| I was born and raised in the state of
Illinois and I have spent the greater portion of my life here. Over the years,
I have become pretty familiar with the state's ghosts, haunted spots and
mysterious (and sometimes bloody) history. I have traveled all over Illinois
in search of strange tales and dark places and have never been
disappointed!
This section of the website is a labor of love for me. I have long
been fascinated with the high strangeness that Illinois
has to offer and my need to seek out stories and tales that do not
fit into the "proper historical record" has not only
spawned a book called HAUNTED ILLINOIS, but this web page and
a book called
WEIRD ILLINOIS from
Barnes & Noble Press as well. |
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| WEIRD ILLINOIS
travels the back roads of the state in search of
unwritten history, modern folklore, ghosts, abandoned
places, roadside oddities, bizarre beasts, mysterious
places and more. While I am best known for chronicling
the ghosts of Illinois, that's only part of what can be
found here. In some cases, these accounts of fabled
places and bizarre people will not involve ghosts at all
but are such a part of the unusual past and weird
present of the state that they had to be included here! |
| No matter what else they are, the
collected stories are both familiar and strange. Many of
them, you will have undoubtedly never heard before. Some
of them may be old favorites, but regardless, every
single one of them comes from the landscape of Illinois.
They are tales of haunted houses, old cemeteries,
terrifying locations, unusual people, bizarre legends
and more. Even with that said, I am sure there are tales of
Illinois that have still managed to elude me. There are haunted and strange places here
that have remained unknown since the first settlers came to the prairie and
these spots remain hidden, or forgotten, today. I do not claim to have
uncovered every weird story in the state of Illinois, but I do feel that
after browsing through these pages, you will likely never look at the
Prairie State in the same way again.
Know of a weird place or story in
Illinois?
Send an Email
to Troy Taylor!
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WELCOME TO
WEIRD & HAUNTED ILLINOIS!
The Travel Guide to Illinois'
Ghosts, Local Legends &
Best Kept Secrets takes readers along on a journey in
search of the "weird" people, places & legends of the
Prairie State.
Looking for
Books about Weird & Haunted Illinois? Click on the
Link Below for titles by
Troy Taylor & Other Illinois Authors!
Illinois Hauntings Books!
DISCLAIMER
Click on the Link Above for
Important Information about WEIRD ILLINOIS! |
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SOME OF THE
WEIRD & HAUNTED
REGIONS OF ILLINOIS |
HAUNTED CHICAGO
The most haunted places, weird legends and dark
history of the Windy City, including the story of Resurrection
Mary, Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Flapper Ghosts, The Murder
Castle of H.H. Holmes, Al Capone, John Wayne Gacy, Leopold &
Loeb, the Great Chicago Fire, the Fort Dearborn Massacre, the
Eastland Disaster, the Grimes Sisters, and much more! Based on
the books
Haunted Chicago &
Bloody Chicago by Troy Taylor! |
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The Last Days of a Weird Chicago
Landmark!
The
House of Crosses
A look at the
strange history and fabled past of one of the most bizarre
houses in Chicago and Illinois history! See this exclusive
article from Troy Taylor and the Weird Chicago Tours about
the final days of the House of Crosses. |
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HAUNTED SITES & STRANGE TALES OF
ALTON
Ghosts, Legends & Haunted Places along the Mississippi
River, including the
Alton Confederate Prison, the Piasa Bird, the infamous McPike Mansion, the hauntings of Elijah Lovejoy,
the Cracker Factory, the Mineral Springs Hotel and others!
Based on the book Haunted Alton by Troy Taylor! |
HAUNTED DECATUR SITES
Strange legends and ghostly locations in the haunted heart of Illinois,
including Greenwood Cemetery, Millikin University, the Lincoln Theater,
the Avon Theater, the Harrold House, the Culver Mansion,
the haunted former speakeasy in downtown Decatur and many more!
Based on the best selling series of
"Haunted Decatur" Books by author Troy Taylor! |
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WEIRD EGYPT
History, Haunts & Lore of Southern Illinois
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CAHOKIA MOUNDS
This ancient civilization mysteriously vanished hundreds of years
ago... find out why many consider this a "place of power"
today. |
MCMACKIN HOUSE
A Former family mansion, turned restaurant, in Salem is haunted by
spirits from the past! |
THE
DEVIL'S BACKBONE AND DEVIL'S BAKE OVEN
One of the most mysterious
haunted places along the Mississippi River |
THE
CURSE OF KASKASKIA
Learn the fate of Illinois's first state capital and how an Indian
curse caused the dead to rise from their graves! |
THE OLD STATE CAPITOL
The early capital in Vandalia is rumored to be
plagued with its own hauntings! |
THE
PHANTOM FUNERAL OF FORT DE CHARTRES
This ghostly funeral brings
hundreds of visitors to the remains of the fort on a certain
occasion... find out when it is! |
THE
MCPIKE MANSION
Many claim this dilapidated mansion is the most haunted house in
Alton... a town that is already known as one of the most haunted
small towns in America! |
THE
MINERAL SPRINGS HOTEL
Originally opened as a health
spa, this place still retains the look of an old hotel and
you can almost expect to see guests come strolling down the
corridors... and according to some, they still do. |
GHOST OF THE MONTICELLO SEMINARY
Now
known as LEWIS & CLARK COLLEGE, ghost hunters still seek out the
ghost of the school's former headmistress, Harriet Haskell |
THE
THREE MILE HOUSE
Although it burned down in a terrible fire in 1985,
the stories of the Three Mile House still linger to thrill new
generations of ghost enthusiasts. |
BURROWS
CAVE
Could this secret cache in southern Illinois really be the remains
of ancient visitors in Illinois? Judge for yourself! |
THE MURPHYSBORO MUD MONSTER
One of the most famous Bigfoot "flaps" in Illinois
history!
THE ENFIELD HORROR
What was this strange creature that frightened the southern Illinois
town? |
WEIRD HEARTLAND
History, Haunts & Lore of Central Illinois
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WEIRD WATERS
History, Haunts & Lore Along Illinois' Rivers
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WEIRD NORTHERN
ILLINOIS
Legends, Haunts & Lore of Illinois' Northern Regions
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RETURN TO THE GHOSTS OF THE PRAIRIE HOME
PAGE
© COPYRIGHT 2004 BY TROY TAYLOR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
SELECT SOURCES
FOR THE HAUNTED ILLINOIS PAGE.
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