These 4 Haunted Places In Illinois Will Send Chills Down Your Spine

Illinois is home to an extremely long list of haunted homes and landmarks. There are even a number of tours available bringing visitors to real-life haunted houses, spooky cemeteries, and former prison camps. Few things seem scarier than a scorned witches grave or a mysterious mansion housing figures only seen in photographs. Illinois residents would be unsettled to know that such well known haunted sites are not too far from home, or work, or even your old school. These four haunted places in Illinois are a must for the brave or a road map of what to avoid for the fearful.

1. Saint Omer Cemetery

The legend of Saint Omer Cemetery tells the story of Caroline Barnes, an accused witch that was hanged in the town square. Her final resting place at the cemetery is topped with a headstone resembling stacked wood topped with a sphere. Some same the sphere represents a crystal ball, representing Barnes’ alleged crime. Many say her spirit still haunts the grave, going as far as following her visitors home, that is only if they don’t leave behind an offering. When visiting you may even some cash and coins at the gravesite.

2. McPike Mansion

Widely considered one of the most haunted houses in the country, and definitely one of the most haunted places in Illinois, this spooky spectacle is located in Alton, Illinois. Built in 1869, the home had many occupants over the years. It is unknown which of the former residents still call the mansion home, but visitors have reported hearing unexplained noises. Often, visitors find elements visible in their photos that were not visible with the eye, including orbs and figures hiding in windows. Many experts in the field have made trips to the mansion to run tests, and the validity of the claims is commonly accepted within ghost hunter circles.

3. Alton Confederate Prison

Alton is known as the most haunted city in Illinois, being home not only to the McPike Mansion but also a haunted park once used as a civil war prison in the 1800s. The Alton Prison housed well over ten thousand confederate prisons between 1862 and 1865. The prison’s conditions were extremely harsh, leading to the death of a large portion of prisoners. Visitors have claimed to see spirits in the now park, marking it both a historic and haunted landmark in Illinois.

4. Hotel Baker

The Hotel Baker, originally built in 1928, was once a popular destination for guests staying in St. Charles, Illinois. But in the 1970s, after an apparent suicide by a chambermaid on staff, the hotel has never been the same. The legend states that the chambermaid, distraught, drowned herself in the nearby Fox River. Recent visitors have reported paranormal activity in the form of loud moaning sounds that come from the sixth floor of the house. As this was the rumored floor that housed staff during the hotel’s operation, these rumors alone are enough to keep local neighbors far away and to put it on our list as one of the haunted places in Illinois.