These Illinois Cemeteries Confirmed Haunted

Haunted houses are downright common in Illinois. Each place has its own history and vibe. But what about where the dead are gathered together?

There are many confirmed haunted cemeteries in the Land of Lincoln. For our purposes today we will focus on some downstate.

Have you participated in a haunted cemetery tour? A haunted house may have a gruesome story, or a history of a troubled family. In cemeteries there are myriad stories of the dead buried there, their living exploits and the aftermath within families and sometimes the community.

There is definitely something extra about a haunted cemetery in the middle of the night.

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These downstate Illinois cemeteries are confirmed haunted:

Elmwood Cemetery – Centralia  Violinist Harriet Anne Marshall is buried there with a monument of a girl playing a violin above her grave. The legend is that you can hear the violin being played at night.

Greenwood Cemetery – Decatur The resting place of the “Weeping Greenwood Bride” and quite a few Confederate soldiers. With stories of visitors being greeted and confronted by spirits of the soldiers who are not apparently resting in peace.

Bloods Point Road Cemetery – South of Belvidere This rural cemetery has a history of phantom vehicles, a ghost dog and the sound of children laughing (there was a school bus accident at a railroad bridge not far away).

Ridge Cemetery – Tower Hill  A phantom horse, a disappearing old man and stories of cult activity are some of the tales of odd activity here. Tower Hill is between Pana and Shlebyville.

Alton City Cemetery -- Alton  The old river town has several cemeteries, but this one has plenty of activity in the form of the ghost of a nine year old girl, the apparition of a woman dressed in black that shows up by the mausoleum and the occasional appearance of an abolitionist minister who was shot in a pro-slave riot in 1837.

BONUS!  Woodland Cemetery – Quincy  I’ve spent the night with a paranormal team from St. Louis at this location. The cemetery and the mausoleum were active the same night (Halloween). There are stories of a child that will move toys left by her chamber within the mausoleum, and several family crypts in the cemetery are active at night.

Many other haunted cemeteries are listed here. Some are extra rural in that they are away from towns and only have paths that lead to them. Several are located in and around the Chicagoland area.