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0Showmen's Rest
Forest Park, Illinois
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
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
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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Flapper 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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Portage Woods
Lyons, Illinois
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. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
Cicero, Illinois
3.2 miles from Riverside, 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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Morton College
Cicero, Illinois
3.2 miles from Riverside, 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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Firehouse on North Walker Ave
Chicago, Illinois
4.7 miles from Riverside, 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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Queen of Heaven Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
4.7 miles from Riverside, 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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0Mount Carmel Cemetery
Hillside, Illinois
4.9 miles from Riverside, 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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0Resurrection Mary
Justice, Illinois
5.3 miles from Riverside, 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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0St Turibius Church
Chicago, Illinois
5.9 miles from Riverside, 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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Archer Woods Cemetery
Willow Springs, Illinois
6.8 miles from Riverside, 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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Frank Leavy - Firehouse No. 107
Chicago, Illinois
7.5 miles from Riverside, 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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Country House
Clarendon Hills, Illinois
7.5 miles from Riverside, 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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St. Rita of Cascia
Chicago, Illinois
7.7 miles from Riverside, 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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Willowbrook Ballroom
Willow Springs, Illinois
8 miles from Riverside, IL
The 1921 Willowbrook Ballroom, formerly called the Oh Henry Ballroom, is a dance venue and banquet facility and is believed to be the last place famed Chicago hitchhiker ghost Resurrection Mary danced before she died. Her ghost is said to appear here and sometimes dance with ballroom patrons. Another interesting note: ...
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The Irish Legend
Willow Springs, Illinois
8 miles from Riverside, IL
Formerly a speakeasy, this 1915 building was a popular hangout for gang members, including Al Capone. The place has a very violent history, and is haunted by several spirits. These include a bartender who was allegedly pushed down a flight of stairs by a gangster who took a dislike to ...
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Grimes Sisters Murder Site
Burr Ridge, Illinois
8.1 miles from Riverside, 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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Benton House
Chicago, Illinois
8.7 miles from Riverside, 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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0Holy Family Church
Chicago, Illinois
8.9 miles from Riverside, 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 Theater
Chicago, Illinois
8.9 miles from Riverside, 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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Maple Lake
Willow Springs, Illinois
9 miles from Riverside, IL
The ghost light at Maple Lake is, according to local legend, a reddish-yellow orb that appears over the lake and floats into the woods on the other side. It is believed to be the spirit of a man who was decapitated nearby in an accident; the light is his lantern ...
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St. Mary's Cemetery
Evergreen Park, Illinois
9.1 miles from Riverside, IL
The cemetery and surrounding areas have seen a lot of violent deaths, but despite that, not a lot of ghostly phenomena have been reported or known here. However, drivers past the cemetery late at night have seen a man leaning against the fence and looking at them as they passed.
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Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Park, Illinois
9.1 miles from Riverside, IL
The phantom hitchhiker in this ghost story is a teenaged girl who looks for a ride to Evergreen Park, where she vanishes from the vehicle. Legends say her body is buried in Evergreen Cemetery within the park, but her identity or the reason for her restlessness is unknown. This ghost ...
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Robinson Woods
Chicago, Illinois
9.3 miles from Riverside, 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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0Harpo Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
9.3 miles from Riverside, 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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0Jane Addams Hull House
Chicago, Illinois
9.4 miles from Riverside, 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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0Polish Museum of America
Chicago, Illinois
9.5 miles from Riverside, IL
This Chicago cultural museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of renowned pianist Ignace Paderewski.
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John Wayne Gacy House Location
Chicago, Illinois
9.8 miles from Riverside, 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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Triple Crown Seafood Restaurant
Chicago, Illinois
9.9 miles from Riverside, 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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0Websters Wine Bar
Chicago, Illinois
10 miles from Riverside, 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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Holmes Death Castle Location
Chicago, Illinois
10.1 miles from Riverside, 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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Chicago Board Options Exchange
Chicago, Illinois
10.2 miles from Riverside, 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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0John J. Glessner House
Chicago, Illinois
10.5 miles from Riverside, 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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0Clark Street Bridge
Chicago, Illinois
10.5 miles from Riverside, 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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0Congress Plaza Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
10.6 miles from Riverside, 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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Death Alley
Chicago, Illinois
10.6 miles from Riverside, 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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0House of Blues
Chicago, Illinois
10.6 miles from Riverside, 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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0The Dome Room - Excalibur Nightclub
Chicago, Illinois
10.7 miles from Riverside, 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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0Site of Fort Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois
10.8 miles from Riverside, 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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0O'Hare Airport
Chicago, Illinois
10.8 miles from Riverside, 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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Green Hornet Trolley Disaster Site
Chicago, Illinois
10.9 miles from Riverside, 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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Saint Benedict Parish
Chicago, Illinois
10.9 miles from Riverside, 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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The Red Lion Pub
Chicago, Illinois
10.9 miles from Riverside, 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
10.9 miles from Riverside, 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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St. James Cemetery - Monks Castle
Lemont, Illinois
11 miles from Riverside, IL
Ghosts here include several robed monks who patrol the grounds, chanting in Latin, and a phantom horse and carriage presumed to date back to 1897. A wildly dancing woman in white has also been seen.
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Adobo Grill
Chicago, Illinois
11 miles from Riverside, 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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Grant Hospital - Lincoln Park Hospital
Chicago, Illinois
11 miles from Riverside, 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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0Water Tower
Chicago, Illinois
11.1 miles from Riverside, 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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