-
Abandoned Train Bridge
Spring Valley, Illinois
9.9 miles from Princeton, IL
Shadow figures have been seen on and around the abandoned bridge that goes over the train tracks in DePue, Il. The sounds of screams, train whistles, and a train stopping have been heard in the location when the train that runs the track is nowhere near the village. Many ...
Read more » -
Massock Mausoleum
Spring Valley, Illinois
14.4 miles from Princeton, IL
The Massock Mausoleum stands in a small graveyard called the Lithuanian Liberty Cemetery, and it's the stuff of legends. Locals tell of a Hatchet Man, a scary ghost who guards the cemetery, and the mausoleum door is said to remain warm and has been sealed closed since the 1960s when ...
Read more » -
Ninth Street Pub
LaSalle, Illinois
18.9 miles from Princeton, IL
According to local tales, the Ninth Street Pub's ghost is Mrs. Sonnenburg, an elderly woman who lived adjacent to the pub and often complained about its noise. After her death, the owner of the pub purchased her home and made it into a pub addition. A staff member who was ...
Read more » -
Kaskaskia Hotel
LaSalle, Illinois
19.3 miles from Princeton, IL
This historic hotel opened in 1916. Locals tell a story of a young woman who committed suicide by jumping from the top floor in the 1920s, but some will tell you she was pushed by her boyfriend. It is said that employees there would hear the click of her heels ...
Read more » -
Starved Rock Lodge
Oglesby, Illinois
24.6 miles from Princeton, IL
At this circa 1900 historic lodge, folks say, reside the ghosts of Native Americans who once fought a battle nearby. Guests have reported seeing a black apparition and strange orbs of light, and they have felt cold spots and experienced doors that open and close by themselves. It should be ...
Read more » -
Amboy Pharmacy
Amboy, Illinois
24.9 miles from Princeton, IL
This old-fashioned pharmacy is haunted by at least seven spirits, according to a visiting psychic. Dating back to the early 1860's, the main haunting here is by a former pharmacy owner who was displeased by recent renovations. Known as 'Steve', he has been known to knock objects off shelves, ...
Read more » -
Moon Point Cemetery - Moon Creek Cemetery
Streator, Illinois
37.8 miles from Princeton, IL
Moon Point Cemetery, aka Moon's Point Cemetery or Moon Creek Cemetery, is older than the Civil War and legendary with those who like to tell ghost stories. It was thought to have begun as a family cemetery for early settlers Jacob Moon and his family. The cemetery's most-talked-about ghost is ...
Read more » -
Julia Markham - Death Curve
Cambridge, Illinois
40 miles from Princeton, IL
Locals say that a woman wearing a white flowing gown glides across the field on quiet nights. It is said she is the spirit of Julia Markham, who in 1905 killed her 7 children with an ax and then set her house on fire, killing herself.
Read more » -
Peoria Players Theatre
Peoria, Illinois
44 miles from Princeton, IL
Peoria Players Theatre is said to be haunted by a playful ghost named Norman, a former theater director who died in 1960 at age 34, and a more sinister entity whose identity is unknown.
Read more » -
Conover Square
Oregon, Illinois
45.3 miles from Princeton, IL
Conover Square is a former piano factory, now a shopping mall. Built in the 1890's, it is now the home of many haunted happenings. A little girl's spirit giggles in the hallways & museum, loud crashes boom from the unoccupied third floor, and more than one female ...
Read more » -
Peoria Public Library
Peoria, Illinois
47 miles from Princeton, IL
Peoria Public Library, according to local lore, was built upon cursed ground. So the story goes, Mrs. Andrew Gray lived in a house here around 1830. Family and financial hardships led to a foreclosure on her home, and Mrs. Gray cursed the property and all of its future owners. Her ...
Read more » -
Emack and Bolio's
Peoria, Illinois
47.3 miles from Princeton, IL
This ice cream parlour is haunted by former owner Jim Schwab, who died after falling headfirst down a flight of stairs. Staff have reported disembodied footsteps descending the staircase, while others have encountered a male apparition on the upper floor. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
Read more » -
Cotton House
Clinton, Iowa
50.6 miles from Princeton, IL
This historic gothic mansion belonged to a family of barristers, who moved out after seeing the apparition of a woman in white roaming the hallways and ground after dark. Visitors to the house will not go down to the basement alone, which is believed to be haunted by an ...
Read more » -
Peoria State Hospital
Bartonville, Illinois
50.9 miles from Princeton, IL
This abandoned mental hospital, now in the planning stages for restoration, is said to be haunted by Manuel A. Bookbinder, or Old Book. Old Book was a patient who worked with the burial crew at the hospital until his own death.
Read more » -
Safari Bowl
Morton, Illinois
52 miles from Princeton, IL
You will hear footsteps on the lanes when it is jaut you in there. You can hear pins be thrown across the back of bowling ally when no one is back there. There are dog barking. There is also a little girl that is 8 yrs old that haunts ...
Read more » -
Central Avenue Ghost
Bettendorf, Iowa
54.7 miles from Princeton, IL
The spirit of a middle-aged washerwoman haunts the area with her wooden washtub. She has been reported since the late 1800s, but some say she upgraded her equipment and sometimes appears with a double-wringer washing machine.
Read more » -
Aux Sable Cemetery
Morris, Illinois
57.8 miles from Princeton, IL
Aux Sable Cemetery is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a mischievous young girl who has been known to play pranks, such as lowering electrical car windows when the key is not even in the ignition. The site is also said to be a portal from a ghostly ...
Read more » -
Alice French House
Davenport, Iowa
58.3 miles from Princeton, IL
This historic mansion was the residence of the notable writer, who spent her years throughout here during the warmer months. Her father, the town mayor, originally owned the house, and it may be his spirit that is often reported here by visitors. Witnesses claim to have seen a distinguished ...
Read more » -
Hotel Blackhawk
Davenport, Iowa
58.3 miles from Princeton, IL
This place has undergone extensive renovation since almost burning down in a fire started by a meth lab operating out of the eighth floor in 2006. Could meth fumes, seeping through the walls account for the reports of ghosts? Cary Grant suffered his fatal stroke on the eighth floor ...
Read more » -
Masonic Temple
Davenport, Iowa
58.5 miles from Princeton, IL
A wide assortment of haunted activity is claimed to occur at this former masonic temple. These phenomena include disembodied voices carrying on a conversation, noises without a recognizable source such as footsteps when there is no one seen, names being called when there is no one present, etc. Objects ...
Read more » -
Phi Kappa Chi
Davenport, Iowa
58.5 miles from Princeton, IL
This fraternity house has a haunt of its own, the apparition of a large man who enters at the front door and walks up the stairs to the front bedroom. He wears an overcoat with the collar turned up. Student lore says that the apparition belongs to a homeless man ...
Read more » -
Palmer College of Chiropractic
Davenport, Iowa
58.6 miles from Princeton, IL
There is a lecture hall, built in the 1800s, that is said to be haunted by ghosts who fly around the ceiling, making the hanging lamps sway. It is said that there are no air vents, fans, or windows of any sort placed in such a way that would cause ...
Read more » -
Scott City Hall
Davenport, Iowa
58.6 miles from Princeton, IL
An imposing building with a bell tower just begs to have a good ghost story associated with it, and this city hall building is no exception. People claim to see the ghost of a hanged man in the tower at night, allegedly from prisoners who were illegally hanged there. ...
Read more » -
Ambrose Hall
Davenport, Iowa
59 miles from Princeton, IL
At this hall in St. Ambrose University, witnesses have reported hearing strange noises and footsteps late at night. They have also seen flickering lights. Some attribute the occurrences to the spirit of an old priest who died many years ago.
Read more » -
Willow Creek Farm
Shannon, Illinois
59.2 miles from Princeton, IL
Willow Creek Farm was once the property of William Boardman and his wife Mary, who arrived in New York from England in 1835. Homes for his daughters and their families also were built on the property. It is said to be haunted by former residents and Native Americans; witnesses have ...
Read more » -
Friendly Cafe
Abingdon, Illinois
62.4 miles from Princeton, IL
The café is rumoured to be haunted. Employees have been touched by unseen hands, and a woman in a long dress appeared to a former owner in the main kitchen. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
Read more » -
Mount Olivet Cemetery
Aurora, Illinois
64.3 miles from Princeton, IL
This cemetery dates back to the 1850s, and has a very specific type of haunting. It is said on numerous Internet sites that spectral ghosts wearing 1950s attire are seen throughout the cemetery, only to disappear on second glance.
Read more » -
Williams Hall
Normal, Illinois
64.4 miles from Princeton, IL
Illinois State University's Williams Hall was the site of the university's first library, and is thought to be haunted by the spirit of the first librarian, Angie Milner. Even though a new library was eventually built in her name, and the old one was turned into Williams Hall, the ghost ...
Read more » -
Atkin-Colby Hall
Normal, Illinois
64.4 miles from Princeton, IL
Atkin-Colby Hall at Illinois State University is rumored to be haunted on its 11th floor. One witness claims to have been pushed down the stairs by the ghost. Also described by witnesses are doors opening, whispers, strange noises, and an overwhelming feeling of discomfort and that you are not wanted ...
Read more » -
Blood’s Point Cemetery
Belvidere, Illinois
64.5 miles from Princeton, IL
Blood’s Point Cemetery, named after the area's first white settle, Arthur Blood, is said to be a hot spot for the eerie, such as orbs, a vanishing barn, phantom vehicles and a ghost dog that sports glowing red eyes. To add to the spookiness, the nearby railroad bridge was said ...
Read more » -
Tinker Swiss Cottage
Rockford, Illinois
64.7 miles from Princeton, IL
Tinker Swiss Cottage is said to be haunted. Witnesses and paranormalists have heard humming and other children's voices, believed to be because the site used to be a home for terminally ill children. The spirits of the Tinker family are believed to linger in the place as well. Tinker Swiss ...
Read more » -
Old Rush Copley Memorial
Aurora, Illinois
64.8 miles from Princeton, IL
The Old Rush Copley Hospital was build in 1888 and shutdown in 1996. Paranormal researchers and people that have broken in this hospital have heard footsteps,unexplained voices and even apparitions. In one encounter, a group of teens have seen a doll that might have belong to a young child ...
Read more » -
Hickory Hill Cemetery
Charlotte, Iowa
64.8 miles from Princeton, IL
Legend has it that the ghost of a little girl doesn't want visitors here at all, and she may point at the gates as if telling you to leave. The sound of crying babies also has been heard here.
Read more » -
Faust Hotel - Faust Landmark
Rockford, Illinois
65.1 miles from Princeton, IL
This old hotel was reportedly remodeled into housing for seniors. The basement used to hold a bar and bowling alley, but it hasn't been used since the 1980s. An eerie presence can be felt here, as well as sudden temperature changes and an overwhelming urge to leave the area. The ...
Read more » -
The Leland Tower
Aurora, Illinois
65.2 miles from Princeton, IL
This 21-story building, the tallest in Aurora, has been the means for several jumping suicides. Evidence that the building is haunted includes reports of bad odors and moaning sounds that come from the elevators.
Read more » -
Kemp Hall - International House
Bloomington, Illinois
65.4 miles from Princeton, IL
Kemp Hall International House, or I-House, is said to be haunted by a ghostly Lady in Red. She is believed to be Mrs. A. E. DeMange, former owner of the mansion. She passed away after living here only a year, in 1908. Mr. DeMange sold it to the Illinois Weslayan ...
Read more » -
Coronado Theatre
Rockford, Illinois
65.4 miles from Princeton, IL
One night, police were called about a ghostly woman in white who appeared in an elevator at a parking garage. Earlier, witnesses had been confused as to why the elevator kept going up and down with no one inside it. But when the white figure showed up in the glass ...
Read more » -
Baymont Inn and Suites
North Aurora, Illinois
65.8 miles from Princeton, IL
Claims of a white moving "light" have been seen in the lobby as well as some visitors reporting feeling like they are being choked.
Read more » -
Stanford Pour House
Stanford, Illinois
65.8 miles from Princeton, IL
Originally built at the turn of the century as a mercantile grocery store, it was shortly after used by a local church for their temporary place of worship until their regular church building was completed. It was then used for many years as a funeral home. It ...
Read more » -
Lucerne's Fondue and Spirits
Rockford, Illinois
65.9 miles from Princeton, IL
Although the spirits in the name of this old-fashioned fondue restaurant refers to alcohol, it could also refer to a number of ghosts reported by staff and diners throughout its history. The residence that houses the establishment dates back to 1895, and was formerly occupied by the Utter family, ...
Read more » -
Stanford Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Stanford, Illinois
65.9 miles from Princeton, IL
Built in 1901, the Stanford Cumberland Presbyterian Church had been loved and enjoyed by it's congregation until it was sold in 2004. Between 2004 to 2012 it has changed hands four times since. The first owner lived it for a very short time. It was then ...
Read more » -
Rockford College
Rockford, Illinois
66.4 miles from Princeton, IL
Several campus structures seem to be inhabited by haunts. Adams' Arch, the only part left of the original campus, rings with the laughter of young women late at night. The Burpee Building and Talcott Hall are each said to be haunted by men who committed suicide. The Clark Arts Center ...
Read more » -
Mercer County Courthouse
Aledo, Illinois
67.7 miles from Princeton, IL
The courthouse building dates back to the 1890's, and in the 1930's a skeleton was removed from the basement when the interior was remodelled. Ever since, staff have reported hearing footsteps after the courthouse has been locked up for the night, and a woman leaving the building in the ...
Read more » -
Patten House Restaurant
Geneva, Illinois
69.7 miles from Princeton, IL
This historic restaurant dishes up fine southern cuisine, an exquisite range of liquor and a litany of ghost stories. The main spook reported here time and time again is that of a poltergeist that makes itself known on stormy nights. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
Read more » -
Hotel Baker
St. Charles, Illinois
70.3 miles from Princeton, IL
At this splendid historic hotel, originally built in 1928, an apparent suicide is often given as the reason for some strange phenomena. Moaning sounds come from the sixth floor storage area, which used to be used as housing for employees. Folks say in the 1970s, a hotel chambermaid who was ...
Read more » -
Arcada Theater
St. Charles, Illinois
70.4 miles from Princeton, IL
Arcada Theatre, built in 1926 by millionaire and Chicago Tribune cartoonist Lester J. Norris, is haunted by disembodied voices that waft from the balcony throughout the rest of the building, a phantom odd odor, and unexplained cold pockets.
Read more » -
Patrick Haley Mansion
Joliet, Illinois
71.9 miles from Princeton, IL
Egyptologist and architect Frank Shaver Allen built this mansion that's been popular with ghost hunters since the '70s. Among the spirits believed to be active here are the architect himself as well as a little boy, an older woman who died on the premises, and a nanny. Perhaps adding to ...
Read more » -
206 N. Broadway
Joliet, Illinois
72.1 miles from Princeton, IL
Built in 1882, the Victorian house at 206 N. Broadway St. was originally a private residence, but was a school and a boardinghouse for women until the 1970s when it again became a private home. It is said to be haunted by the ghost of a 19-year-old who was shot ...
Read more » -
Rialto Square Theatre
Joliet, Illinois
72.5 miles from Princeton, IL
The Rialto Square Theatre was built as a movie palace and vaudeville venue in 1926. Today, it is said to be haunted by a woman believed to be a former actress. Employees, construction workers and visitors have seen the female form floating throughout the theater. There are also a male ...
Read more » -
Munger Road
Bartlett, Illinois
76.2 miles from Princeton, IL
Munger Road is reportedly haunted by flashing lights, screams that come from the railroad tracks, and phantom trains. Legend has it that a train once hit a school bus, killing the children on board, and their ghosts linger all over the area. But that's not the only legend told about ...
Read more » -
Haunting Illinois: A Tourist's Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of the Prairie State
Michael Kleen
Ghosts of Springfield and Southern Illinois & Other Haunted Tales from the Prairie State
Rachel Brooks Posadas
» Cemeteries near Princeton, IL
» Find museums in Princeton, IL