Illinois has no shortage of places with ghostly reputations, but only a handful can back up their spooky stories with reports of paranormal activity.
The 2026 HauntBound Index, a new national ranking of more than 6,000 supposedly haunted places, examines decades of published accounts rather than simply recycling the same old ghost stories. The list by HauntBound, a Michigan-based website specializing in haunted travel and historical ghost lore, includes historic homes, hotels, cemeteries and other places where visitors have reported seeing things that have no earthly explanation.
Some are open for tours, some offer overnight accommodations, and others are best admired from a safe distance. Whether any of them actually have ghosts is another matter entirely.
According to HauntBound's state-by-state index, the Prairie State has 156 documented locations associated with paranormal activity.
Here's a look at Illinois' most haunted places:
Peoria State Hospital opened in 1902 under the name "Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane." Its earliest account of paranormal activity came from its first superintendent, Dr. George A. Zeller, according to HauntBound.
HauntBound said Zeller wrote that a patient who was assigned to the asylum's burial corps "customarily wept at the gravesides of those he helped to inter." After the man's own death, staff and patients reported seeing him crying at his own burial.
PSH Museum offers historical and paranormal tours. To see ticket information, go here.
Bachelor's Grove is widely described as the most haunted cemetery in the United States. The graveyard was established in 1840 and has only 82 plots, most of which were unused.
Visitors have reported seeing a figure known as the "White Lady" or "Madonna of Bachelor's Grove." She is said to have been buried next to her child and her apparition can sometimes be seen holding a baby in her arms.
Visitors are allowed at the cemetery during the day, but after-hours visits are not permitted without authorization. For more information, visit the Forest Preserves of Cook County website.
McPike Mansion is known for its frequently reported figures, including one named Sarah. Sarah is believed to have served as a personal attendant to the McPike household, and she is most often seen on the main floor.
The home was built in 1869 by architect Lucas Pfeiffenberger. The original owners were Henry Guest McPike and his family, who lived in the home until 1936.
The mansion offers regular tours as well as private group tours and field trips. To see ticket information, go here.
Rounding out the top 10 are:
5. Rock Island Arsenal, Quarters One
8. James M. Nederlander Theatre (Iroquois Theatre Fire Site)
10. White Cemetery (Cuba Road)
For a haunted overnight stay, The Congress Plaza Hotel is the perfect place. Located in downtown Chicago, the hotel harbors some of the darkest ghost stories in the state. To book a stay at the hotel, go here.
For a family-friendly haunt, HauntBound recommended Tinker Swiss Cottage in Rockford. The cottage has been visited by many regional paranormal groups and was featured on the TV show "Ghost Hunters." For tour information, go here.
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There are plenty of websites and apps to help people find a good Halloween scare. HauntBound digs into something different, exploring places with reputations for being haunted long before Halloween decorations became a multimillion-dollar industry.
Instead of ranking locations by popularity or how often a ghost story gets repeated, HauntBound examines the number of independently published accounts, how thoroughly the claims have been documented, and how far back the reports go.
The index doesn't attempt to prove ghosts exist. It measures the documentation behind claims that they do.
"We do not attempt to determine whether paranormal phenomena are real, and we never count a source that only establishes a building's history as evidence of haunting claims," the site says.
The index covers 6,041 locations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., including 5,718 classified as family-friendly and 1,983 listed as bookable.
Each location includes a family-suitability rating and information about whether visitors can tour the property, book an experience or spend the night. A place may have a terrific ghost story but be privately owned, closed to the public or otherwise off-limits to curious visitors.
HauntBound also identifies each state's oldest documented haunted site, the location with the most published accounts, a recommended haunted overnight stay, and a particularly family-friendly destination.
The rankings are based on research through Sept. 15, and the national index was updated Sept. 29 to remove private homes, operating hospitals and locations with nothing left to visit.
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