Apparently, my haunted Illinois road trip has taken my search for unusual places to explore in a darker direction.
I’ve been building my retirement travel bucket list with waterfalls, caves, forgotten cemeteries, old bridges and those strange little places you usually find by accident. So naturally, sooner or later, I was going to stumble across ghost tours.
And with Halloween getting closer, this seemed like the perfect time to see what kind of haunted history Illinois has hiding after dark.
I’m not sure whether I believe every ghost story I hear. But give me an old building, some local history, a scandal or two and a story that makes me wonder what happened there a hundred years ago, and you’ve got my attention.
So I started digging.
Apparently, Illinois has plenty to keep me busy.
Starting My Haunted Illinois Road Trip
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Springfield: Presidential History Gets a Little Spookier After Dark
When most people think about Springfield, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln probably comes to mind long before ghosts do. But apparently the capital has another side that comes out after dark.
The Springfield Specters Ghost Tour: Sins & Scandal combines Springfield history with stories of reported hauntings and some of the darker tales connected to the city’s past. Stops and stories include familiar places such as the Lincoln Home, the Illinois Governor’s Mansion and the historic Inn at 835.
That combination is what caught my attention. I already enjoy historic places, but add a little mystery, an old building and a story that makes me wonder what might have happened there after everyone else went home, and I’m probably going to want to investigate.
This one is close enough to home that it may eventually move from my computer screen to one of my famous index cards.
[Explore the Springfield Ghost Tour]
Galena: Beautiful by Day, a Little Different After Dark
Galena has always looked like the kind of place I would enjoy exploring. Historic buildings, old homes, interesting architecture and plenty of places where I could wander around with my camera already make it tempting.
Apparently, I need to add ghosts to the list.
The Galena ghost tour explores some of the darker stories hiding behind the town’s postcard-perfect appearance. One of its best-known stops is the historic DeSoto House Hotel, where stories have circulated about a mysterious Lady in Black and other unexplained encounters.
The tour also visits the Old Market House, where the cheerful historic building above ground has a much darker story associated with its basement. Then there’s the Dowling House, Galena’s oldest home, where ghost stories include reports of figures appearing in the upstairs windows.
And apparently Galena isn’t short on haunted real estate. Stories also surround places such as the Ryan Mansion, Belvedere Mansion and Gardens and Otto’s Place.
One thing I appreciate knowing ahead of time is that this is a walking tour. You don’t enter privately owned buildings or private property—you’re exploring Galena and hearing the stories connected to these historic locations along the way.
Honestly, this one sounds right up my alley. Give me an old town, historic buildings, my camera and a few stories that may make me look over my shoulder, and I’m probably going to have a good time.
[Explore the Galena Ghost Tour]
Aurora: Ghost Stories Along the Fox River
Aurora might be known as the City of Lights, but apparently some of its history gets considerably darker after sunset.
The Frontier Frights: Echoes and Apparitions of Aurora Ghost Tour takes a walk through some of the city’s historic locations while sharing the ghost stories and unexplained experiences associated with them.
One stop is the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, where stories include shadowy figures and strange gusts of wind that seem to come from nowhere. Then there’s the Leland Tower Apartments, built in 1928, with reports over the years of unexplained sounds, unusual smells and electronic oddities.
The Two Brothers Roundhouse adds another kind of history to the tour. Stories surrounding the property connect past accidents with reported paranormal experiences, including accounts from people who have worked there.
I like that each Illinois tour we’ve found so far has its own personality. Springfield mixes ghosts with presidential history. Galena gives us beautiful old buildings with some unsettling stories hiding behind them. Aurora brings industrial and local history into the mix.
Apparently my Illinois bucket list is going to need a new category: places I’m willing to visit during the day but may reconsider after dark.
[ Explore the Aurora Ghost Tour]
Chicago: Gangsters, Ghosts and a Darker Side of the Windy City
Chicago usually isn’t at the top of my personal travel list—I tend to prefer quieter roads and fewer people—but I couldn’t put together a haunted Illinois road trip and completely ignore the Windy City.
Windy City Ghosts explores Chicago’s darker history through Lincoln Park and some of the surrounding historic neighborhoods. This one caught my attention because the stories aren’t limited to traditional haunted-house tales. There’s true crime, Prohibition-era history, old buildings and some very recognizable Chicago names mixed in.
The Biograph Theater is one of them. Built in 1914, it’s forever connected to gangster John Dillinger, who was killed outside the theater in 1934. Today, ghost stories surrounding the location include reports of unexplained figures and strange sightings.
Then there’s Oz Park. You would think a park filled with Wizard of Oz sculptures would be one of the less creepy stops on a ghost tour. Apparently not. The tour connects this cheerful-looking park with darker stories from the area’s past and reports of unexplained encounters.
The Red Lion Pub adds an old English-style tavern to the mix, while the broader tour digs into stories connected with Lincoln Park, Chicago’s gangland past and locations associated with some of the city’s tragedies.
This probably isn’t the Illinois ghost tour you’ll find me booking first—I know my limits when it comes to Chicago traffic—but for someone who enjoys true crime mixed with haunted history, this one certainly has plenty of material.
[Explore the Chicago Ghost Tour]
Elgin: Dreams, Disaster and Ghosts Along the Fox River
Elgin is another Illinois city where the scenery and the stories apparently don’t quite match. The Fox River may look peaceful today, but the history surrounding some of the places along it is considerably darker.
Epic Elgin Ghosts explores several locations connected to difficult chapters in the city’s past. The Elgin Tower Building, once associated with prosperity, struggled during the Great Depression. Its history has since become connected with local ghost stories, including one involving a banker from that troubled period.
The Fox River Bridge brings a different kind of tragedy into the tour through the story of the Elgin Ferry Disaster. It’s another example of something I find fascinating about traveling: you can stand somewhere beautiful without realizing what happened in that very spot generations earlier.
Then there’s the Stewart Hall Building, where the stories are less frightening and a little more sad. The tour shares tales of unfulfilled artistic dreams, including those of a young ballerina, that eventually became part of the building’s ghost lore.
I think that may be what’s pulling me into these tours. The ghosts are fun, especially this close to Halloween, but underneath them we’re finding pieces of Illinois history I probably never would have gone looking for otherwise.
[Explore the Elgin Ghost Tour]
Naperville: Apparently Even College Students Have Ghost Problems
Naperville may look like a polished suburban community today, but apparently its history has a few residents who never completely moved on.
The Naperville Nightfall Nightmares Ghost Tour explores some of the city’s historic locations and the ghost stories that have become attached to them over the years.
One of the more unusual stories comes from Jefferson Hill, where the former home of a World War I veteran eventually became part of a shopping area. Rather than being described as frightening, the spirit connected to the property is said to be protective—a nice change considering most of the ghosts we’ve met so far seem determined to scare somebody.
Things get considerably stranger around the Old Nichols Library, where stories involve a young girl’s spirit and forgotten graves believed to be nearby. That’s exactly the sort of detail that would make me start wondering what was underneath my feet while everyone else was looking at the building.
Then we get to Seybert Residence Hall at North Central College. Ghost lore there includes two reported presences—a shadowy figure and a priest—said to disturb people in the building.
College was hard enough when the biggest problem was studying for an exam. I’m not sure I needed paranormal roommates added to the tuition.
[Explore the Naperville Ghost Tour]
Which Haunted Illinois Road Trip Would I Take First?
After digging through all six of these tours, I’m starting to think my retirement travel bucket list may need a haunted-history section.
Galena probably has me the most curious, although Springfield has the advantage of being close enough that I could actually decide one morning to go investigate for myself. And honestly, that’s how some of my best little adventures begin.
What surprised me most while putting this together wasn’t really the ghosts. It was how much Illinois history was hiding underneath the stories—fires, disasters, old hotels, mansions, theaters, forgotten graves and people whose lives became part of local folklore long after they were gone.
Whether every bump in the night has an explanation or not, I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy finding out.
So which one would you choose?
Springfield? Galena? Aurora? Chicago? Elgin? Naperville?
If Buck comes along, I already know his answer. Whichever one has snacks.
