TRAVEL INSIDER

Midwest's favorite ghostly haunts await

By Lisa Davis
10:22 AM PDT, October 14, 2009

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Illinois

The Lincoln Square Theatre in Decatur

Sounds of footsteps when no one else is around. Unexplained voices. Shadowy figures in the balcony. Even for the unbelieving, haunted tales from this labyrinth-style theater built in 1916 can be startling. Ghost hunters claim the building is haunted by the souls of those who died during a fire when the land the theater is on was the Priest Hotel. Others claim it is the ghost of a stagehand from the theater's vaudeville days or the spirit of a woman clothed in an old-fashioned dress. Some even believe Houdini, who performed at the theater during the 1910s, still haunts its confines. The theater does a live Houdini seance every Halloween in hopes of bringing the legendary magician back to life. That's already sold out.

Web site: haunteddecatur.com

Contact: 141 N. Main St., Decatur; 217-422-1711; 888-446-7859 for ghost tours

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in Midlothian

This small 19th century cemetery on the edge of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve is where people say they see red, glowing orbs hovering above and faintly visible figures walking past them. Some 150 burials took place in the cemetery from 1844 through the 1980s. Tombstones are now covered in weeds and surrounded by a chain-link fence, which people have cut holes through to gain access to what many consider one of Illinois' most haunted burial sites.

Web site: bachelorsgrove.com

Contact: Near 143rd St. and Ridgeland Ave., on a closed road by a tower across from the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve parking lot. Forest Preserve District of Cook County, 800-870-3666. The Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. does private tours of the cemetery. Fees vary based on the number of people; 773-648-5000.

The Milton School and the old post office in Alton

Alton is known as being one of the most haunted areas in Illinois. The town's Milton School is said to be inhabited by the ghost of a little girl who was found dead in the building, as well as by the ghost of a janitor who killed himself in the school's boiler room. The town's old post office also supposedly is haunted. A former postmaster and other spirits are said to roam the basement and halls. Evening tours ($45) of the Milton School and old post office are offered at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October and November.

Web site: hauntedalton.com

Contact: Tours begin at the Masonic Temple Franklin Lodge on Washington Avenue; 618-462-4009.

Indiana

Willard Library in Evansville

This Victorian Gothic-style building houses the oldest public library in Indiana with more than 110 years of history and, as legend has it, one resident ghost: the Gray Lady, who first appeared in the 1930s and has since spooked countless people in the basement's Children's Room with apparitions that include the smell of perfume, noises, books and furniture being moved, and the feeling of being touched on the head. From Oct. 22 through 30, try to catch a glimpse of the Gray Lady during one of the library's daily ghost tours, or search for her via the library's 24-hour ghost Web cam (libraryghost.com) that refreshes every 20 seconds.

Web site: willard.lib.in.us

Contact: 21 First Ave., Evansville; 812-425-4309

Barbee Hotel & Restaurant in Warsaw

During the 1920s, Al Capone slept in Room 301, and according to hotel staff, he still does. Since the day Capone died in 1947, people have reported smelling cigar smoke coming from the room. Other ghostly encounters include seeing an old man in one of the hotel's bar booths and hearing footsteps on the staircase as well as in the hall above the dining room. Current rates are $100 for suites and $50 for standard rooms.

Web site: barbeehotel.com

Contact: 3620 N. Barbee Road, Warsaw; 574-834-7174.

Iowa

Mason House Inn in Bentonsport

With more than 14 reported ghosts, the 1846 Mason House Inn is a hotbed of paranormal activity. Ghost sightings include Civil War soldiers, children who died at the inn when it was a hospital and two of the inn's previous owners. Guests report their beds being messed up by ghosts and being awakened by spirits tugging on their arms and legs. Still skeptical? Join owner Joy Hanson for an overnight Halloween Ghost Dinner on Oct. 24 or Oct. 31, including ghost stories and a tour of the town. You also can take photos in Bentonsport's cemetery, where people claim to see objects floating in their pictures. Rates, including dinner and the program, are $100 for a double and $90 for a single, and $120 for the Caboose Cottage.

Web site: masonhouseinn.com

Contact: 21982 Hawk Drive, Bentonsport; 800-592-3133