Local Haunts: Spooky Sites In Illinois You Can Visit

ILLINOIS — It's that time of year again — time for hayrack rides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and, of course, haunted houses. With Halloween just around the corner, there are plenty of local haunts to be had in Illinois — with some real-life ghost stories attached to them.

In fact, Chicagoland and the rest of Illinois are home to some of the most notorious sites for hauntings across the country. Here are 11 spots across the state that are reputed to be haunted — including some places ranked among the most haunted in America.

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Also: Send Patch your yard haunts and check out this year's roundup of best Halloween houses.

Old Joliet Prison, Joliet: The fictional home of Jake and Elwood Blues also housed notorious killers like John Wayne Gacy, who spent time there before being sent to Stateville, mass murderer Richard Speck and infamous "crime of the century" murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. A tragedy also happened at the prison way back in 1915 when the warden's wife — beloved by prisoners and known as the "Angel of Joliet" was murdered there, prompting inmates to riot and demand her suspected killer be turned over to them. The prison closed in 2002, but "with numerous executions having taken place at the prison, rumor has it that many of the inmates may be serving time as ghosts," according to the Illinois Office of Tourism. After some restoration, the prison on Collins Street opened in 2018 for tours. There are still tickets available for flashlight tours in October 2023. A " Haunted Rooms America" ghost hunt at the prison for November is sold out.

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago: Lions and tigers and ghosts, oh my! Did you know that the zoo and surrounding area once served as the city's cemetery? From 1843 to 1859, the area was home to the Chicago City Cemetery. A decade ago, Northwestern University lecturer Pamela Bannos, puzzled after finding a cemetery tomb in the park, began digging — no pun intended — for information. What did she learn? That more than 35,000 people were once buried there, and as many as 12,000 bodies remained — sparking rumors of hauntings.

Resurrection Cemetery in Justice: Late Chicago ghost hunter Richard Crowe documented dozens of sightings of hitchhiking ghost Resurrection Mary, most often seen by men driving along Archer Avenue near the Willowbrook Ballroom (which, sadly, burned down in 2016), where legend has it Mary danced her last dance before her tragic death. According to the story, Mary would hitch a ride, then ask to be let out of the car near the cemetery — where she would simply vanish. A bar across the street from the cemetery, Chet's Melody Lounge, has purportedly seen its fair share of shaken-up drivers who claimed to encounter the legendary ghost, and it's a favorite spot for those hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

The Drake Hotel in Chicago: While the Congress Hotel is known as one of the most haunted hotels in America, the Drake is allegedly haunted by the "Woman in Red," who fell to her death from the hotel roof on New Year's Eve shortly after it opened in 1920. Guests of the hotel have reported seeing her apparition wandering the Gold Coast Room, the Palm Court and the tenth floor ever since. The hotel is also a "poltergeist magnet," according to Chicago magazine, and is rumored to be the site of hauntings by the "Woman in Black" (we're sensing a theme here), tied to one of Chicago's most bizarre unsolved mysteries after a wealthy guest was shot to death in 1944 when a stranger stepped out of that bathroom in her room and began firing. The grieving parents of Leopold and Loeb victim Bobby Franks both died at the Drake, as well. The Palm Court offers a "spooky" afternoon tea service during October.

McPike Mansion in Alton: Located in "America's Most Haunted Small Town," dubbed one of the 25 most-haunted places in America and called the "creepiest place in Illinois" by HGTV, the mansion attracts thousands of visitors and paranormal investigators each year. "Some claim the haunts date back to the property before the mansion was even built, with Native American ghosts and a residue from a possible Underground Railroad stop," according to the Illinois Office of Tourism. "Other mysterious stories include servants of the building, a cook in the kitchen, and a strange death of a woman in the bathtub." Mansion hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and October ghostly tours run through Oct. 28. There are also monthly tours that include the history of the mansion and paranormal happenings, as well as tours of the surrounding grounds and crypt plus "a trip to the cellar and a Dark session in the Cellar with our Medium, Sandy Little Lizard," according to the mansion website. Private group tours are also available.

DeSoto House Hotel in Galena: Another haunted hotel, this one boasted famous guests including Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas and William Jennings Bryan. Today, guests of the hotel can enjoy the lavish Victorian-style rooms while enjoying stories of the spirits who seemingly never checked out. Walking tours of Galena starting from the DeSoto House led by "General Grant" are offered from August through October, and there's a "Murder and Mayhem in a Mining Town" event Friday, Oct. 27. The 44th annual Halloween parade and festival is Saturday, Oct. 28.

Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago: Chicago has no shortage of ghost stories. Legend has it that victims of the Eastland disaster, which claimed 844 lives in 1915, took up residence at Oprah Winfrey's now-demolished Harpo Studios, and the alley behind the present-day Oriental Theater (originally the site of the Iroquois Theater, destroyed in a 1903 fire that killed more than 600) is also said to be haunted. But Travel + Leisure named the Congress as Chicago's most haunted place, noting that gangster Al Capone headquartered his shady dealings there, and it's also said to be haunted by victims of infamous "Devil in the White City" serial killer H.H. Holmes. The hotel also hosts a large Halloween ball every year. This year's ball is Saturday, Oct. 28.

Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet: Built as a vaudeville theater in 1926, the Rialto is rumored to be the site of multiple ghostly hauntings, including a long-dead actress, a young boy and a couple who allegedly jumped to their deaths from the theater's balcony. It's long been an attraction for local paranormal investigators, and the cast of the original "Ghost Hunters" visited the site more than once and called it a "holy grail" for paranormal investigating. But the Rialto is far from the only haunt in Joliet, home to the Scutt mansion — which as seen several deaths over the years — as well as the Frank Shaver Allen House, Patrick C. Haley Mansion and more.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Midlothian: This suburban Cook County graveyard has a legendary reputation as the most haunted cemetery in the United States. The site has been a cemetery since 1840, but is home to just 82 plots — many of which were left unused. It's famous as the rumored site of the "White Lady" or "Madonna of Bachelor's Grove," who, according to legend, was buried next to her child and whose apparition can sometimes be seen holding a baby in her arms. While it's OK to visit the cemetery during the day, police are always on the lookout for nighttime trespassers unless you're part of an authorized ghost tour.

Manteno State Mental Hospital in Manteno: The hospital, which opened in 1930, was said to be one of the most cutting-edge mental health facilities of its time — until a typhoid outbreak in 1939 killed 47 patients. In the years that followed, the hospital, designed for 3,600 patients, became overcrowded and understaffed. By 1954, there were more than 8,000 patients. Rumors of deaths due to malpractice continue to plague the hospital, even after it closed in 1985 and was converted into a veterans home. While some original buildings have been demolished or are not open to the public, the veterans home still operates on a portion of the grounds, which are also home to a golf course and a residential treatment center for youths.

Graceland Cemetery:The famed Uptown graveyard continues to fascinate residents with ghostly stories that have become legendary since it opened in 1860. From legends surrounding the mysterious statue at the burial site of Dexter Graves to the tomb of Ludwig Wolff, whose dog is rumored to be seen pacing in front of the grave on nights with a full moon, spooky tales are plentiful. Another famous Graceland ghost is "the girl in glass," or 7-year-old Inez Clarke, who is rumored to be seen by children in the cemetery (but not during rainstorms, as little Inez is believed to be afraid of lightning).

Also read:

• Illinois' Best Haunted Place To Visit
• Tormented Spirits Are Haunting Old Joliet Prison: Ferak Column
• Haunted Joliet: Website Profile's the City's Spookiest Sites
• 4 Famous Ghost Stories From The Most Haunted Hotel In Illinois
• Check out Patch's roundup of spooky urban legends

Originally published in 2019