Hillside

2 stories · 1 publicationRSS

Atlas ObscuraSep 4, 2026

Who Knew Illinois Had This Many Spooky Places?

Illinois is known for its haunted houses and Halloween extravaganzas: the kinds of places that draw lines out the door and attract visitors from all over the country. But beyond these creepy crowd favorites are a number of lesser-known spooky spots, all with backstories both historical and paranormal—like the “devil baby” that haunts a former Chicago settlement house or the witchy tomb that dra…

7 things in this story
  • Mount CarmelSightPopular burial site for Hillside's Italian-American population.
  • The Italian BrideSightTomb with a statue of Julia Buccola Petta, found intact years later.
  • Elsewhere
  • George Stickney HouseSightBull Valley, United StatesBuilt with no sharp corners to allow spirits to travel freely.
  • Jane Addams Hull-House MuseumMuseumChicago, United StatesHistoric landmark offering tours and exhibits on humanitarian history.
  • Bachelor’s Grove CemeterySightMidlothian, United StatesSmall graveyard rumored to be a dumping ground for gangland bodies.
  • St. Omer Cemetery Witch GraveSightSt. Omer, United StatesMonument for the Barnes family, including an alleged witch.
  • McPike MansionAttractionAlton, United StatesGrand estate with reported paranormal activity and friendly spirits.
Read the full piece at Atlas Obscura →

Atlas ObscuraAug 13

The Atlas Obscura Guide to Halloween Travel

There is a version of Halloween tourism that involves a man in a rubber mask jumping out from behind a plywood wall. It has its pleasures. It is not this. The places below are real. The things that happened in them are documented — in court records, in coroners' reports, in parish registers, in the diaries of people who were there. Some have ghost stories attached. The ghost stories are almost…

19 things in this storyRead the full piece at Atlas Obscura →
↑↓ to navigate · Enter to open · Esc to close