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 this area. Another tale says a train derailed and crashed into a house here, killing the residents except for an old man and his demon dog, who haunt the place to this day. Devil worshippers, mental hospitals, murders and killer fake cops are also told about in these parts. A movie called “Munger Road” has brought many sightseers to the area, but police say none of the events portrayed in the film are factual.
Munger Road
Ax-Man's House - Ax-Man's Bridge
Legends told by locals say that in the 1970s, a man killed his wife, kids, and two policeman with an ax before hanging their bodies from meat hooks in his shed. When the police found out, he ran from them. The police gave pursuit and shot him in the woods near the small bridge. Now, the house is gone, but folks say the woods and bridge are haunted. Witnesses describe children laughing or screaming, apparitions of a crying woman, strange lights in the woods, and the sound of someone running.
Illinois State University - Atkin-Colby Hall
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 there.
Hartford Castle
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 haunted the place. After a spell as a private home, the castle burned down on March 21, 1973 and lies now in ruins. Some say the wife’s ghost can be seen wandering the grounds and weeping, and old-time music will play on summer nights.
Lebanon Road - Seven Gates to Hell
Lebanon Road is the stuff of legends to locals, who have nicknamed the place the Seven Gates to Hell. According to locals, those who drive through all seven bridges, going through the last one at midnight on the dot, will pass through to Hell. The area is said to be guarded by spectral hounds with glowing green or red eyes.
Aux Sable Cemetery
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 dimension.
Illinois College
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. Williams Jenning Bryan is thought to be one of the spirits haunting Beecher. The Smith House is purported to be haunted by original owner’s daughter Effie, around whom many campus legends have been spun, and Whipple Hall is home to a Gray Ghost who has no face. Ellis Hall is haunted by a mischievous ghost called Gail, who died while living here, and Fayerweather House is visited by Susie, who hanged herself in Room 5’s closet. Crampton Hall, the McGaw building and the Rammelkamp Chapel are also on the long list of Illinois College’s haunted places.
California Theatre
None other than Will Rogers is believed to haunt California Theatre. Why? It’s the venue where he made his last performance before he died in a plane crash. Those in the know say Rogers’ ghost haunts a practice room that’s always cold, and his apparition has been seen through its tiny window.
Sebastiani Theatre
At Sebastiani Theatre, the ghost of a young girl in a yellow 1930s dress has been reflected in the women’s restroom mirror. Her laughter has been heard in the dressing room and the lights go on and off by themselves. Theater workers call the ghost Trixie.
Ridge Cemetery
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 who went missing and was found walking halfway to the cemetery. She told her mother that the “people who live in the ground” wanted her to stay with them.
