companied with the smell of cigar smoke and cologne.

Peoria Players Theatre - "Players" is supposedly haunted by Normie the friendly ghost. He died on stage during a performance a long time ago. This is possible because Players is the third oldest theatre in the country (I think). Normie has been seen backstage several times and has even helped a few people out with lighting. The toilets have flushed themselves He supposedly likes the women's dressing room too. A painting of him hangs in the bathroom.

St. Frances hospital - rumors of two ghosts of two nuns that were working along time ago at least a hundred years ago they have been seen sometimes in the hospital in various places.

Woodruff High School parking lot - An outdoor swimming pool was once located at the site. Sometime after it was built, some kids climbed the fence for a midnight swim. A teenage boy drowned, almost pulling his girlfriend down with him. Teenage girls who drive across the spot sometime feel a hand at their ankles, pulling their foot hard onto the gas pedal.

Zeller Mental Hospital - Update: Was closed by the State in 2002 and reopened in 2003 as a Community College. - voices, noises, and apparitions are heard and seen. Unseen cars can be heard driving up and headlights of cars that disappear when you go out to check to see who's there. Police or ambulance sirens can be heard driving up but none appear.

Peru

Peru Washington School - In 1956 a librarian always got made fun of by kids, get her car egged, tp'd, etc. On April 12, 3 kids went upstairs to the library after school, where the librarian killed all 3 students, then herself. Sometimes if you go to the library after school, you'll hear screaming.

Petersburg

New Salem - Reports of seeing Abraham Lincoln's ghost walking around at night.

Pontiac

Humiston Woods - Behind one of the larger creeks, there is an Indian Burial site where there are still remains of Indians, many of them being children bones. When children play around this area, they tend to feel a pull at their legs as if someone is trying to use them to get out, or someone is trying to pull them in.

Port Byron

Cherry Street - A home that is now torn down, used to be a hospital back in a war. And then later was a nursing home. There has been a man in a hat called "the man in the hat" that has been seen roaming around in the home. Seen by residence and visitors. Smoke in the dining room when no one was smoking. Very strong presence , eerie feelings, once someone heard there name called and no one else was in the home. Very strong eerie feelings even from the street.

Prairie du Rocher

Fort de Chartes - Between 11 pm and midnight, on every 4th of July that falls on a Friday, a phantom funeral procession forms. There are about 40 wagons and additional riders on horseback who escort a casket lying on a wagon. This was first witnessed in 1889. Next chance--2003!

Quincy

Greenwood cemetery - There are lights in the back corner of the cemetery at nighttime. When you walk forwards you can see something hanging in a tree and if you blink it will disappear. Up in front of the mausoleum you can see and hear little children playing, and when you walk towards them and smile they will smile back at you, and wave and disappear.

Madison School - In the early 1900's, a house stood in the place where the school is today. A woman, living alone was murdered, and the killers were never found. It is told that she was dragged down the large staircase, then stabbed until her screams stopped. They then hid her body in the closet at the base of the stairs. The bloodstains were never able to be removed completely.

Quincy Junior High - The School was built over forty years ago. A student had lost their girlfriend and hung themselves in the bathroom over the loss. Most students now were never told about this incident, so they wouldn't get any ideas. The boy is heard by teachers and staff after school crying faintly and they hear footsteps to the bathroom, mumbling and then it all stops. It replays on the day the kid died. Teachers had tried to figure out natural causes but when ever they went to check for something that was within a short distance from the haunting, it would stop.

Quincy University - Padua Hall - The fourth floor of Padua Hall is haunted by a former student that committed suicide by jumping out of the window. The floor was eventually closed down, but reopened earlier this year. People have reported hearing the boy screaming.

Reynolds Township

Reynolds Cemetery - In the rear of the cemetery there is the small grave of a baby boy. The baby was abandoned and found weeks later and the mother was never caught. On a full moon at exactly midnight you can feel his heartbeat if you lay your hand on his stone.

Rock Island

The Villa - The Villa, back in the early 1900's The Villa was a school for girls, like dormitories. The Villa was a Catholic School. The legend has it that the priests would have intercourse with the nuns, then when the nuns were pregnant, they would physically take the baby out of the womb and burry them into the walls. If you go there at night, you can here the aborted babies knocking on the walls, trying to get out. Toilets flushing for no apparent reason, footsteps, and women screaming. There have also been many suicides that have occurred at The Villa on the 4th floor.

Rockford

Bell School Rd - corn field - sightings of white orbs, a strange man who disappears once you leave the corn field, off of bell school rd close to the new condos just built

Blackhawk - it is said that in this house down the road a black man was shot in the basement and now the people that live in that house have seen a black shadow wander around their house during the night.

Bloods Point - Visitors of the old cemetery get chased by a ghost truck which will follow you with no headlights then suddenly flip them on and chase you then disappear. An old bridge where three women were hung is a site for more activity. It is known if you stop your car at the end of the bridge and try to start it again it will not.

Cherryvalle Mall - It is said that several stores in this mall are to be haunted. Several mall employees have reported being followed through the mall by unseen forces after mall hours, things moving on their own, hangers swinging around, clothes mysteriously falling off racks, strange voices, bathroom doors being held shut when no one was there, and occasionally a store would be rather messy the next morning when it was cleaned quite well the night before.

East High School - It is said that an old theater lover that worked for the school died many years ago. An old employee of the school saw the figure of a woman walking on the auditoriums balcony. He later identified the woman as Addy (or Haddy as the thespians called her) the woman who had died. To this day people have heard footsteps in an empty auditorium, exit lights flashing when the wiring had been check several times, faint singing after school hours were closed, doors slamming shut, things being moved around, and several other strange occurrences

Jefferson High School - a girl fell off of ladder on stage by props balcony. you hear he cries and moans only when a show is on. sometimes the tech theatre students see her shadow trying to get up off of the ground!

Rockford Board of Education Building - An interesting place is our Rockford Board of Education building at 201 S Madison St in Rockford. The head custodian there has for many years told stories of the evening shift custodians and the basement. The building was at first built as Rockford Central High School near the turn of the 20th century.  It has two buildings attached to it and an underground hallway that my mother (deceased) used as a student and they called that passage "rat alley". The hallway connected the first building to the second building. The basement of the "haunted" area used to be the "shop" area and housed small machines for the male students to practice machine skills. It is not clear what happened down there, but the custodians DON'T like to go down there at night, the lights will turn on after being turned OFF. Many a morning the head custodian will arrive for his day shift and find all the lights on in the basement. The lights seem to have a will of their own. A former secretary thought it was strange to hear hear grown men sound afraid of the basement. They hear noises down there, voices, all kinds of things.

Rockford College - Adams' Arch - the only surviving remnant of Rockford Colleges' original campus, is reported to echo with the laughter of young women late at night.

Rockford College - Burpee Building - Students and staff members working late in the basement of the Burpee building have reported seeing doors rattle violently or slam shut, hearing footsteps in the hallway, and a male voice in the old radio station rooms. - November 2003 Update: Haunting believed to be caused by a guy who committed suicide. A person reportedly was working late one night and saw a reflection of him in the window. When he turned around and looked at the sound room, there was no one there. Then the papers the guy was working on blew off his desk, and the only paper that was left on the desk was an old archive article about the guy's death.

Rockford College - The Clark Arts Center - is said to be haunted by the ghost of the Theatre Arts professor who designed the building. Flickering lights, piano music, and echoing footsteps on catwalks are just some instances of this; in particular, Cheek Theater, Maddox Theater (as well as the hallway outside of it) and the green room (actors' dressing room) seem to be hot spots.

Rockford College - McGaw Hall - 5th Floor - where an epileptic girl died in the bathtub over a Thanksgiving break some years ago is reported to have ghost activity. If you have any information, please email us at Haunted Places - August 2004 additional information: A cheerleading squad has just came back from a four day cheerleading camp at Rockford College and they stayed on the 6th and 7th floor. In many cases, as they took their showers, they would hear a girl singing. Also in the bathroom, one cheerleader heard a man talking yet could not understand what he was saying, when there were no men in the building at anytime during the four days (the janitors were all women). Also, in room 607, many times everything on the third shelf from the top fell for no reason, sometimes when no one was in the room, everything on the shelf was: a box of tissues; sandals laying flat; and towels. Two cheerleaders stayed in room 603 and they heard walking and the chair sliding across the floor above me in room 703, when no one stayed in that room and the unoccupied rooms are locked and they did not have a key to that room.

Rockford College - Maddox Theatre - Down in the dressing rooms, lights sometimes flicker. They once went off in a storm and a face seemed to appear in the mirror. Often, in different parts of the theatre, loud screaming noises can be heard, even though nobody is around. The area around the building always seems to be windy. Also In the prop room in Maddox theatre, there is a bell that supposedly rings on it's own. It was taken years earlier for a girl that was ill in her room and anytime she needed anything, she was to ring the bell. A couple of days later, she died in a car accident. It is said that a man several years later had the bell for the same purpose, and he would wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of the bell ringing.

Rockford College - Talcott Hall - room of a student who hung himself in the early nineties.

Tibble House - It is said that several years ago a man when crazy and murdered his whole family in this house. Visitors have witnessed shadows of a man, screams, cold drafts, and bad energies. Many people have went to approach the house and stopped short of the property line with overwhelming feelings of sadness and fear.

Twin Sisters Park Woods - If you walk by the willow tree it is said that you have a strange desire to go into the woods. There is an old hanging tree with some odd carvings on it. A little girl is said to be seen walking around.

Rockton

Wagon Wheel Lodge - this old resort which is said to be haunted by a bell hop who mysteriously disappeared one night and of a man who was a guest in lodge who hanged himself in his room. The wagon wheel has since burned down 3 different times, the last was 4 years ago and has not been opened since. if you drive by you can see what appears to be a "face" in the window and you can see lights on through the windows but, the lodge has no electricity.

Rolling Meadows

Brookwood condos- playground - There have been many events leading to paranormal activity in this complex. When the buildings were first built many years ago, a construction worker brought his two children to the job site and they were killed by a falling temporary wall. These children are often seen or heard playing by the playground.

Rosemont

Sheraton Gateway Suites Hotel - The hotel is an atrium style hotel with 11 floors, and several people have killed themselves jumping off the balcony. There have also been drug overdose deaths in two of the rooms and in the parking lot. Guests have reported that they have seen figures moving through their room at night, hearing strange noises that cannot be the neighbors because all the rooms are soundproof since the hotel is across from the O�Hare airport. One guest said that after she took a shower she came out of the bathroom to find her clothes thrown all over the room, and no one could have gotten into the room because she put the latch on the door. you can also see a man dressed in a suit looking over the top floor balcony on the east side of the hotel, the same spot where a man jumped off, in the fall of 2001. A worker at this hotel that has worked the overnight shift, 11pm to 7am, heard noises such and typing and talking, when no one is there. This place definitely has problems.

Rosiclare

Pleasanthill's Cemetery - At night, if you go all the way back to the small creek, you here bells, and the sound of a gate opening and closing. There is a spirit there that haunts the cemetery more than others. The name of the spirit is Ahab Gullet. His tombstone reads: "Friends beware as you pass by, as you are now so once was I. As I am you soon shall be, prepare for death and follow me." If you read this aloud, spirits will appear before you.

Rushville 

The Train Bridge - Outside of the town there is an old bridge over train tracks where people where said to have been killed years and years before. People have seen things under the bridge moving. Trees falling at night and there are no trees that have fallen the next day. trains that appear and disappear. Screams are heard and things brought with people are know to move or turn off

Schiller Park

Schiller Woods - Schiller Park was built on Indian burial ground in which the graves were moved into Schiller Woods. Now many homes are also hunted.  There are also cults that take part in rituals in the forest. You can see the destruction that they leave behind.

Sidney

Green House - House outside of Sidney, that is abandoned. It appears that who ever lived there just got what they could and got out of there. Basement is full of baby dolls and strange writing on the walls. some of the baby dolls are hanging, and sounds of children laughing.

Old Sidney graveyard/ Graymans Cemetery - late at night you can see a pale blue almost gray light crossing the graveyard. Reports of gunshots being heard.

Sleepy Hollow

Randall Rd & Route 72 - There has been more than one haunting reported here. On one occasion the basement of a house on Jamestowne Rd was said to be haunted with the dead twin of the only girl that was in the family. She can be seen during the night, standing behind the furniture or in the back corners. On another occasion in a house by Sleepy Hollow Elementary there has been reported a sighting of a man dressed in a black suit, a little boy with brown hair and a green sweater, and handprints that would never go away no matter how many times you went over them with paint, in the basement. These handprints are pushed out from the cement in a relief. They look like something is in the wall that wants to get out. Footsteps have been repeatedly heard in the hallways.

Spring Valley

Massock Mausoleum - The area surrounding the tomb has many local reports of paranormal occurrences, Some murders took place within a mile of the place, as well.

Springfield

Calvary Cemetery - There is a legend of an angel statue the sits on top of a grave near the park side entrance of the cemetery. Supposedly, she turns around and weeps when it is late, or on a certain date, or something like that. Also, there are several large, old trees in the cemetery that move and sway, even if there is no wind.

Panther Creek Subdivision - Since Panther Creek was founded, reports of mysterious footprints of a large cat have been reported. Also, people have claimed to have seen a large leopard or such in the wooded area around the area. Growling and sometimes roaring can be heard near the creek itself.

Prairie capitol convention center - strange happenings such as doors slamming and seats slamming shut. The convention center is haunted by a young boy that was killed in the convention center while watching a tractor pull. Boy was killed by flying engine parts from a blown tractor engine. He died instantly and is still their wondering the convention hall at night.

Theatre Center - Joe supposedly haunts the theatre! He was one of the best actors there one night when he was coming out of the building he was pulled be hind an alley and was murdered! He has haunted the theatre ever since.

St. Charles

Arcada Theatre - There can be voices heard coming from the balcony & thought the building. A strange smell along with coldness sometimes floats through various parts of the theatre.

Haines Middle School - Haunted by different teachers said to roam the halls in the early morning hours.

Hotel Baker -Various interpretations have been given for the mysterious moans and noises coming from the hotel's sixth floor. Once serving as the employee dorm, it is now a large storage area. Some say that the floor is haunted by a chambermaid who drowned herself in the nearby Fox River, sometime in the 1970`s. She is rumored to have been left at the altar. Investigators found evidence, but no trace of the woman was uncovered.

Munger Road. - A haunted road were many car lights have been seen and then disappeared. Also old insane asylum which is haunted. December Update 2003: the insane asylum has been knocked down. however, the rail road tracks are the big spot. rumors are that weird things happen on those tracks.

On Prairie St.- At night you can see bright white figure standing on a curb looking for someone. About five minutes later a shadowy car pulls up and they both vanish.

St. David

St. David Grade School - A young girl was ran over while she was running across the street right in front of the school. She haunted the third swing from the right on the big swing set in the playground. Also, a janitor hung himself in the girl's restroom in the basement. In the classroom next to the restroom, there were doors slamming and papers flying off a desk when windows were closed. Since the occurrences, the school has been closed and someone lives in the abandoned school building.

St. Elmo

The Valley - Fires and figures in cloaks can be seen and heard chanting.

Steger

Evergeen Hills Cemetery - Many of the pictures taken there show a little girl in the background.

Sterling

Rock River - 7th Avenue - Many ghosts have been sighted along the Rock River along the bluffs and railroad tracks where many have died on the "blind corner" near the Dillon Museum hit by trains and also drowned in the river's strong currents. On the dead end road of Seventh Avenue it is said that you can hear a mother calling for her children and that a woman can be seen walking along the tracks and disappears in thin air.

Stickney

Pershing Rd. - It is known that a group of children (not sure what kind or how many) were murdered in the preserve. Almost every time entered, the unsettled spirits make some kind of contact.

Streamwood

Hanover Countryside Elementary School - This small school is supposedly haunted by the ghosts of several teachers that have passed away in the years. Sounds have been heard ranging from bells to chains, to voices. Also Lights seem to turn on and of by themselves.

Streamwood High School - The auditorium is supposedly haunted by a ghost named "Elvira", a girl who died there many years ago. This reporter is a skeptic, but there have been numerous sightings of this spirit by a few reliable sources.

Streator

Moon Creek Cemetery - This cemetery is located just South of the city and has been known to have a "hatchet lady". Many years ago, her daughter died. The tragedy caused her to go insane and each night of a full moon a spirit is seen running around the cemetery, tossing hatchets. An Alternate story is that she was a widow who lost her son in a war. She was rumored to hang around Moon Creek until her death. Also, colored mists were seen back in the 1980s. People's vehicles have also been known to die as soon as they drive through the gate. Mysterious fires have also started when visitors have been present.

Sycamore

Sycamore Theater - Reports of cries and moans coming from the downstairs theatre.

Taylorville

Andersons Cemetery (cemetery X) - This cemetery is filled with creepy paranormal activity. There is an old part of the cemetery that in the daytime is unreachable. Only after dark will the trees part and the path appears again to the ancient tombstones. Also haunted by a specter wolf that is said to chase trespassers.

Stone Cabin - It is said that if you go out there you will see a dead dog and it's said to be sitting at the front entrance of the building only it's head. And there is a bridge right after it that if you walk across it you have brought bad luck upon yourself, and a girl was hung out there on that bridge.  Another story says that an old guy took a teenage girl out to stone cabin in the back room and raped then murdered her. About 10 years later it happened again with a different girl. Now when you go there at certain time you can see candles that are lit in the windows and the ghost of one of the girls that was murdered there. You probably won't get arrested for going there but there is a mean old guy who lives up the road and likes to shot people if he knows their down there!  Also, if you go into the back room of that cabin know matter how cold it is it becomes very warm. - Warning if caught trespassing you could get arrested.  If you go across the bridge you're supposed to flash your headlight twice so that your car doesn't die and you don't become haunted.

Witch's Bridge - In the 1800's a woman was hung off the side of this bridge for being a witch. Since then, it is said that if you stop on the bridge late at night you will hear footsteps. If you stay too long, it might take a minute to restart your car. Also, strange lights flicker over the creek below.  If you go across the bridge you're supposed to flash your headlight twice so that your car doesn't die and you don't become haunted.

Tolono

The Oaks Trailer Park - a cult lived there in 1985 and tortured 54 civilians there has been numerous reports of people being chased by shadow figures.

Railroad tracks - screams and white blurs of light heard and seen. Every other week the "ghost train" comes at 1:59 am and leaves at 2:01. Some times (I've seen this once) people wander down to THE TRACKS and a week later you would see missing signs up.

Tremont

Mt. Hope Cemetery - It is said that one of the large, stone covered graves there houses the remains of a church organist with her organ. At night, if you put your ear to the stone, you can hear muffled organ music as the lady still plays to her congregation.

Urbana

Clements Cemetery - Formerly listed as Woodlawn Cemetery- Legend states that the road beside Woodlawn Cemetery is haunted by a ghost that locals call "The Blue Man." Witnesses have seen him walking the road, swinging a lantern from side to side. Most of the sightings seem to occur at twilight.

Urbana High School - It is said that the ghosts of a student and a teacher haunt the fourth floor of this building, supposedly they were involved and the husband of the teacher found out and ended the relationship, the two lovers in a final act of undying love hung themselves together. It is also said that there is a wall in one of the boarded up classrooms that will always leak red paint/blood? The wall has been painted twice every year and has never failed to leak the mysterious red substance. There are also sightings of strange lights in the fourth floor tower after hours at the school. The fourth floor has been boarded up and students and staff are not allowed access, excepting some janitors that use the floor for storage.

Woodsedge - there have been sightings of strange animals and colorful orbs seen in the woods and sometimes at night if your walking through the trails you will see a horse and carriage appear and vanish and you always get the feeling of being watched

Utica

Oak Hill Cemetery - If you stand near the mausoleum in the cemetery and listen carefully, you can hear a faint moaning.

Valley View

Youth Detention Center - a long time ago it was a monastery used by monks who slept in the attic (4th floor) and a couple of monks hung them selves and now on stormy nights the phone rings on the control desk and is from an ex. That doesn't exist and breathing is heard in either side of phone also noises are heard and a white figure has been seen.

Vandalia

Will Hill - you can see orbs of light like candles out in the cemetery one goes off another comes on...about 10 yrs ago there some teenagers out in the cemetery lot and as they were leaving there was a cop following them he pulled them over and told them never to come back and wrote them a ticket...well the next day they went up to pay off there ticket and the people in the court house did nothing but laugh and said the cop had been dead for 30 yrs....the ticket is still in the Effingham court house in the files....also there was a time that 2 people where out there and they had followed a car into the cemetery and the car they followed pulled over and parked....they left and came back a few moments later and the older people were out of the car and the plates said wrd 1910.

Vermont

Eflins Woods - This woods used to have a road go through it and an old bridge. People said that there was a car accident that took some lives on this bridge and they are believed to haunt the place. On some nights people have seen different colored lights that follow you above and through the trees, heard whistles and talking, and some have seen a human figure that follows whoever goes in the woods. The woods is outside of Vermont on west quarter road.

Vernon hills

Big bear lake - There's a girl who was killed and thrown in the lake and you can find baby hands in the lake because she was having a baby at the time and now she haunts everyone

Villa Park

7-11 Convince Store - A new 7-11 is built on an old cemetery, the workers there report hearing chains rattle and people talking real late at night when no one is there.

Viola

Cry Baby Bridge - Believed that the ghosts of the bridge push your car across the bridge.

Wadsworth

St. Patrick's Cemetery - Heavy satanic activity. Was a house, barn, and animal shelter through the woods. Story is that a witch killed her husband and Burnt the house down. The barn and "kennel"(?) stood for some years before they too mysteriously burnt down. Mostly known for a cult hang out, but people have complained of glowing tombstones and chills. Located on Mill Creek rd. Wadsworth.

Warren County

Dead Man's Curve - A few miles east of Monmouth, Illinois, on the original Highway 34, there is a curve that has been the sight of a few car accidents. A midpoint of the curve, there is a tree that a few cars have been wrapped around. The tree is supposed to move without the help of the wind, almost as if it is trying to cause another accident.

Wayne

Powis road railroad tracks - basically the story about these tracks is that a mother was driving a car over the tracks with a car filled with children. The car stalled just as she got onto the tracks. The mother got out of the car to see if she could get it to start again. However, being preoccupied with fixing the car she didn't realize a train was coming around the curve. She tried to get the kids out but it was to late. The train hit, killing all the children. Story goes, if you park your car over the tracks late at night the children that died in the accident will try to push your car off the tracks. And their hand prints will remain on the trunk of the car.

Watseka

Lantern Road - Reports have been made of an orange light coming towards people. There have also been reports of the light chasing people and leaving a burn streak on their cars.

Watseka Manor - Supposedly, there is a mansion in Watseka that is haunted by demon. The story goes, that in 1812(early 1800's), there was a 12-year-old girl who had moved in with her family. A short time after, she became possessed. They tried exorcising the demon, but she eventually died. Her name was Mary. Some years after the family had left the home, a new family moved in. Their daughter became possessed as well. - February 2004 update: There is actually a book called "Watseka" that details this. Asa B. Roff's daughter had spirits come through her and was thought to be insane. They bled her regularly trying to treat her (getting rid of the "bad blood"). She eventually passed away, but years later inhabited / possessed the body of another child in the town and actually moved back home with her (Mary's) parents until the child's body was ready for her spirit to return so to speak. Very interesting read, most libraries can get it.

Wauconda

Larkdale - There is a pond over in Larkdale where it is said that a little boy drowned. If you drive by the pond past midnight, you will see the little boy standing next to a 'no swimming' sign near the pond.

Wenona 

Cumberland Cemetery - One of the oldest cemeteries in the area, it has had a hundred ghost stories surrounding it, including that of a "headless woman" whose jealous husband cut her head off on a stump in the cemetery and of a apparition that appears in a nearby barn.

West of Ramsey

Little Hickory Universalist Church - Doors have been known to open and close and images have been seen through windows. Strange noises have been heard. There is a feeling of another presence there.

Wheaton

One 20 Ocean Place - this restaurant use to be a funeral Chapel, & now it's a restaurant. The lights towards the back of the restaurant on the right side of the kitchen tend to dim down all by themselves. When someone is walking up the back staircase, (usually only used by employees) you can hear someone walking behind you. In the women's bathroom, as an employee was washing their hands, they felt someone looking at them, so they glanced out of the corner of their eye & saw someone, but when they turned their head to look there was nothing there. In the elevator you can get a sort of uneasy feeling. A group having dinner when they heard a woman's voice calling my brothers name, (my brothers name by the way is very uncommon because it is Irvin) the restaurant wasn't really full that night, the waiter also heard the voice & they continued hearing it through out the night.

Willmette

Loyola Academy High School Theatre - There has been a legend that a blue light appears in the "little theatre" of Loyola Academy high school when all the lights are out. It is said that a young male student died in the theatre from falling from the catwalk years ago before the school went co-ed.

Willow Springs

Cavallones - Al Capone's former bar for gambling and prostitution rings. Currently stands as a pizzeria/bar where it is said by many to be haunted by the spirits of prostitutes and Capone's former gang members. Patrons are said to have encountered chills, seen apparitions, being touched by supernatural forces, amongst other things. Pictures have been taken and videos/voice recordings have been recorded. Not only a good place to encounter spirits but it is a great place for food and fun times.

Indian Head Park - About a half block into the woods off the side of German Church Road. The old gravel driveway can barely be seen now that most of it is covered with dirt and grass. You find yourself walking up a slight hill and all of a sudden you find yourself standing on top a an old foundation. The house was torn down and all that is left is the foundation. Behind it is the bog. The bog where the two girls were thrown into after they were drugged, raped, and murdered. The Grime sisters were their names. It is said that the two sisters haunt the wooded area near the house.

Woodlawn

Witch's Bridge - In the early 1800's a family was crossing the bridge in their wagon. The wagon suddenly fell over and the baby drowned and the parents also passed away. It is said that if you stop your car on the bridge that it will be pushed over by some force.

Woodstock

Ryders Woods - It is a creepy looking woods in woodstock. It is said that a man in black used to rape children and then murder them and throw them in the pond. He then went mad and killed himself. Now if you go to the woods at night, you see a lot of activity by the pond. Steam will rise and you will see orbs, children laughing has been heard, and sightings of the man in black have been seen.

Woodstock Opera House - A ghost sits in same seat in balcony and is never occupied. it is always left empty for the ghost during any performance. The ghost is seen walking halls and in the upper windows periodically looking out. She has been seen by the living. Known as Elvira, people have described her as being a beautiful entity, "whose blond hair hung below her slim waist," and who was wearing a "filmy, dancing gown." When young actresses are in the theater to try out for a part in a production, the staircase is watched diligently, because sometimes, on occasion, a young actress has the irresistible urge to travel up the staircase to the open portals, probably under the influence of Elvira. So far, all such actresses, in this hypnotic state, have been pulled away from danger. Elvira likes to move props, and untie scenery flats so they fall over, to let the living know that she is there, and needs some laughs as well. Seat DD113 is Elvira's favorite seat in the audience seating area. All the seats are spring-loaded; meaning that they stay in the upright, folded position, unless someone is sitting in them. Actors, actresses and stagehands have often seen seat 113 in the down position, as if some unseen presence was sitting in it, watching the rehearsal. After examining the seat 113, it is always found to be working properly, staying in the upright position. Whenever a performer misses a cue, or bungles a line, a low, deep sigh is often heard, coming from seat 113. Elvira expects high standards to be maintained by the cast of any production. In the 1940's, while Shelly Berman was working on some scenery for an upcoming production, late one evening, he heard a noise from the audience seating, which made him look in that direction. He saw that not only was seat 113 in the down position, but several seats in the same row as 113 as well. Perhaps Elvira, and a few other ghostly patrons of the arts were watching his efforts on stage. Berman ran quickly over to the seats, but by the time he got to them, all were up in the correct, upright position.

Worth 

Holy Sepulcher Cemetery - a grave sight of a young girl that omits the smell of roses even though there are no rose bushes to be found anywhere near the grave sight. The grave sight is said to have supernatural powers of healing and occurrences.

Yorkville

The Fox River Front - At the Fox River Front there is a dam. Many people think that since it is small they can get their canoes, boats, ext. over it. Well, you can't. Therefore they drown. There have been several drownings there. Around 1:00 a.m., Saturday, you can see a family of 3. The father is holding a canoe paddle, the mother is crying, and the girl that is about 11 is holding a life jacket. They start walking from the dam, through the river back to the river front, before they get onto the river front, they disappear.

Yorkville Middle School - Back in 1978 There was a janitor who was trapped in the elevator when the power went off for the summer for a whole week of summer vacation. He was reported missing a week later he was never found until the teachers came back to get ready for the next year. He died of starvation. He has been seen roaming the halls at night.

Zion 

Zion Moose Club #667 - The land that the Moose now stands on was the previous site of a home, which burned down in the 1940's. A young girl 8 years old died in the house fire -- patrons of the Moose have repeatedly seen the ghost of a young blonde haired girl playing in the facility, have experienced lights flickering, doors slamming, and have heard strange, giggling noises from a child that isn't there. Members have named their resident ghost "Mary" and acknowledge her upon entering and exiting the facility.

We would like to thank The Shadowlands and all who have
submitted locations to make this list possible.