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Cotton House
Clinton, Iowa
17.4 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Central Avenue Ghost
Bettendorf, Iowa
17.7 miles from Hillsdale, 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.
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Alice French House
Davenport, Iowa
21.3 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Palmer College of Chiropractic
Davenport, Iowa
21.6 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Masonic Temple
Davenport, Iowa
21.6 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Hotel Blackhawk
Davenport, Iowa
21.6 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Phi Kappa Chi
Davenport, Iowa
21.6 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Ambrose Hall
Davenport, Iowa
21.7 miles from Hillsdale, 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.
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Scott City Hall
Davenport, Iowa
21.8 miles from Hillsdale, 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. ...
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Julia Markham - Death Curve
Cambridge, Illinois
22.7 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Hickory Hill Cemetery
Charlotte, Iowa
27.8 miles from Hillsdale, 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.
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1875 Decker Hotel
Maquoketa, Iowa
40.5 miles from Hillsdale, IL
This hotel was built in (you guessed it) 1875, and is rumoured to be haunted by a prankster ghost who plays with the lights. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Mercer County Courthouse
Aledo, Illinois
41.3 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Willow Creek Farm
Shannon, Illinois
43.5 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Amboy Pharmacy
Amboy, Illinois
44 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Greenwood Cemetery
Muscatine, Iowa
48.2 miles from Hillsdale, IL
The Blue Angel is a statue with a legend. Reports say that back in the 1950s, she was thought of as the benevolent spirit of the cemetery, protecting it from vandals. Sometime since then, tales about her have become more sinister. She is said to have once held a rose; ...
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Abandoned Train Bridge
Spring Valley, Illinois
50.2 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Conover Square
Oregon, Illinois
51.5 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Massock Mausoleum
Spring Valley, Illinois
54.3 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Otto's Place
Galena, Illinois
56.7 miles from Hillsdale, IL
This quaint restaurant is haunted by Otto Sallman, the namesake of the establishment. A former tenant and café owner, his apparition has been seen walking the railroad tracks adjacent to the building. The current owners believe he is a welcoming spirit, who simply intends to greet customers to his ...
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Desoto House Hotel
Galena, Illinois
56.9 miles from Hillsdale, IL
The 1855 DeSoto House Hotel boasts such esteemed former guests as Abraham Lincoln and William Jennings Bryan. It was also the presidential campaign headquarters for Ulysses S. Grant, among others. Although the identity of the ghosts here is unknown, many folks have reported phantom cigar smoke, voices in the halls, ...
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Friendly Cafe
Abingdon, Illinois
57.2 miles from Hillsdale, 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)
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Ninth Street Pub
LaSalle, Illinois
58.6 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Kaskaskia Hotel
LaSalle, Illinois
59.1 miles from Hillsdale, 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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The Ably House
Scales Mound, Illinois
59.5 miles from Hillsdale, IL
There were allegedly some murders that took place in this old home, and it is said that the spirits of the dead still remain within its walls.
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Hotel Wapello
Wapello, Iowa
60.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
The old-fashioned hotel, furnished with original antiques, used to be a schoolhouse and a law office. In 1906 the place became the Commercial Hotel, which became the premier place to stay in town after their main rival burnt to the ground. Now a bed and breakfast inn, the place ...
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Edinburgh Manor
Monticello, Iowa
61.2 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Built in 1908, this building is rumored to be hopping with haunts. It has been a mental institution among other things, and at least 80 people are said to have died here. For ghost enthusiasts, the place is available for private lockdowns.
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Starved Rock Lodge
Oglesby, Illinois
64.3 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Captain Merry Historic Inn
East Dubuque, Illinois
65.3 miles from Hillsdale, IL
This historic inn is believed to have closed, and may now be a private residence. The building the inn was housed in has a colourful past, and is rumoured to be one of the most haunted houses in town. Reports range from sightings of a woman in a black ...
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Hotel Julien
Dubuque, Iowa
66 miles from Hillsdale, IL
According to staff and guests at this historic boutique hotel, sightings of the apparition of a man in period clothing on the upper floors of the hotel aren't uncommon; and neither are the legends surrounding his appearance. Some believe this spectre is Al Capone, who frequently stayed in the ...
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Redstone Inn and Suites
Dubuque, Iowa
66.2 miles from Hillsdale, IL
The nineteenth century inn was built in 1894 by a man who was forced to jump ship in the town and ended up prospering and owning a wagon empire. Staff and guests nowadays have reported seeing the apparition of an distinguished gentleman, while the owner claims to have heard ...
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Grand Opera House
Dubuque, Iowa
66.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
The haunts at this opera house, built between 1889 and 1890, like to pull pranks. The lights operate by themselves, and cameras and tape recorders behave strangely. Witnesses have also heard ghostly singing from a seemingly empty stage, and apparitions have been seen as well. The ghosts here are loved ...
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Fischer Building
Dubuque, Iowa
66.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
There are two ghosts that appear from time to time in the mid-19th-century Fischer Building, according to those in the know. One is a tall man who walks in the basement, and the other is a woman wearing a 1920s- or '30s-style dress and furs who walks around on the ...
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Peoria Players Theatre
Peoria, Illinois
67 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Stony Hollow Road
Burlington, Iowa
67.2 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Spooky tales told here revolve around a ghost named Lucinda. She is said to have committed suicide by jumping off a cliff when her beloved failed to meet her to run away together. There are many reports of people seeing the ghost. Local urban legend also says that if you ...
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Holy Cross Cemetary
Anamosa, Iowa
67.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
An old hanging tree is said to lie behind the first group of trees in back of this cemetery. Orbs and shadowy figures are reported to appear here; the area is said to be an old Native American burial ground.
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Mary Frances Hall - Clarke College
Dubuque, Iowa
67.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Called Mary Fran by students, this hall was built in 1924 and is said to be haunted by school founder Mary Frances Clarke. Students have experienced unexplained footsteps in the hall and an uneasy feeling of being watched, and they have seen a shrouded apparition near the chapel. In other ...
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Matthias Ham House
Dubuque, Iowa
68 miles from Hillsdale, IL
No one knows exactly who is haunting the Matthias Ham museum, but ghostly tales abound. People have felt icy drafts in rooms that are closed, objects move and lights turn on independently of any explainable source. People also claim to hear strange noises and occasional whispering. One of ...
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Watt's Antiques and Collectables
Iowa City, Iowa
69.2 miles from Hillsdale, IL
This address, at the corner of Muscatine Ave. and Dearborn Rd., is now an antique store that is rumored rumored to be haunted. People are said to have heard footsteps, voices, seen apparitions, and felt patches of paranormal feelings (ex. cold spots, uncomfortable feelings...) A great place to visit for ...
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Black Angel - Oakland Cemetery
Iowa City, Iowa
69.8 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Strange phenomona occur here, seemingly revolving around two statues: the Black Angel and a young girl set on a pedestal. Folks have reported seeing strange lights and the Angel walking about as a glowing shape. It is said that the little girl statue will pick out one member of a ...
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Peoria Public Library
Peoria, Illinois
70.3 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Currier Hall - University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
70.4 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Students like to tell of a triple suicide that occurred on the 4th floor. The reason? Three roommates fell in love with the same man. It is said that if roommates get into arguments, their ghosts will step in to restore harmony. Rumor also has it that the ghost of ...
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Emack and Bolio's
Peoria, Illinois
70.7 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Slater Hall - University of Iowa
University Heights, Iowa
70.9 miles from Hillsdale, IL
It is reported that on the ninth floor a student once jumped to his death. Students say his ghost roams the halls carrying an ax, and footsteps and screams may be heard at night.
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Tinker Swiss Cottage
Rockford, Illinois
71 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Matsell Bridge - Matt's Bridge
Central City, Iowa
71.8 miles from Hillsdale, IL
Legend around town says that if you drive out the the middle of the bridge and shut off the car, an unseen force will push your car across the bridge. What's more, you will hear strange sounds outside around your car, and when you leave the place, you will see ...
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Peoria State Hospital
Bartonville, Illinois
71.8 miles from Hillsdale, 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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Coronado Theatre
Rockford, Illinois
71.8 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Faust Hotel - Faust Landmark
Rockford, Illinois
71.9 miles from Hillsdale, 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 ...
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Springville Cemetery
Springville, Iowa
71.9 miles from Hillsdale, IL
According to reports, a gravedigger died in 1920 while digging a grave. He fell in and broke his neck, which killed him instantly. It is said you can still see him working at night, with a glowing green shovel.
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