Haunted Places in Lanark, Illinois



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    Willow Creek Farm

    Shannon, Illinois

    5.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Cotton House

    Clinton, Iowa

    24.4 miles from Lanark, 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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    Conover Square

    Oregon, Illinois

    26.4 miles from Lanark, 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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    Hickory Hill Cemetery

    Charlotte, Iowa

    32.1 miles from Lanark, 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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    Ludlow Mansion - Idle Hour Farm

    Monroe, Wisconsin

    36.6 miles from Lanark, 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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    The Ably House

    Scales Mound, Illinois

    36.6 miles from Lanark, 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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    Otto's Place

    Galena, Illinois

    37.2 miles from Lanark, 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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    Amboy Pharmacy

    Amboy, Illinois

    37.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Desoto House Hotel

    Galena, Illinois

    37.4 miles from Lanark, 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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    Tinker Swiss Cottage

    Rockford, Illinois

    39 miles from Lanark, 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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  • Dubuque's Haunted History
    Richard Barker
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    Coronado Theatre

    Rockford, Illinois

    39.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Faust Hotel - Faust Landmark

    Rockford, Illinois

    40 miles from Lanark, 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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    Lucerne's Fondue and Spirits

    Rockford, Illinois

    40 miles from Lanark, 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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    Flynn Steakhouse

    Brodhead, Wisconsin

    42.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    1875 Decker Hotel

    Maquoketa, Iowa

    42.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Rockford College

    Rockford, Illinois

    43.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Captain Merry Historic Inn

    East Dubuque, Illinois

    49.3 miles from Lanark, 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

    50.4 miles from Lanark, 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

    50.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Grand Opera House

    Dubuque, Iowa

    50.7 miles from Lanark, 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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  • Peoria's Haunted Memories
    Stephanie E. McCarthy

    Ghost Stories of Illinois
    Jo-Anne Christensen
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    Fischer Building

    Dubuque, Iowa

    50.8 miles from Lanark, 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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    Matthias Ham House

    Dubuque, Iowa

    51.2 miles from Lanark, 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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    Blood’s Point Cemetery

    Belvidere, Illinois

    51.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Mary Frances Hall - Clarke College

    Dubuque, Iowa

    52.1 miles from Lanark, 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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    Central Avenue Ghost

    Bettendorf, Iowa

    52.2 miles from Lanark, 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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    Weary Road

    Evansville, Wisconsin

    54.5 miles from Lanark, 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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    Ambrose Hall

    Davenport, Iowa

    54.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Kirk Denmark Theatre - Rock County Theater

    Janesville, Wisconsin

    54.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Alice French House

    Davenport, Iowa

    54.8 miles from Lanark, 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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    Palmer College of Chiropractic

    Davenport, Iowa

    55 miles from Lanark, 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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  • Haunted Aurora
    Diane A. Ladley
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    The Walker House

    Mineral Point, Wisconsin

    55 miles from Lanark, IL

    The magnificent stone hotel and restaurant dates back to the 1800s. It is said that the hauntings here may stem from a man during that century who was hanged from a tree outside by an angry mob after he stole a horse from his neighbor. Witnesses to the hauntings have ...


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    Masonic Temple

    Davenport, Iowa

    55.1 miles from Lanark, 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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    Phi Kappa Chi

    Davenport, Iowa

    55.1 miles from Lanark, 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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    Hotel Blackhawk

    Davenport, Iowa

    55.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Scott City Hall

    Davenport, Iowa

    55.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Oak Hill Cemetery

    Janesville, Wisconsin

    57.8 miles from Lanark, 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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    Julia Markham - Death Curve

    Cambridge, Illinois

    59.9 miles from Lanark, 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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    Abandoned Train Bridge

    Spring Valley, Illinois

    60.7 miles from Lanark, 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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    Massock Mausoleum

    Spring Valley, Illinois

    62.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Elsing's Second Hand Shop

    Stoughton, Wisconsin

    64.5 miles from Lanark, IL

    This 1891 building was formerly a private residence, a restaurant and a hotel, and is rumoured to have some hauntings dating back to the turn of the twentieth century. The current owners have reported hearing the sound of glass breaking on the second floor, but upon investigation, nothing is ...


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    Ninth Street Pub

    LaSalle, Illinois

    65 miles from Lanark, 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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    Kaskaskia Hotel

    LaSalle, Illinois

    65.5 miles from Lanark, 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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    Edinburgh Manor

    Monticello, Iowa

    66.8 miles from Lanark, IL

    Built in 1908, this building is rumored to be hopping with haunts. It has been a mental institution among other things, and at least 80 people are said to have died here. For ghost enthusiasts, the place is available for private lockdowns.


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    Alpha Omega Distributors

    Madison, Wisconsin

    67.9 miles from Lanark, IL

    A former employee killed in a car accident is said to be here, usually as a shadow in the corner of employees' eyes. One person has even claimed to have a had a conversation with him. (Submitted by Chris Berglund)


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    Starved Rock Lodge

    Oglesby, Illinois

    69.3 miles from Lanark, 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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    Capone's Bar Next Door - The Wonder Bar

    Madison, Wisconsin

    69.6 miles from Lanark, IL

    It was called The Wonder Bar in the 1920s, and the Bar Next Door has now been renamed to that original name. The establishment is said to be haunted. Built originally by Roger "The Terrible" Touhy. The Touhy brothers' place was a hangout for gangsters, and Eddy Touhy (Roger's brother) ...


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    Wisconsin State Historical Society

    Madison, Wisconsin

    70.8 miles from Lanark, IL

    Supposedly, the place is haunted by two ghosts. One is a man who fell asleep at his desk and didn't wake up. The other is a man who committed suicide by falling off the third floor landing onto a marble floor (you can still see the blood in ...


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    Lawrence House Bed and Breakfast Inn

    Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

    71.4 miles from Lanark, IL

    Reports say that the inn was once a home where the wealthy would send their mentally disabled children to live. Witnesses have heard the eerie residual sounds of screaming and crying children in several rooms.


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    Woodstock Opera House

    Woodstock, Illinois

    72.4 miles from Lanark, IL

    Interestingly enough, reports say that during any performence here, a certain seat in the balcony (DD113) is always left empty for a resident ghost named Elvira. Her spring-loaded chair has been seen folded down when she is attending a performance. She is said to be very beautiful with long blonde ...


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    Taliesin

    Spring Green, Wisconsin

    72.8 miles from Lanark, IL

    The house (an estate once owned by Frank Lloyd Wright) is haunted by the apparition of a lady in a white gown. Windows open and close by themselves, and late at night, the lights in the building will flash on and off when no one is around.


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