Is Peoria Public Library really haunted?

Visitors rate Peoria Public Library at 85.7 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 8 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.

Where is Peoria Public Library located?

The address is 107 NE Monroe, Peoria, Illinois. GPS coordinates: 40.69510307, -89.59229591.

What kind of haunted place is Peoria Public Library?

Peoria Public Library is listed under Miscellaneous in our Illinois section.

What is the nearest town to Peoria Public Library?

Peoria, IL is the closest town, about 0.2 miles away, with North Peoria (1.6 mi.) and West Peoria (1.9 mi.) also nearby.

Peoria Public Library - Peoria, IL

Peoria Public Library, according to local lore, was built upon cursed ground. So the story goes, Mrs. Andrew Gray lived in a house here around 1830. Family and financial hardships led to a foreclosure on her home, and Mrs. Gray cursed the property and all of its future owners. Her curse is said to have come true for all subsequent owners of the property. In 1894, the library was built very near where Mrs. Gray's house stood, and the first three library directors died under mysterious circumstances. The library was demolished in 1966 and a new one built in its place, but the many ghosts who are said to live here as a result of Mrs. Gray's curse have stayed on. According to staff, their names are called when they are alone in the stacks and they feel cold drafts and see apparitions of a former library director in a basement doorway.

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Geographic Information

Address

107 NE Monroe
Peoria, Illinois
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GPS

40.69510307, -89.59229591

County

Peoria County County, Illinois

Nearest Towns

Peoria, IL (0.2 mi.)
North Peoria, IL (1.6 mi.)
West Peoria, IL (1.9 mi.)
East Peoria, IL (2.1 mi.)
Creve Coeur, IL (3.3 mi.)
Peoria Heights, IL (3.7 mi.)
Bartonville, IL (4.4 mi.)
Bellevue, IL (4.7 mi.)
Marquette Heights, IL (5.4 mi.)
Norwood, IL (5.6 mi.)

Contact Information

Website: http://www.peoriapubliclibrary.org/

Quick Answers

Is Peoria Public Library really haunted?: Visitors rate Peoria Public Library at 85.7 out of 100 on our EHP (Estimated Haunted Probability) scale. So far 8 people have shared firsthand experiences from this location in the comments.
Where is Peoria Public Library located?: The address is 107 NE Monroe, Peoria, Illinois. GPS coordinates: 40.69510307, -89.59229591.
What kind of haunted place is Peoria Public Library?: Peoria Public Library is listed under Miscellaneous in our Illinois section.
What is the nearest town to Peoria Public Library?: Peoria, IL is the closest town, about 0.2 miles away, with North Peoria (1.6 mi.) and West Peoria (1.9 mi.) also nearby.

Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other regulations.

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Comments (8)

Ian Stewart | July 21, 2015

i've been there and it felt like someone was whtching me
- Ian Stewart | July 21, 2015
  
  watching, sorry i type to fast
Boog1974 | July 22, 2015

This library is not haunted if you are being watched it's more than likely the homeless people that hang out there everyday. I live in peoria.
Jeff | September 19, 2016

Live in Peoria, was with a friend, and he stopped dead in his tracks in the library, said he saw a kid behind a bookshelf like 2 years ago. Could be true, wouldn't doubt if its haunted.
Jessica | February 5, 2020

I worked as a librarian there for a year. I felt like I could never could go in the 2nd level basement by myself it just felt creepy and you can only keep certain amount of lights on. One day I had to take certain books down and put them away. I dreaded it. Luckily I found my coworker down there organizing books. As I walked down a dark isle putting books away I hear this deep deep growl like a deep burp and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I called out for my coworker and asked if she burped and she said no as she was leaving. I immediately shove the books away and ran upstairs. I don’t know what that was but it wasn’t good. That was the last time I went down there. For some reason the library has a level one basement then another level deeper. I found that odd. Anyways I have had other experiences that were not as creepy.
- Becky | January 26, 2022
  
  That sounds fascinating. I come in for genealogy and have felt watched. I'd love to see the floor below it. I love this kind of thing.
Ashton Bland | June 29, 2022

You want to check out another scary libary? look at the Old matson Public Libary In princeton IL, its nearby firestone not by the lawn mower shop, if you go over there that would be the new one the old one looks like an abandoned house kinda.
Audrey | May 5, 2023

I completely believe this! I recently moved to Peoria from New Orleans so I’m familiar with spirits. The first time I stepped into the library I immediately felt sick to my stomach and my body felt heavy. I told my son that I didn’t like the feeling I got in that building at all! I’ve maybe been back 3 times and all 3 times I’ve felt the same heaviness and unease in there.

Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the truest sense, ghost stories. Haunted Places makes no claims that any of these stories are factually accurate or scientifically provable.