Ghost Tours in Illinois
HAUNTED HISTORY • GANGSTER LEGENDS • THE PRAIRIE STATE'S DARKEST SECRETS
HAUNTED HISTORY • GANGSTER LEGENDS • THE PRAIRIE STATE'S DARKEST SECRETS
Where Gangster Legends Meet Victorian Preservation and Frontier Tragedy
From the streets where Al Capone ruled to perfectly preserved 19th-century river towns, Illinois holds centuries of haunted history. As the 'Land of Lincoln,' this prairie state witnessed pivotal moments in American history—the Great Chicago Fire, brutal gangster wars, Civil War conflicts, industrial tragedies, and Great Lakes maritime disasters. Today, the spirits of Illinois's dramatic past still linger in its most historic locations.
Al Capone, St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and Prohibition violence
1871 inferno that killed hundreds and destroyed the city
Galena's perfectly preserved 19th-century architecture and spirits
Haunted locations tied to Abraham Lincoln's life and death
Factory disasters, labor strikes, and worker unrest
Shipwrecks and maritime tragedies on Lake Michigan
Explore haunted history across the Prairie State
Discover the dark secrets and paranormal stories of Chicago on our award-winning ghost tours.
Think you know Chicago's haunted history? Think again. Step into the shadows of the Windy City with Wind & Souls, the only adults-only ghost tour in Chicago, rated a chilling 4.8 stars by thousands of guests who came looking for ghost stories, and left with unforgettable memories of the city's sinister side.
Looking for something fun, spooky, and unforgettable to do with the whole family after dark in Chicago? The Ghosts of Chicago Tour is the top-rated family-friendly ghost tour in the city, earning an impressive 4.8 stars from thousands of guests who've made eerie and exciting memories along the way.
Discover the haunted history and paranormal stories of Galena on our authentic ghost tours through Illinois's most preserved Victorian town.
Step into one of the Midwest's most perfectly preserved 19th-century towns—and one of its most haunted. The Ghosts of Galena Tour takes you through gas-lit streets where 85% of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, and where the spirits of the past seem as unwilling to leave as the historic architecture they haunt.
A Legacy of Violence, Tragedy, and Unexplained Phenomena
No discussion of Illinois hauntings is complete without Chicago's gangster era. During Prohibition, Chicago was ground zero for organized crime. Al Capone controlled the city through violence and intimidation. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929, where seven men were gunned down in a garage, remains one of America's most infamous mob hits—and the location is said to be intensely haunted. Countless speakeasies, theaters, hotels, and street corners where gangsters met their violent ends are reportedly still active with paranormal energy. The Congress Plaza Hotel, the Biograph Theater where John Dillinger was shot, and numerous former speakeasies all report regular paranormal activity.
Illinois has witnessed catastrophic disasters that claimed hundreds of lives. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 killed an estimated 300 people and left 100,000 homeless, reducing much of the city to ashes. Thirty-two years later, the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903 killed over 600 people—mostly women and children—in one of America's deadliest single-building fires. The tragedy occurred during a holiday matinee performance, trapping victims in the ornate theater. Today, the site (now the Oriental Theater/James M. Nederlander Theatre) and surrounding areas are considered among Chicago's most haunted locations, with reports of phantom screams, apparitions, and cold spots.
While Chicago represents Illinois's industrial and criminal past, Galena offers a window into perfectly preserved 19th-century America. With 85% of its buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, Galena is essentially a living museum of Victorian architecture—but it's also a museum of Victorian-era spirits. The town's history includes lead mining disasters, steamboat explosions, Civil War casualties, and the deaths of wealthy merchants whose grand mansions still line the hillsides. The DeSoto House Hotel, where Abraham Lincoln spoke from the balcony, is renowned for paranormal activity. Visitors report seeing apparitions in period dress, hearing phantom footsteps, and experiencing unexplained cold spots throughout the historic downtown.
As the 'Land of Lincoln,' Illinois is intimately connected to Abraham Lincoln's life—and his ghost. Lincoln's tomb in Springfield is one of the most visited and reportedly most haunted sites in Illinois. Visitors and guards have reported seeing Lincoln's ghost, hearing footsteps in empty hallways, and experiencing an overwhelming sense of presence. The Old State Capitol where Lincoln delivered his famous 'House Divided' speech also reports paranormal activity. Even in Chicago, Lincoln's funeral train route is said to be haunted, with phantom trains appearing on anniversary dates. Illinois's connection to Lincoln extends beyond his life to his assassination, with numerous locations tied to that tragedy reporting unexplained phenomena.
Illinois was at the heart of America's Industrial Revolution, and with that came horrific industrial accidents and labor conflicts. The Haymarket Affair of 1886 in Chicago, where a bomb killed seven police officers and four civilians during a labor demonstration, left lasting scars. Factory fires, mining disasters, and industrial accidents claimed thousands of lives throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many former industrial sites, now converted to other uses or left abandoned, are said to be haunted by the workers who died there. The combination of violent death, worker exploitation, and unresolved tragedy creates ideal conditions for paranormal activity.
Book your Illinois ghost tour and discover the Prairie State's darkest history