Antioch Hosts Downtown Ghost Tour

ANTIOCH, IL — The village of Antioch is offering the chance to explore its haunted side with a downtown ghost tour planned for October.

During the ghost tour, visitors can visit the sites where alleged hauntings have occurred and hear stories from paranormal experts about the strange sights, sounds, and activities they discovered while doing their research, according to a news release from the village of Antioch. The ghost tour will run from 5 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Registration will begin at 5 p.m. followed by a 5:30 p.m. presentation by the U.S. paranormal research organization at the Antioch Theater. After the presentation, participants will be broken into several groups, and each group will start their walking tour at the assigned venue.

A guide will route the smaller groups to their assigned locations downtown, and at the end of the tour there will be a question and answer session at the Antioch Theatre.

The night will wrap up with a free movie at the Antioch Theater, with a 10:45 p.m. showing of Paranormal Island, which was filmed at nearby Blarney Island.

“We collected a lot of evidence from each location on the tour,” said Bryan Meisinger, a host for the tour host and lead investigator with U.S. Paranormal Research. “We’ll share great evidence, including audio of disembodied voices that we were able to record during our investigations. Also, we’ll share a couple of great pieces of video, including one unexplainable video from the basement of The Lodge."

Meisinger and his wife, Kay, have been investigators with U.S. Paranormal Research since 2014. The volunteer paranormal research group includes members that are local teachers, firefighters, and business owners. The Meisinger’s have been Antioch residents for 42 years and are both graduates of Antioch High School.

Businesses that will be participating include Ms. Peddler's Boutique, The Lodge of Antioch, Rustic and Reclaimed Market, Vintage Mercantile, the Lakes Area Historical Society Schoolhouse Museum and the Antioch Theater.

Ticket sales for the tour are limited, and tickets are $30 each and include a 10% discount on beverages at the Lodge of Antioch and The Rivalry Restaurant (wristband required). Tickets are also available online.