Real Haunted Sites in Illinois

From LoveToKnow Paranormal

Real haunted sites in Illinois are great to visit if you enjoy ghost hunting. While there are many urban legends in this state, it is the real haunted sites that people want to see.

Haunted abandoned building.

Where to Start Visiting Real Haunted Sites in Illinois

The following list represents the best haunted places in Illinois for you to visit!

Alton

  • Allerton Mansion: Located in Allerton Park in Monticello, Illinois, this beautiful mansion and grounds are reported to be haunted by a beautiful lady in white. She has been seen walking around the pond at the rear of the home and walking around the inside of the home near a room she stayed in. Robert Allerton owned the home, and most ghost hunters believe the ghost is that of his fiancé, although he never married anyone.
  • Resurrection Mary: This woman has been seen in formal attire near Resurrection Cemetery on Archer Avenue in Chicago. The locals have been telling this story since the 1930s. In a typical scenario, people driving through the area pick up a female hitchhiker who reportedly wears formal attire, a shawl, dancing shoes and holds a clutch purse. The legend says that years ago, the woman left the Oh Henry Ballroom and was walking up Archer Avenue when she was struck and killed by a car. Ghost hunters believe the ghost is that of Mary Bregovy, who was killed when she went through the windshield of a car on that road.
  • Alton Military Prison: Built in the early 1800s, this penitentiary was home to local criminals. During the Civil War, it was used to house Confederate prisoners. It was designed to hold 800, but at the end of the war it held more than 1900 people. The conditions were horrendous, and dysentery killed many soldiers. An outbreak of Small Pox killed thousands of prisoners along with many city residents. Today, passers by have reported seeing shaggy looking men believed to be the homeless. However, they simply vanish into thin air.

Aurora

Leland Tower: Built in 1928 and located in Aurora, this once popular hotel is located next to the Fox River. It is reported to be haunted by the many people who have committed suicide there by jumping from the upper floors into the river below. People have reported hearing strange voices in the halls, and a bad smell can be noted in the elevator. Currently, this building is an apartment complex.

Bartlett

Munger Road Rail Road Tracks: This haunting takes place on the tracks that run by Pratt Wayne National Forest. To date, there have been two unsolved murders in the last 30 years – one a male, the other a female. A ghostly apparition of a woman has been seen near the tracks in the evening.

Bartonville

Bartonville Insane Asylum: This was a former insane asylum that has fallen into disrepair. Many people lived here during the time when patients were treated in inhumane ways. There is also a graveyard nearby where the patients were buried; most of the gravestones only have numbers and dates instead of names. People claim to have heard screams and seen lights on the third floor at night.

Cambridge

Death Curve: This is an area where a mother killed her seven children with a butcher knife in 1905. Julie Markham went insane and killed her children, ages five months to eight years, and then set her farmhouse on fire. She also slit her own throat. The billowing smoke alerted locals, and the sheriff found her crawling from the home. She died shortly afterward from her injuries. Her husband, who worked at a nearby farm, had no idea why his wife committed the heinous crime. Julie and her children are buried at the Roseville Cemetery. Locals report seeing her ghost floating through a nearby field.

Chicago

Harpo Studios: The building where the Oprah show is taped is considered haunted by many people who work there, including Oprah herself. The building previously was the 2nd Regiment Armory on West Washington Boulevard. In 1915, the building was used as a temporary morgue for the 835 bodies recovered from the Eastland ship disaster. The Western Electric Company was transporting employees and their family members to a picnic when disaster struck; the boat tilted and fell over sideways dumping the passengers into the river. The weight of their clothing drowned many women, and others drowned when people who couldn't swim pulled them under. Today, these ghosts have been seen by Harpo employees and have even been caught on security cameras.

Watseka

Watseka Manor: Once the home of Mary Roff, it is now part of a haunted house tour. Mary died in 1865 after she had spent 18 years of her life fighting epileptic seizures and possible spirit possession. She died in the Bartonville Insane Asylum and was buried in Watseka. In 1871, the family of Lurancy Vennum moved to Watseka. In 1877, Lurancy began experiencing similar fits and catatonic states. When the family sought medical help, Dr. E. W. Stevens hypnotized the girl. She claimed to be many dead people, including Mary Roff. It is considered to be one of the best-documented cases of spirit possession in the United States. Today, the manor is said to be haunted by both Mary and Lurancy.

Visiting Real Haunted Sites in Illinois

There are dozens more real haunted sites in Illinois. Many can be visited, although a few are run down buildings and present a hazard to the public. Before visiting any real haunted sites, be sure to get permission and make sure someone knows that you are there exploring. Most importantly, don't forget to take your camera!

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