Haunted Places in Evanston, Illinois



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    Music Administration Building - Northwestern University

    Evanston, Illinois

    The second-oldest building on the college campus, the 1874 Music Administration Building is home to Young Cliff, the ghost of a former student and prodigy. Reports say the ghost has been making himself known for several decades.


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    Skyscraper Building - Loyola University

    Chicago, Illinois

    3.5 miles from Evanston, IL

    According to local legend, a Jesuit priest and a nun had an affair long ago. The nun became pregnant and asked the priest to run away with her, but he refused, and she hung herself on the 13th floor. When the priest found her body, he was so distressed that ...


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    St Andrew's Inn

    Chicago, Illinois

    3.8 miles from Evanston, IL

    According to local legend, former owner Frank Giff died when he fell off a barstool, and his ghost remains there still. Pub patrons have felt unexplained cold drafts and have reported being touched by something they couldn't see. Others have noted that objects in the bar area such as glasses ...


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    Saint Benedict Parish

    Chicago, Illinois

    6 miles from Evanston, IL

    This ornate church with German-imported stained-glass and details was the scene of a tragedy when it was built in 1918. A construction worker on a scaffolding fell to his death near the altar. Some have seen the worker's spirit behind the altar's columns or sitting in the front pews. A ...


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    Graceland Cemetery

    Chicago, Illinois

    6.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    The spirit of Inez Clark lingers in this old cemetery. She was almost 7 years old when she was fatally struck by lightning at a picnic. There is a life-size statue of her on her gravesite, enclosed in glass. It is said that on rainy nights the statue disappears, and ...


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    The Red Lion Pub

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    Seven distinct ghosts are said to haunt the place, including a scruffy cowboy, a mentally challenged woman who wears too much lavender perfume, and two men who died in a fight. As well as seeing their apparitions, regulars at the pub have heard footsteps and voices, and objects crashing, among ...


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    Biograph Theatre

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    The historic 1914 movie theater outside of which John Dillinger was shot in 1934 is sometimes visited by the ghost of the notorious bank robber, whose apparition can be seen running in the alley behind the building. Today it is still a theater, but houses live productions instead of films.


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    Websters Wine Bar

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    It is said that an apparition of a lumberjack has been seen at the second-floor party room, a lingering spirit from the 1901 building's past.


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    Congress Theater

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    Congress Theater is said to be haunted by many entities. Witnesses have seen an apparition of a woman and shadow figures and they've heard disembodied footsteps and strange noises.


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    John Wayne Gacy House Location

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.6 miles from Evanston, IL

    1970s serial killer John Wayne Gacy hid the remains of at least 29 different people in and around his home at 8213 W. Summerdale Avenue. The house was demolished in 1979, but locals were mystified by the fact that the lot remained mostly barren for years thereafter - not ...


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    Grant Hospital - Lincoln Park Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.6 miles from Evanston, IL

    The old Grant Hospital became Lincoln Park Hospital, and then the building closed in 2008, reportedly as a result of the recession. Reports say cold spots, bad feelings, and moaning sounds have been heard and felt in the building.


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    SMC Cartage Company - St. Valentine's Day Massacre

    Chicago, Illinois

    8.7 miles from Evanston, IL

    The site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, the factory building that stood here was a red brick structure. Inside, seven men were gunned down execution style by Al Capone's men. The building was turned into a 1920s-themed club in 1972. Folks said seven shadowy figures would appear ...


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    Adobo Grill

    Chicago, Illinois

    9.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    The Victorian-style building that houses the Adobo Grill restaurant was erected in 1872 after the Great Fire ravaged the previously standing bakery factory. It is known to be haunted, and especially active when renovations are made to the building. Folks have reported many different incidents of paranormal phenomena, including seeing ...


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    Robinson Woods

    Chicago, Illinois

    9.5 miles from Evanston, IL

    The hauntings here can not only be seen and heard, but also smelled. Folks say they have seen shadows, red or white orbs, and an ectoplasm mist that has been caught on camera. Strange sounds and scents of violet and lavender have been witnessed as well; reports say the activity ...


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    Polish Museum of America

    Chicago, Illinois

    9.9 miles from Evanston, IL

    This Chicago cultural museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of renowned pianist Ignace Paderewski.


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    Drake Hotel

    Chicago, Illinois

    10.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    The historic Drake Hotel's tenth floor is believed to be haunted by a ghostly woman in red. As legend has it, she was at a New Year's Eve party in 1920 when she caught her husband with another woman, and she flung herself to her death from the tenth-floor window.


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    Sheraton Gateway Suites

    Rosemont, Illinois

    10.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    There have been several suicides committed by jumping from this 11-story hotel, and a few drug overdose deaths. Perhaps this is the reason guests have seen apparitions in their rooms and have experienced very odd things. One guest came out of the shower to find her clothes strewn about the ...


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    Water Tower

    Chicago, Illinois

    10.5 miles from Evanston, IL

    This 1869 limestone tower, one of the symbols of Old Chicago, was built for use in firefighting. It is said to be haunted by a man who died in the Chicago Fire of 1871. Instead of fleeing, the worker stayed to man the pumps, and it is said that when ...


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    The Dome Room - Excalibur Nightclub

    Chicago, Illinois

    10.7 miles from Evanston, IL

    This night club is said to be haunted by presences that linger from when it was once used as a makeshift morgue, during the Eastland Disaster in 1915.


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    House of Blues

    Chicago, Illinois

    11 miles from Evanston, IL

    Reports say the site is haunted by the ghost of a little girl who died of an illness. Witnesses have seen and heard her, and in one instance she was found playing with a living boy's toys. She asked the boy to play with her, but when he screamed, she ...


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    Harpo Inc.

    Chicago, Illinois

    11 miles from Evanston, IL

    Oprah Winfrey's headquarters building is said to be haunted by victims of the Eastland Disaster, a 1915 incident in which an overloaded passenger steamer rolled over while still docked, killing over 800 people. The building was an armory at the time, and was used as a makeshift morgue.


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    Clark Street Bridge

    Chicago, Illinois

    11 miles from Evanston, IL

    The Eastland Disaster occurred nearby in 1915, in which an overloaded passenger steamer Eastland capsized while still tied to the dock, killing over 800 people. It is said that their moans and cries can still be heard around the Clark Street Bridge.


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    Site of Fort Dearborn

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.1 miles from Evanston, IL

    The intersection of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Loop area was once the site of Fort Dearborn. Road workers there found many buried human skeletons, and since then there have been many sightings of ghostly apparitions of 19th-century settlers in the area. The fort is gone now, but ...


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    Death Alley

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    Death Alley is the alley behind the Oriental Theater, formerly the Iroquois Theater, believed to haunted by ghosts from Iroquois Theater Fire on December 30, 1903. The theater was full of nearly 2,000 people when the fire broke out, thought to be caused from faulty wiring, during a vaudeville show ...


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    Firehouse on North Walker Ave

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    According to reports, a ghost who is thankful to the firefighters patrols the firehouse, protecting it. Witnesses say they have heard footsteps and seen the firepole covers being opened and closed when everyone is asleep. The firehouse doors also have been known to open themselves almost instantly after the fire ...


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    O'Hare Airport

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.7 miles from Evanston, IL

    It is reported that spirits still linger from a disaster in 1979, when Flight 191 exploded into flames on the runway, resulting in the deaths of 271 passengers and crew members. According to some sources, flying phantom aircraft also have been seen at O'Hare.


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    Chicago Board Options Exchange

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.8 miles from Evanston, IL

    A 1979 battle over a trade has resulted in some lingering spirits. The two angry men involved in the conflict decided to step outside, where they fought near the horse statue fountain. One man was hurt so badly that he died before paramedics could help him. Janitors in the building ...


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    Jane Addams Hull House

    Chicago, Illinois

    11.9 miles from Evanston, IL

    Used as a settlement house beginning in the late 19th century, Hull House operated as a place that attempted to influence and improve the lives of the poorer neighbors in the community. The most often repeated story about Hull House (and the inspiration for the story Rosemary's Baby) is that ...


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    Congress Plaza Hotel

    Chicago, Illinois

    12 miles from Evanston, IL

    This is one of those hotels that is so old and has so much history floating around it that there are practically as many ghost stories as there are room. The Al Capone one (where people claim to see him waking the halls) however is one that is certainly ...


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    Holy Family Church

    Chicago, Illinois

    12.1 miles from Evanston, IL

    At this old church, one of the few structures that survived the Chicago Fire, parishioners have reported seeing a white apparition.


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  • Chicago Ghosts
    Rachel Brooks
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    Frank Leavy - Firehouse No. 107

    Chicago, Illinois

    12.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    According to legend, in 1924 Fireman Frank Leavy had a premonition of his death as he rested with his palm against a windowpane. Sure enough, that very day a wall collapsed during a call, and killed him. His palm print remained on the glass, and no cleanser or glass expert ...


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    American Flight 191 Crash Site

    Des Plaines, Illinois

    12.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    On May 25, 1979, Flight 191 lost some parts of its engine as it was taking off and flipped on the runway. It exploded into a huge fireball, killing all the crew and passengers aboard and 2 people on the ground. Shortly after, folks reported white lights moving around in ...


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    St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church

    Cicero, Illinois

    12.9 miles from Evanston, IL

    This is the home of Our Lady of Cicero, a weeping Virgin Mary icon panel. In 1994, during Holy Week, the painting began weeping oil. It was examined by eight orthodox bishops; all determined the tears to be genuine. The Virgin Mary still continues to weep.


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    John J. Glessner House

    Chicago, Illinois

    13.2 miles from Evanston, IL

    The prisonlike 1887 mansion is said to be haunted by its architect, Henry Hobson Richardson. His white apparition has been seen in the bedroom and on the stairs, and cold spots are felt about the mansion.


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    Triple Crown Seafood Restaurant

    Chicago, Illinois

    13.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    Housed in an old apartment building, this restaurant is rumoured to be haunted by a former resident. A shadowy apparition has been seen lurking near the bathrooms, and dirty dishes left out overnight have been known to clean themselves. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Flapper Ghost of Waldheim Cemetery

    Forest Park, Illinois

    14 miles from Evanston, IL

    The Flapper Ghost is a brunette beauty with a bob and 1920s clothing. She has been seen since the 1930s. Her identity remains a mystery, but throughout history she has been seen in the evenings at dance halls and asked for a ride home. She would direct them to Waldheim ...


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    Benton House

    Chicago, Illinois

    14.1 miles from Evanston, IL

    The Benton House, circa 1909, may be haunted by “Ma” Benton. Witnesses have seen apparitions and heard slamming doors and footsteps, and someone unseen has been known to put out the fire in the fireplace. The place was featured on an episode of TV's Ghost Hunters.


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    Showmen's Rest

    Forest Park, Illinois

    14.7 miles from Evanston, IL

    Showmen's Rest is a section of Woodlawn Cemetery where remains from a 1918 circus-train wreck were buried in a mass grave. Between 60 and 110 employees were killed when another train conductor fell asleep, causing his train to strike the circus train. Many of the victims' names were not known, ...


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    Moline House

    Berwyn, Illinois

    15.1 miles from Evanston, IL

    This house is a private residence. According to reports, the Moline House is haunted by shadowed spirits who hide objects or move them to places where they don't belong.


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    Morton College

    Cicero, Illinois

    15.5 miles from Evanston, IL

    The spirit of Emily, a young girl who was murdered, lingers around this school. The murder took place on nearby Laramie Bridge before the school was built. Security guards have seen Emily on the rooftops at night, and theatergoers have heard her in the theater, especially during violent plays that ...


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  • Peoria's Haunted Memories
    Stephanie E. McCarthy
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    Cigars and Stripes

    Berwyn, Illinois

    15.6 miles from Evanston, IL

    This bar and lounge is believed to be haunted by a number of spirits. Screams and footsteps are heard in the building when there's no one around. Objects move around by themselves, and at least five people have seen a shadowy apparition moving around the building. (Submitted by Callum Swift)


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    Schweppe Mansion

    Lake Forest, Illinois

    15.7 miles from Evanston, IL

    Schweppe Mansion was built in 1917 as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. John G. Shedd to their daughter Laura as a wedding present for her and her new husband, Charles Schweppe. Tragedy struck in 1941--Charles was found dead in his bedroom after he shot himself. A note on his ...


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    Mount Carmel Cemetery

    Hillside, Illinois

    16.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    This cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghost of Julia Buccola Petta. One family of visitors claim that, upon noticing their small boy was missing, they retraced their steps to find him hand in hand with a lady in a white gown. When they came closer, she disappeared. Al ...


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    Queen of Heaven Cemetery

    Hillside, Illinois

    16.9 miles from Evanston, IL

    25 victims of the Our Lady of Angels Fire of 1958 were buried here in a mass grave. There is a memorial here for the victims of the fire. People visiting the memorial and the cemetery have reported smelling smoke and feeling a burning sensation of smoke while breathing. ...


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    Portage Woods

    Lyons, Illinois

    17.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    These woods are known by locals to be the home of the ancient gnomes. Beware coming here at night, glowing eyes follow you throughout these woods. Heavy sightings are seen on the other side of the river, just over the railway bridge. (Submitted by Juan Z)


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    St Turibius Church

    Chicago, Illinois

    17.4 miles from Evanston, IL

    At this old Roman Catholic church, the ghost of a priest named Father Joe Lechert lingers. It is said that after a church reorganization he was let go, and as a result, he died of a broken heart. Parishioners and altar boys say they have seen his ghostly figure and ...


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    St. Rita of Cascia

    Chicago, Illinois

    18.1 miles from Evanston, IL

    This site is known for a harrowing experience said to have happened on All Souls Day (November 2) in the 1960s. Reports say a small gathering of parishioners witnessed the organ begin to play by itself as 6 robed monks, 3 in red and 3 in white, advanced toward the ...


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    Holmes Death Castle Location

    Chicago, Illinois

    18.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    A post office now stands on the former site of the Holmes Death Castle, or Murder Castle, built by serial killer H.H. Holmes. He built the hotel to lure in 1893 Chicago World's Fair visitors, then tortured and murdered his guests, including women and children. In this area, witnesses say ...


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    Green Hornet Trolley Disaster Site

    Chicago, Illinois

    18.3 miles from Evanston, IL

    33 people were burned alive when a trolley collided with a tanker carrying gasoline. It is believed that victims may still be here reliving that fateful day. Submitted by Chris Berglund


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    Cuba Road

    Long Grove, Illinois

    19.5 miles from Evanston, IL

    Along Cuba Road, a phantom black car is said to appear near a cemetery or an old house before vanishing away. Trouble is, that house burned down years ago. Also along the road appears a ghost woman carrying a lantern, who flags down motorists and then disappears when they stop ...


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  • Haunted Illinois
    Troy A Taylor


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