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Schweppe Mansion
Lake Forest, Illinois
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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Karcher Hotel
Waukegan, Illinois
5.6 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
We went to this beautiful hotel under the permission of the owner. It was built in the 1920s and in the 80s there was a fire that killed and injured many. The most haunted places are the basement, and the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th floors. Along with the ...
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Cuba Road
Long Grove, Illinois
11.6 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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White Cemetery
Barrington, Illinois
17.4 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Among the phenomena associated with this spot are glowing orbs and mist, a disappearing house and black car, and the sounds of someone walking through leaves. It is said that photographs taken of this cemetery always fail; the photos do not develop or the camera will be lost.
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Music Administration Building - Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
17.7 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
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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American Flight 191 Crash Site
Des Plaines, Illinois
19.2 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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P M and L Theatre
Antioch, Illinois
19.2 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
The PM&L Theatre has--or had--a ghost. Folks reported a ghost girl who turned lights on and off and made strange noises. But a retired longtime theater volunteer, Elmarie Beno, has admitted creating the ghost and perpetuating the rumor for years. Some say there really is a ghost, despite the ruse, ...
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Sheraton Gateway Suites
Rosemont, Illinois
19.6 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Kemper Hall
Kenosha, Wisconsin
20.6 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Once known as Durkee Mansion, the 1861 Kemper Hall was home to early settler and Senator Charles Durkee. After being donated to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Durkee Mansion was turned into a girls' boarding school and now operates as a recreation center. Today, folks say the building is haunted by ...
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Hale Farr House
Kenosha, Wisconsin
20.8 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
The 1848 mansion has housed the 'Kenosha Women's Club' since 1923, and according to some is rumoured to have a resident ghost. Members of the club and visitors have reported the sound of a bell ringing, disembodied footsteps and the apparition of a woman in period clothing. (Submitted by Callum ...
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John Wayne Gacy House Location
Chicago, Illinois
20.9 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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O'Hare Airport
Chicago, Illinois
20.9 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Rhode Center for the Arts
Kenosha, Wisconsin
21.2 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Rhode Center for the Arts began in 1927, and in its past has been known as the Lake Theater and the Gateway Theater. The home of the community theater group Lakeside Players is haunted, say witnesses who have heard voices and other noises and seen the ghost of a man.
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Skyscraper Building - Loyola University
Chicago, Illinois
21.5 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Robinson Woods
Chicago, Illinois
21.5 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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St Andrew's Inn
Chicago, Illinois
21.8 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
23.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
24.1 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Congress Theater
Chicago, Illinois
25.8 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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The Red Lion Pub
Chicago, Illinois
26.1 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
26.1 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
26.1 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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George Stickney House
Woodstock, Illinois
26.5 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Because of George Stickney's belief in spiritualism, he designed his house with no 90-degree angles inside so that no spirits would be caught in the corners. The Stickneys had 10 children, but only 3 lived to adulthood, and they are said to have regularly conducted seances on the 2nd floor ...
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Grant Hospital - Lincoln Park Hospital
Chicago, Illinois
26.5 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
26.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Firehouse on North Walker Ave
Chicago, Illinois
27.3 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Bloomingdale Road Bride
Glendale Heights, Illinois
27.3 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Under a bridge on Bloomingdale Rd. there is said to be sightings of a teenage girl jumping off the bridge or walking around underneath it. People have also heard crying and screaming. It is said to be that in the 1970's a teenage girl committed suicide by jumping of the ...
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Adobo Grill
Chicago, Illinois
27.4 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Polish Museum of America
Chicago, Illinois
27.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
28.3 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Water Tower
Chicago, Illinois
28.5 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
28.6 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Mount Carmel Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
28.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Sunrise Park
Bartlett, Illinois
28.7 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
Sunrise Park has many different spirits and hauntings; first, the black dog with a human face, speculated to be a demon by those who have seen it, and next, a murderer from the 1800's who murdered children and scattered their bones around the park; his spirit is still rumored to ...
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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
Cicero, Illinois
28.8 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Flapper Ghost of Waldheim Cemetery
Forest Park, Illinois
28.8 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Harpo Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
28.8 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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House of Blues
Chicago, Illinois
29 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Clark Street Bridge
Chicago, Illinois
29 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
29 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
29.2 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Queen of Heaven Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
29.4 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Munger Road
Bartlett, Illinois
29.5 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
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 ...
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DeKoven Center
Racine, Wisconsin
29.6 miles from Lake Bluff, IL
There have been reports of a strange ghostly figure being seen in the hallways and in the basement. This may be the ghost of former headmaster James DeKoven, who died of natural causes in the building in the late 19th century. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Showmen's Rest
Forest Park, Illinois
29.6 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Frank Leavy - Firehouse No. 107
Chicago, Illinois
29.6 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Chicago Board Options Exchange
Chicago, Illinois
29.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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
29.7 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Holy Family Church
Chicago, Illinois
29.9 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Congress Plaza Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
29.9 miles from Lake Bluff, 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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Haunting Illinois: A Tourist's Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of the Prairie State
Michael Kleen
Ghosts of Springfield and Southern Illinois & Other Haunted Tales from the Prairie State
Rachel Brooks Posadas
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