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0Flapper Ghost of Waldheim Cemetery
Forest Park, Illinois
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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Firehouse on North Walker Ave
Chicago, Illinois
2.6 miles from River Forest, 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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St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
Cicero, Illinois
3 miles from River Forest, 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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Showmen's Rest
Forest Park, Illinois
3.3 miles from River Forest, 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
4.5 miles from River Forest, 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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Cigars and Stripes
Berwyn, Illinois
5 miles from River Forest, 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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Robinson Woods
Chicago, Illinois
5.1 miles from River Forest, 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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0Mount Carmel Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
5.3 miles from River Forest, 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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John Wayne Gacy House Location
Chicago, Illinois
5.5 miles from River Forest, 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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Queen of Heaven Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
5.6 miles from River Forest, 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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Morton College
Cicero, Illinois
5.8 miles from River Forest, 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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Portage Woods
Lyons, Illinois
6.4 miles from River Forest, 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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Congress Theater
Chicago, Illinois
6.4 miles from River Forest, 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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Frank Leavy - Firehouse No. 107
Chicago, Illinois
7.1 miles from River Forest, 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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0O'Hare Airport
Chicago, Illinois
7.3 miles from River Forest, 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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Saint Benedict Parish
Chicago, Illinois
7.7 miles from River Forest, 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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Sheraton Gateway Suites
Rosemont, Illinois
7.7 miles from River Forest, 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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0Websters Wine Bar
Chicago, Illinois
7.8 miles from River Forest, 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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0Polish Museum of America
Chicago, Illinois
7.9 miles from River Forest, IL
This Chicago cultural museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of renowned pianist Ignace Paderewski.
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0Harpo Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
8.3 miles from River Forest, 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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0Holy Family Church
Chicago, Illinois
8.4 miles from River Forest, 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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The Red Lion Pub
Chicago, Illinois
8.6 miles from River Forest, 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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0Biograph Theatre
Chicago, Illinois
8.7 miles from River Forest, 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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0St Turibius Church
Chicago, Illinois
8.7 miles from River Forest, 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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0Graceland Cemetery
Chicago, Illinois
8.7 miles from River Forest, 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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0Jane Addams Hull House
Chicago, Illinois
8.8 miles from River Forest, 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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Grant Hospital - Lincoln Park Hospital
Chicago, Illinois
9 miles from River Forest, 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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Benton House
Chicago, Illinois
9.2 miles from River Forest, 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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0SMC Cartage Company - St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Chicago, Illinois
9.2 miles from River Forest, 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
9.3 miles from River Forest, 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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0Clark Street Bridge
Chicago, Illinois
9.4 miles from River Forest, 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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Chicago Board Options Exchange
Chicago, Illinois
9.5 miles from River Forest, 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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0The Dome Room - Excalibur Nightclub
Chicago, Illinois
9.5 miles from River Forest, 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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0House of Blues
Chicago, Illinois
9.5 miles from River Forest, 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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Death Alley
Chicago, Illinois
9.6 miles from River Forest, 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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0Resurrection Mary
Justice, Illinois
9.7 miles from River Forest, IL
Resurrection Mary, according to popular local legend, was a pretty young girl who was killed in a hit-and-run accident while walking along Archer Avenue. She had just left the Oh Henry Ballroom after a fight with her boyfriend. The driver left Mary to die. Her grief-stricken parents buried her in ...
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0Water Tower
Chicago, Illinois
9.7 miles from River Forest, 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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0Site of Fort Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois
9.7 miles from River Forest, 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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American Flight 191 Crash Site
Des Plaines, Illinois
9.8 miles from River Forest, 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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Drake Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
9.8 miles from River Forest, 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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Ghosts of Springfield and Southern Illinois & Other Haunted Tales from the Prairie State
Rachel Brooks Posadas
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0Congress Plaza Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
9.9 miles from River Forest, 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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Triple Crown Seafood Restaurant
Chicago, Illinois
9.9 miles from River Forest, 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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0St Andrew's Inn
Chicago, Illinois
10.2 miles from River Forest, 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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St. Rita of Cascia
Chicago, Illinois
10.3 miles from River Forest, 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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0John J. Glessner House
Chicago, Illinois
10.3 miles from River Forest, 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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Country House
Clarendon Hills, Illinois
10.5 miles from River Forest, IL
The haunting here, which has been profiled on many TV shows and newspaper articles, is a young woman who appeared to have committed suicide by running her car into a tree. Her ghostly figure has been seen walking through the dining room, beckoning customers from an upstairs window and even ...
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0Skyscraper Building - Loyola University
Chicago, Illinois
10.7 miles from River Forest, 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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Archer Woods Cemetery
Willow Springs, Illinois
11.1 miles from River Forest, IL
Legend has it that only those leaving the cemetery can see and hear a white, filmy, hovering spirit of a sobbing woman.
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Holmes Death Castle Location
Chicago, Illinois
12.1 miles from River Forest, 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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Grimes Sisters Murder Site
Burr Ridge, Illinois
12.1 miles from River Forest, IL
The Grimes sisters were kidnapped and murdered between December of 1956 and January of 1957. Their bodies were found along this part of the road and the murders were never solved. Photographs have been taken around only to have a young woman appear in the photos. Submitted by Chris Berglund
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