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0Lincoln Square Theatre
Decatur, Illinois
This historic 1916 theater building was built atop the fire-ravaged Priest Hotel that once stood here. It is said that the ghosts of the fire victims still linger in the theater. Red, a former theater worker, is a friendly ghost here. Witnesses have heard his whispers, seen his shadowy form, ...
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Avon Theater
Decatur, Illinois
Staff members at this theater report disembodied laughter, footsteps, missing objects, and voices and applause that come from the auditorium when it is empty. The apparition of a man in his 50s or 60s also has been seen.
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Greenwood Cemetery
Decatur, Illinois
This large and very actively haunted cemetery is known for the ghostly weeping Greenwood Bride, and it's also home to many Confederate soldiers' spirits. The soldiers were prisoners in the Civil War, and died of yellow fever only to be cast into unmarked graves. The soldiers have been known to ...
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois
Many ghosts are said to haunt the historic Millikin University, including Rail Girl, who haunts the Albert Taylor Theater. Her ghost appears, as her name suggests, along a rail in the upper part of the theater. Students have a tradition of leaving her three pieces of candy before a show ...
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0Allerton Mansion
Monticello, Illinois
19.9 miles from Decatur, IL
The Robert Allerton Park, with its 1900 Georgian Revival mansion and incredible gardens, are both open to the public. Here visitors may see some ghostly goings-on in the form of a Lady in White, believed to be a guest at the mansion long ago. It is said that she is ...
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The Harrison Street Inn
Sullivan, Illinois
24.9 miles from Decatur, IL
Eyewitnesses report apparitions, footsteps, diesmbodied voices, showers and toilets that work by themselves, and many other strange phenomena at this historic inn.
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Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois
30.7 miles from Decatur, IL
Lincoln College is rumored to have ghosts in the 1866 University Hall, where a face appears in the bell tower and white misty forms appear in the windows. The ghosts, whose footsteps also are heard from time to time, are believed to be a boy and girl who passed away ...
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Anderson Cemetery - Cemetery X
Taylorville, Illinois
31.8 miles from Decatur, IL
According to tales told about this cemetery, there is a secret passage that opens up at night, when trees part and a path appears to an ancient graveyard. It's said to be protected by a phantom wolf who chases trespassers. (The cemetery is not to be confused with another Anderson ...
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Dana-Thomas House
Springfield, Illinois
37.1 miles from Decatur, IL
Witnesses who visit or work at the historic house have reported humming voices, chairs being thrown down the stairs, curtains that move by themselves, and an apparition of a woman in black. The woman is believed to be the home’s original owner, Susan Lawrence Dana, who is rumored to have ...
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0Inn At 835
Springfield, Illinois
37.3 miles from Decatur, IL
This inn was originally built in 1909 as a private home. As to the identity of the haunt who resides here, very little is known. Guests have witnessed apparitions and heard voices coming from rooms that are vacant, and the elevator runs by itself. Also, some people here have seen ...
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Ridge Cemetery
Tower Hill, Illinois
37.3 miles from Decatur, IL
Ridge Cemetery at Williamsburg Hill is said to be visited by apparitions, eerie lights and a disappearing old man. Phantom crowds and horses also have been seen and heard around the area. Rumors of sinister cult activity surround this place as well, and one report tells of a 3-year-old girl ...
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0Stanford Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Stanford, Illinois
43.2 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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0Stanford Pour House
Stanford, Illinois
43.4 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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Kemp Hall - International House
Bloomington, Illinois
45 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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Atkin-Colby Hall
Normal, Illinois
46 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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Williams Hall
Normal, Illinois
46.2 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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Pemberton Hall - Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
48.2 miles from Decatur, IL
The ghost of Mary Hawkins, a former dorm mother, is said to be the head haunt here.
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Ramsey Cemetery
Effingham, Illinois
48.4 miles from Decatur, IL
Ramsey Cemetery, established in 1851 with the burial of namesake Alexander Ramsey, is also known as Casbar Cemetery and is a nighttime teen hangout. Besides the graves, rock shelters and sandstone caves are nearby, covered with carvings from its many visitors. A young man committed suicide inside a chapel that ...
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Saint Omer Cemetery
Ashmore, Illinois
52.6 miles from Decatur, IL
At Saint Omer Cemetery, legend has it that there is a witch's grave. According to the story, Caroline Barnes was hanged by the townspeople for witchcraft. As she went, she cursed the town and vowed to come back for revenge on the anniversary of her death. To trick her, the ...
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0Ashmore Estates
Ashmore, Illinois
52.6 miles from Decatur, IL
Reportedly a former almshouse, this building was purchased for use as a haunted attraction. It was reportedly haunted by many ghosts, including Elva SKinner, a woman who died in a fire in the former almshouse. The house has been featured in several books and TV shows including Ghost Hunters and ...
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Ghosts of Springfield and Southern Illinois & Other Haunted Tales from the Prairie State
Rachel Brooks Posadas
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Safari Bowl
Morton, Illinois
60.1 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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King Cemetery
Dieterich, Illinois
63 miles from Decatur, IL
There are vague reports online about orbs and shadow people being seen here. This cemetery is on private property, so be sure to secure the proper permissions before even thinking about visiting.
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Lawford Theatre
Havana, Illinois
66.7 miles from Decatur, IL
Folks who have visited or worked at the Lawford Theatre have seen faces appear in photographs and have felt cold chills behind the curtains on opening nights.
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0Peoria State Hospital
Bartonville, Illinois
67.2 miles from Decatur, 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.
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Emack and Bolio's
Peoria, Illinois
67.5 miles from Decatur, 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)
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Peoria Public Library
Peoria, Illinois
67.9 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois
69 miles from Decatur, IL
Illinois College, founded in 1829, is rumored to have several haunted buildings. Among them are Sturtevant Hall and Beecher Hall, where folks have reported apparitions, footsteps, and other noises. Beecher Hall, according to campus talk, was formerly a medical building and the top floor was a space for storing cadavers. ...
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Peoria Players Theatre
Peoria, Illinois
71.2 miles from Decatur, 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.
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Fischer Theater
Danville, Illinois
72.9 miles from Decatur, IL
Fischer Theater was a 19th century opera house located in Danville, IL that has served many purposes over the years including housing, stores, and of course, a theater. While now a generally unknown location, the Theater has been known to be haunted when a volunteer of the Vermillion Heritage ...
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East Otto Cemetery
Lewistown, Illinois
73.4 miles from Decatur, IL
Local legend has it that the specters of two headless women can be seen at this cemetery late at night, screaming as they're being chased by an axe-wielding maniac. No word on exactly how a headless woman is supposed to be able to scream, but you know, details, details...
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Lee-Baker-Hodges House
Carrollton, Illinois
85.9 miles from Decatur, IL
Built in the early 1830s, the historic mansion fell into disrepair in the 1970s and was saved by preservationists. It is sometimes open to the public for pre-scheduled nighttime paranormal investigation and history tours. A ghost child is said to reside in one of the bedrooms, and another child's ghost ...
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Three Mile House
Edwardsville, Illinois
86.1 miles from Decatur, IL
At this site once stood an inn that was haunted by ghosts of various children and adults, including slaves. The old inn may once have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. It is said that during 1970s renovations, underground tunnels and a skeleton were found. Phenomena that then began ...
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Moon Point Cemetery - Moon Creek Cemetery
Streator, Illinois
86.3 miles from Decatur, 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 ...
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0Cheney Mansion
Jerseyville, Illinois
88.5 miles from Decatur, IL
Numerous reports of ghosts include the apparition of Miss Dorothy, a former nursemaid who roams the hallways and the bedroom bearing her name. Reports of people hearing talking upstairs, like women holding a conversation. Sounds of dining room chairs moving, like somebody's pulling out the chairs getting ready to sit ...
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Violin Annie - Elmwood Cemetery
Centralia, Illinois
90.2 miles from Decatur, IL
Local legend says that Harriet Anne Marshall (Annie) was an accomplished violinist, and the daughter of a wealthy doctor. She became ill and died of diptheria, and at her grave her parents placed a statue of her playing the violin. It is said that cemetery visitors can hear the violin ...
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Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, Illinois
90.3 miles from Decatur, IL
This school's library is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a person who committed suicide by hanging. It's also reported that teachers who have passed away linger here in spirit form, especially walking the hallways in the main building.
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Milton Schoolhouse
Alton, Illinois
90.7 miles from Decatur, IL
The historic Milton School, built in 1904, operated until 1986 and then stood abandoned until the early 1990s when it re-opened as a decorative glass factory. It's believed to be haunted by a schoolgirl nicknamed Mary who was raped and murdered at the school when she stayed late to work ...
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Vennum House - The Watseka Wonder
Watseka, Illinois
91 miles from Decatur, IL
The Vennum House was the home of Lurancy Vennum, a teenaged epilectic girl who was said to have been possessed in the incident known as the Watseka Wonder. The story of the late-19th-century possession was related in the 2009 film "The Possessed." The house may be open for ghost tours ...
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Roff House - The Watseka Wonder
Watseka, Illinois
91.6 miles from Decatur, IL
The Roff House was one of the two houses in which the Watseka Wonder took place. The Watseka Wonder was a spiritual possession said to have happened in the late 19th century to an epileptic girl named Lurancy Vennum, who was 14 at the time. One of the spirits who ...
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0McPike Mansion
Alton, Illinois
92.1 miles from Decatur, IL
This 1869 mansion is the site of many strange happenings. It has been seen on the TV show Scariest Places on Earth. Apparitions have been seen in the hallways, and children's laughter has been heard.
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Fife Opera House
Palestine, Illinois
92.1 miles from Decatur, IL
David Fife built the opera house around 1900 and is rumored to be haunted. The building was also used for two other business of his: a hardware store downstairs and, as Fife was also a licensed embalmer, a funeral home on the second floor behind the auditorium. In 1935, Fife's ...
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Alton Cemetery
Alton, Illinois
92.2 miles from Decatur, IL
Alton Cemetery is said to be haunted by several ghosts. One is a 9-year-old named Lucy Haskell, seen in the vicinity of the Hayner/Haskell monument. Another is a spectral woman in black near the Grandview mausoleum, and a third is minister and publisher Elijah P. Lovejoy. An abolitionist, Lovejoy was ...
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Rocky Fork Church
Godfrey, Illinois
92.2 miles from Decatur, IL
The church was moved due to vandalism that kept recurring. Google Maps shows the church at the bend of Rocky Fork Road, but the last time I was there, it was at the end of Boy Scout Lane. When I was a young girl, my sister and cousin took me to ...
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Jacoby Arts Center
Alton, Illinois
92.6 miles from Decatur, IL
Formerly a funeral home and a furniture store, the basement of this 1883 building is particularly haunted. Visitors to the cellar have felt cold spots and an eerie presence, while the sound of the intercom that was disconnected many years ago has been heard on occasions. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Mineral Springs Hotel
Alton, Illinois
92.8 miles from Decatur, IL
Several spirits are said to live at this historic hotel, now open for haunted tours. Among the ghosts are The Jasmine Lady, identified by the whiff of her floral perfume; George, who may have been drowned in the hotel swimming pool around the 1920s; The Drunken Ghost, the artist responsible ...
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First Unitarian Church
Alton, Illinois
92.8 miles from Decatur, IL
Founded in 1836, the First Unitarian Church's original structure here was built on the site of the St. Matthew's Catholic Church, which had burned down. Both churches were stations on the Underground Railroad. But that church also burned down in 1905, a the church that now stands here is said ...
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My Just Desserts - Ryder Building
Alton, Illinois
92.9 miles from Decatur, IL
Employees at this old-fashioned restaurant have reported a series of spooky occurrences over the past few years. A cook working on the ground level has reported hearing furniture moving around the hardwood floors upstairs on several occasions, but upon investigation, nothing is out of place. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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208 State Street - The Lincoln Lofts
Alton, Illinois
93 miles from Decatur, IL
Abraham Lincoln once stayed at a hotel located in this 1836 apartment building, which is rumoured to be haunted. The ghost a young girl in a white dress has been seen playing with a ball on the main staircase, and visitors claim to have heard faint laughter and the ...
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Hartford Castle
Hartford, Illinois
93.8 miles from Decatur, IL
Hartford Castle was a speakeasy during the Prohibition, but was originally a home called Lakeview, built by French immigrant Benjamin Biszant in 1897. The castlelike home was the scene of a tragedy when Biszant's English wife passed away in the early 1900s. It is her ghost that was suspected to ...
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Krome Family Cemetery
Collinsville, Illinois
94.3 miles from Decatur, IL
A small family cemetery is now hidden amongst the trees just off Old Keebler Road. It is all that remains of the Krome family mansion, which burned down long ago and was for decades considered to be haunted by the locals. Some enterprising explorers found leg shackles in ...
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