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0Amboy Pharmacy
Amboy, Illinois
19.5 miles from Sterling, 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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Conover Square
Oregon, Illinois
24.5 miles from Sterling, 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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Cotton House
Clinton, Iowa
25.7 miles from Sterling, 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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Willow Creek Farm
Shannon, Illinois
28 miles from Sterling, 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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0Abandoned Train Bridge
Spring Valley, Illinois
38.4 miles from Sterling, 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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Hickory Hill Cemetery
Charlotte, Iowa
39.8 miles from Sterling, 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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Massock Mausoleum
Spring Valley, Illinois
40.6 miles from Sterling, 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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Ninth Street Pub
LaSalle, Illinois
43.8 miles from Sterling, 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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Julia Markham - Death Curve
Cambridge, Illinois
44.2 miles from Sterling, 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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0Kaskaskia Hotel
LaSalle, Illinois
44.4 miles from Sterling, 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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Tinker Swiss Cottage
Rockford, Illinois
44.8 miles from Sterling, 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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Central Avenue Ghost
Bettendorf, Iowa
45 miles from Sterling, 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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Faust Hotel - Faust Landmark
Rockford, Illinois
45.6 miles from Sterling, 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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Coronado Theatre
Rockford, Illinois
45.6 miles from Sterling, 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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Lucerne's Fondue and Spirits
Rockford, Illinois
46.1 miles from Sterling, IL
Although the spirits in the name of this old-fashioned fondue restaurant refers to alcohol, it could also refer to a number of ghosts reported by staff and diners throughout its history. The residence that houses the establishment dates back to 1895, and was formerly occupied by the Utter family, ...
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Rockford College
Rockford, Illinois
48.1 miles from Sterling, IL
Several campus structures seem to be inhabited by haunts. Adams' Arch, the only part left of the original campus, rings with the laughter of young women late at night. The Burpee Building and Talcott Hall are each said to be haunted by men who committed suicide. The Clark Arts Center ...
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Alice French House
Davenport, Iowa
48.5 miles from Sterling, 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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0Starved Rock Lodge
Oglesby, Illinois
48.7 miles from Sterling, 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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0Palmer College of Chiropractic
Davenport, Iowa
48.8 miles from Sterling, 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
48.8 miles from Sterling, 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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0Ambrose Hall
Davenport, Iowa
48.8 miles from Sterling, 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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Phi Kappa Chi
Davenport, Iowa
48.8 miles from Sterling, 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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0Hotel Blackhawk
Davenport, Iowa
48.8 miles from Sterling, 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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0Scott City Hall
Davenport, Iowa
49 miles from Sterling, 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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Blood’s Point Cemetery
Belvidere, Illinois
51.5 miles from Sterling, IL
Blood’s Point Cemetery, named after the area's first white settle, Arthur Blood, is said to be a hot spot for the eerie, such as orbs, a vanishing barn, phantom vehicles and a ghost dog that sports glowing red eyes. To add to the spookiness, the nearby railroad bridge was said ...
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1875 Decker Hotel
Maquoketa, Iowa
53.5 miles from Sterling, 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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Ludlow Mansion - Idle Hour Farm
Monroe, Wisconsin
57 miles from Sterling, IL
Once part of the Underground Railroad, the historic house is believed to be haunted by former owner Lady Ludlow. Witnesses have seen her apparition in the back hallway and experienced mysteriously floating objects, cold spots and flickering lights.
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Otto's Place
Galena, Illinois
57.2 miles from Sterling, 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
57.3 miles from Sterling, 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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0The Ably House
Scales Mound, Illinois
57.7 miles from Sterling, 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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Flynn Steakhouse
Brodhead, Wisconsin
59.7 miles from Sterling, IL
Flynn Steakhouse, reported to no longer be in operation, was housed in a building from 1868, and had a haunted, unused hotel upstairs. Misty white formations were known to appear, long believed to be the ghost of Mary, a child who passed away here in the 1860s. Among the strange ...
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Moon Point Cemetery - Moon Creek Cemetery
Streator, Illinois
65.6 miles from Sterling, IL
Moon Point Cemetery, aka Moon's Point Cemetery or Moon Creek Cemetery, is older than the Civil War and legendary with those who like to tell ghost stories. It was thought to have begun as a family cemetery for early settlers Jacob Moon and his family. The cemetery's most-talked-about ghost is ...
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Kirk Denmark Theatre - Rock County Theater
Janesville, Wisconsin
67.8 miles from Sterling, IL
Empty and dark theaters can be spooky because of their large, echoing spaces, but this one may be more so because it's said to have a ghost. A deceased employee, some say a theater instructor or a director, causes lights to go on and off and doors to open and ...
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Mercer County Courthouse
Aledo, Illinois
68 miles from Sterling, 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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Captain Merry Historic Inn
East Dubuque, Illinois
68.6 miles from Sterling, 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
69.6 miles from Sterling, 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
69.9 miles from Sterling, 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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0Grand Opera House
Dubuque, Iowa
70 miles from Sterling, 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
70.1 miles from Sterling, 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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Baymont Inn and Suites
North Aurora, Illinois
70.6 miles from Sterling, IL
Claims of a white moving "light" have been seen in the lobby as well as some visitors reporting feeling like they are being choked.
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Mount Olivet Cemetery
Aurora, Illinois
70.8 miles from Sterling, IL
This cemetery dates back to the 1850s, and has a very specific type of haunting. It is said on numerous Internet sites that spectral ghosts wearing 1950s attire are seen throughout the cemetery, only to disappear on second glance.
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0Matthias Ham House
Dubuque, Iowa
70.9 miles from Sterling, 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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Weary Road
Evansville, Wisconsin
70.9 miles from Sterling, IL
The most realistic story about Weary Road of Evansville Wisconsin involves teenagers "car surfing", not slowing down for a curve in time and being killed when they were ejected off the vehicle into a steep ditch or the creepy treeline. Another involves more teens playing chicken on one of the ...
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0Old Rush Copley Memorial
Aurora, Illinois
71 miles from Sterling, IL
The Old Rush Copley Hospital was build in 1888 and shutdown in 1996. Paranormal researchers and people that have broken in this hospital have heard footsteps,unexplained voices and even apparitions. In one encounter, a group of teens have seen a doll that might have belong to a young child ...
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0The Leland Tower
Aurora, Illinois
71.2 miles from Sterling, IL
This 21-story building, the tallest in Aurora, has been the means for several jumping suicides. Evidence that the building is haunted includes reports of bad odors and moaning sounds that come from the elevators.
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0Mary Frances Hall - Clarke College
Dubuque, Iowa
71.3 miles from Sterling, 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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Oak Hill Cemetery
Janesville, Wisconsin
71.4 miles from Sterling, IL
Some folks say a ghostly white woman and flickering white lights haunt Oak Hill Cemetery. Others say not so--the white lady is actually a lifelike, spookily illuminated statue, and the white lights are markers to brighten the walkways. So, is Oak Hill Cemetery haunted, or not? You be the judge!
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0Hotel Baker
St. Charles, Illinois
71.6 miles from Sterling, IL
At this splendid historic hotel, originally built in 1928, an apparent suicide is often given as the reason for some strange phenomena. Moaning sounds come from the sixth floor storage area, which used to be used as housing for employees. Folks say in the 1970s, a hotel chambermaid who was ...
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Arcada Theater
St. Charles, Illinois
71.7 miles from Sterling, IL
Arcada Theatre, built in 1926 by millionaire and Chicago Tribune cartoonist Lester J. Norris, is haunted by disembodied voices that waft from the balcony throughout the rest of the building, a phantom odd odor, and unexplained cold pockets.
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Patten House Restaurant
Geneva, Illinois
71.8 miles from Sterling, IL
This historic restaurant dishes up fine southern cuisine, an exquisite range of liquor and a litany of ghost stories. The main spook reported here time and time again is that of a poltergeist that makes itself known on stormy nights. (Submitted by Callum Swift)
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