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0Kemp Hall - International House
Bloomington, Illinois
9.2 miles from Downs, 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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Williams Hall
Normal, Illinois
9.9 miles from Downs, 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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Atkin-Colby Hall
Normal, Illinois
9.9 miles from Downs, 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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0Stanford Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Stanford, Illinois
18.5 miles from Downs, 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
18.6 miles from Downs, 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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0Allerton Mansion
Monticello, Illinois
29.6 miles from Downs, 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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Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois
30.7 miles from Downs, 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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Safari Bowl
Morton, Illinois
34.9 miles from Downs, 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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Avon Theater
Decatur, Illinois
38.4 miles from Downs, IL
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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Lincoln Square Theatre
Decatur, Illinois
38.6 miles from Downs, IL
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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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois
38.8 miles from Downs, IL
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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Greenwood Cemetery
Decatur, Illinois
39.1 miles from Downs, IL
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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Emack and Bolio's
Peoria, Illinois
42.7 miles from Downs, 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
43.1 miles from Downs, 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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0Peoria State Hospital
Bartonville, Illinois
45.3 miles from Downs, 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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Peoria Players Theatre
Peoria, Illinois
45.6 miles from Downs, 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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Moon Point Cemetery - Moon Creek Cemetery
Streator, Illinois
47.7 miles from Downs, 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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The Harrison Street Inn
Sullivan, Illinois
56.9 miles from Downs, 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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Dana-Thomas House
Springfield, Illinois
58.6 miles from Downs, 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
58.8 miles from Downs, 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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Lawford Theatre
Havana, Illinois
63.2 miles from Downs, 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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0Starved Rock Lodge
Oglesby, Illinois
64 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Vennum House - The Watseka Wonder
Watseka, Illinois
65.2 miles from Downs, 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
65.5 miles from Downs, 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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0Kaskaskia Hotel
LaSalle, Illinois
65.5 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Ninth Street Pub
LaSalle, Illinois
66 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Massock Mausoleum
Spring Valley, Illinois
67.2 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Anderson Cemetery - Cemetery X
Taylorville, Illinois
67.5 miles from Downs, 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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0Abandoned Train Bridge
Spring Valley, Illinois
67.7 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Fischer Theater
Danville, Illinois
68 miles from Downs, 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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Ghosts of Springfield and Southern Illinois & Other Haunted Tales from the Prairie State
Rachel Brooks Posadas
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East Otto Cemetery
Lewistown, Illinois
70.7 miles from Downs, 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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City Tavern
Kankakee, Illinois
72.3 miles from Downs, IL
Employees and diners at this popular restaurant and bar have reportedly encountered a male spirit. Known as 'David', patrons have had their hair pulled and have been pushed around by unseen hands. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Saint Omer Cemetery
Ashmore, Illinois
72.5 miles from Downs, 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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Majestic Theater
Kankakee, Illinois
72.7 miles from Downs, IL
Dating back to 1912, the historic theater achieved notoriety when the 'Marx Brothers' performed a vaudeville act there in 1916. However, the theatre is also renowned for its ghostly inhabitants, including a ghostly child and Julia Remmington, a former owner. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Pemberton Hall - Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
73 miles from Downs, IL
The ghost of Mary Hawkins, a former dorm mother, is said to be the head haunt here.
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0Ashmore Estates
Ashmore, Illinois
74 miles from Downs, 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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Locust Grove Cemetery
Ambia, Indiana
75.5 miles from Downs, IL
Phantom sounds of an army cadence and marching are heard at Locust Grove Cemetery. Legend has it that Harrison's ghostly men are re-creating the Battle of Tippecanoe.
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Ridge Cemetery
Tower Hill, Illinois
75.8 miles from Downs, 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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Aux Sable Cemetery
Morris, Illinois
75.9 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Manteno State Hospital
Manteno, Illinois
80.2 miles from Downs, IL
The 1930s Manteno State Hospital suffered a typhoid fever epidemic in 1939, and more than 50 patients and staff members died. The hospital eventually was renamed the Manteno Mental Health Center; it ceased operations in 1985 and the complex became business rentals, a bank, part of the Illinois Diversatech Campus ...
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Ramsey Cemetery
Effingham, Illinois
83.9 miles from Downs, 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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Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois
86.1 miles from Downs, 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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Patrick Haley Mansion
Joliet, Illinois
87.7 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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206 N. Broadway
Joliet, Illinois
88.1 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Rialto Square Theatre
Joliet, Illinois
88.2 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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Julia Markham - Death Curve
Cambridge, Illinois
93.9 miles from Downs, 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.
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Amboy Pharmacy
Amboy, Illinois
94.1 miles from Downs, 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, ...
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Lake Prairie Cemetery
Lowell, Indiana
95.8 miles from Downs, IL
Apparitions of deceased townspeople, ghostly mists, and orbs all have been reported at this cemetery, especially in the southern half, which is the oldest.
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Mount Olivet Cemetery
Aurora, Illinois
97 miles from Downs, 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.
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0Old Rush Copley Memorial
Aurora, Illinois
97.6 miles from Downs, 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 ...
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