Dr. Von Zuko's Weird n' Spooky Places

The Water Tower: Chicagoland

A survivor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Water Tower is perhaps the most famous landmark in Chicago. Standing watch in the heart of the city since 1869 it has been witness to much of the cities turbulent and sometimes sinister past. Constructed of limestone quarried in near-by Joliet, its very fiber is rooted in the area’s past since time began. With such an inexorable link to past memories, is it any wonder that the tower has a few unusual memories of it's own?

It is said that on occasion, in the wee hours of the morning, a gaunt and pale man can be seen peering down into the streets from the windows in the upper floors of the tower. The building is always locked tight and no one is ever found when authorities enter and search the building. It is also reported that at times, passers-by have heard a strange melancholy whistling coming from inside. Legend has it that the tower's inhabitant (or at least this one) is the spirit of a man hanged from the tower for an undisclosed crime he committed in the late 1870's.

Spooky America

Chicagoland:
The Water Tower
Bachelor's Grove
White Cemetery
Stickney Mansion

Dayton, Ohio:
Victoria Theater
Memorial Hall
Woodland Cemetery

Columbus, Ohio:
Camp Chase
"Lady in Gray"

Navarre, Ohio
Wademan House

New Orleans, LA:
Cities of the Dead
St. Louis Cemetery
The Voodoo Priestess

Tennessee
Old Electric Chair

Denver, Colorado
Central City
The Haunted Mine

North America
Canada
Banff Springs Hotel

More Weird n' Spooky

Europe
London, England
The Grenadier
London Underground
The Tower of London 

Scotland
St. Andrews Cathedral
Burnt at the Stake

Haunted Campus
(Click Here)

Stories from Our Friends 
(click here)

Exotic n' Mysterious

Awesome n' Majestic

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Dr. Von Zuko's Recommended Paranormal 
Books and Movies

America's Most Haunted Places
Fifteen ghost stories associated with historically important locations in the United States

Chicago Haunts :
Ghostly Lore of the
Windy City

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery: Chicagoland

There is no one location in the Chicago area that has more reported sightings and more heart stopping stories than Bachelor's Grove Cemetery. This small, frequently desecrated and nearly forgotten cemetery lies at the edge of a large forest preserve near the Chicago suburb of Midlothian. The cemetery was established in the 1830’s. It was used as a final resting-place for many German immigrants who worked on the construction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal. The work was dirty and the hours were very, very long which is why many of the workers were not married, giving rise to the cemetery's name.

Access to the decaying plot, is provided by a long and narrow gravel roadway. The cemetery has been abandoned since 1965 and is said to now be a ritual site for occult and satanic groups. Over the years many of the tombstones have been vandalized or stolen, only to mysteriously return. While it is not certain how the grave markers manage to get back to the graveyard, this unusual phenomenon lends a chilling intensity to the legend that the gravestones in Bachelor's Grove move on their own.

One of the most consistent stories is of a white farmhouse that sits just off of the gravel road. Many have reported seeing the house, with a soft light burning in the window. When observers attempt to approach the house it slowly vanishes into thin air. Park rangers have reported seeing a phantom farmer with horse and plow slowly moving into the mist and then vanishing. One of the more well known, and frequent sightings is of the "Madonna of Bachelor's Grove" said to be a woman buried next to her infant son in the 1870's. This vaporous lady, shrouded in white mist, is often seen moving through the dark shadows of the trees cradling an infant in her arms.

Inexplicable noises, such as horses, crackling sounds, and human voices are reported frequently as are mysterious lights, very strange mist and dramatic shifts in temperature. Just beyond the graveyard is a small turgid pond. In prohibition years, the pond was allegedly a favorite dumping ground for the bodies and cars of unfortunate individuals who ran afoul of infamous Chicago gangsters. Reports of (spectral) bodies floating in the pond and phantom headlights beneath the surface of the dark water are numerous. In fact in one story, a couple was driving down the lane in late evening, hearing the sound of a loud speeding car getting closer and closer, they stopped their car. To their horror, they found themselves in a head-on collision with the speeding car, with horrific sounds of bending metal and breaking glass. After a few minutes of recovering from their shock however, and to their amazement, they realized that they were alone on the road, there was no other car. They were both fine and their car was unscathed as well.

A simple metal sign 
marks the forgotten plot

Stickney Mansion
Crystal Lake, IL

Crystal Lake is a popular and booming northwest suburb of Chicago.  Growth is so dramatic that homes are likely to sell nearly as soon as they go on the market.   However, just north of the city, a bit off of the beaten path,  you'll find a rather unusual but large stately home that no one seems to want.  

This remnant of the past, was built in 1849 by George and Sylvia Stickney.  Unfortunately, George and Sylvia (or someone) still appears to inhabit the house.  Persistent disembodied sounds and strange occurrences night or day, have caused more recent owners to abruptly vacate the house and give it back to the Stickneys.

The Stickneys were seriously involved in the Spiritualist Movement that was considered to be fashionably vogue in the Victorian era.

The house started to gain it's rather dark and sinister reputation early in its existence.  The Stickneys were known to hold frequent and numerous séances in the house, and  socialites from Chicago and other mid-western cities, traveled to the remote country house in hopes of communicating with the dear departed.

A rather unique architectural characteristic of the house, is that it was built almost exclusively without corners. One set of Spiritualist beliefs theorized that evil could sometimes be trapped or lurk in the corners of a normally shaped square room.

Only one room in the house was built with a 90-degree corner.  Allegedly, it was in this corner that George Stickney was found dead with a frozen terrified expression on his face, and his hands clutching at his throat.  His exact cause of death, however, remains a mystery.

White Cemetery
Barrington, IL


Just on the outskirts of the affluent community of Barrington, Illinois, on Cuba Road, lies a small, neatly manicured cemetery.  Surrounded by a well maintained wrought iron fence, you enter the grounds through a narrow gateway, defined by two  sturdy brick columns.   Nestled in a grove of mature trees, by day, the little graveyard exudes a pleasant and peaceful aura.  By night, however, the story is quite different.

Strange apparitions and sounds are so frequent at White Cemetery, that even the local police have reported strange and vaporous images.   On occasion, drivers passing by the cemetery are startled to see strange spherical glowing orbs floating over the headstones, and even drifting out into the road, and following them for a short distance. 

Unlike many tales of haunted graveyards, White Cemetery is especially noteworthy, due to the fact that several researchers of the paranormal have frequently captured the phenomenon on photographic film and tape.

Here too, there are reports of a phantom house that appears briefly and then vanishes.   The legend is that it is the apparition of a house that burned to the ground in the 1920's.
(Click on the thumbnail photo at the top of this story, take a close look at the right hand side of the photograph.  Notice anything unusual?)
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Haunted Ohio :
Ghostly Tales from the Buckeye State

Ohio's Haunted Landscapes, Lost Arts and Forgotten Places

The Ghostly Register  
Haunted Dwellings Active Spirits.
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 Graveyards of Chicago: The People,...

Ever wonder where Al Capone is buried? How about Clarence Darrow? Muddy Waters? Harry Caray? Or maybe Brady Bunch patriarch Robert Reed? And what really lies beneath home plate at Wrigley Field? Graveyards of Chicago answers these and other cryptic questions as it charts the lore and lure of Chicago's ubiquitous burial grounds.

Paranormal Movies
On DVD or VHS

The Blair Witch Project

CLICK on the images to see larger photos

Woodland Cemetery, Dayton Ohio

Possibly one of Dayton Ohio's better-kept secrets is an historic and picturesque cemetery that overlooks the city.

Nestled in tree shrouded rolling hills, Woodland Cemetery is serenely beautiful, with elaborate and richly ornate monuments and massive iron gated vaults. Many of these impressive tombs mark the final resting-place of several of Dayton's more well known citizens, such as Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and the Wright Brothers.  Woodland is also the final resting-place of several individuals who do not rest so soundly.  There are many well-known and well-documented stories about Woodland Cemetery and it's spectral inhabitants, here is something more recent.

Woodland Cemetery is bounded on its southwest side by the University of Dayton. In the fall of 1992, three young men were returning from one of the many off-campus parties that give U.D. a less then welcome "party-school" reputation.  Since the boys had consumed their fair share of cheap beer, they wanted to avoid taking the long walk along public streets back to their dorm. They knew, that if they cut through the deserted cemetery they could crawl through the fence right behind the dorm, and sneak quietly into the building. While each was privately apprehensive about walking through the large, darkened cemetery there was no way they'd admit it to each other. They slipped into Woodland through a gap in the ornate iron fence and started up-hill.

As they labored up and over the first set of hills in the older gothic section of the cemetery, the boys began to notice the eerie silence of the graveyard and a distinct chill in the air. While the moon was full, the old and stately trees broke the moonlight into sharp shafts of pale light that cut through the chilled mist, giving the massive monuments a surrealistic if not ominous appearance. To keep their courage up, each taunted the other as they stumbled trough the cemetery. Not fully realizing how large Woodland is, and that their dorm was over a half mile away, the boys began to get disoriented, and stopped to talk.

As they argued over direction, one boy spotted something or someone moving through the mist few yards ahead. "Hey" he blurted, "there's a babe over there." The others didn't believe him at first but, then convinced themselves that a couple of girls had the same idea they did. After all, the girl's dorm backed up to the cemetery too. Even though they all didn't see her, the boys decided to head in the direction of the sighting. Approaching a massive stone vault, the boys were aware of soft crying then the uncontrollable sobbing of a young woman. The boys looked at each other, they called out, "Hey, are you alright? Are you hurt? Where are you?" The crying stopped. "Don't be afraid," one boy said. "If you're hurt we can get help." The boy's calls were met with silence. They waited, after a few minutes of silence they started to move on, thinking who ever it was, was just messing with them. They walked a few yards.

The crying started again. They turned to look behind them. Sitting on a large stone step leading up to the massive bronze and stained glass gate of the vault, was a young woman. She sat slumped forward with her head in her hands, long blond hair streaming down her back and shoulders. She sat in a shaft of pale moonlight and wept uncontrollably.

The boys were startled, but realized she must be in serious trouble. "Can we help?" one boy called out as he stepped forward. The young woman looked up. She had a startled look on her face, her tear streaked cheeks glistened in the moonlight. She stood quickly, and nervously looked at the boys.   One of the boys held out his hand toward her and said, "are you lost, com on we'll help you get out of here."  Without turning, the young woman quickly drifted backward and passed completely through the heavy bronze gate, into the darkness of the massive stone vault. Stunned, the boys starred at the large tarnished lock on the bronze gate. They nearly crippled each other as they wheeled around to run. Never looking back the boys found their way through the hills and gravestones to the main entrance to the cemetery. Attempting to get out, they made so much racket at the gate that the university police and a grounds keeper were called to let them out. The campus police officer decided to cut them a break and wrote it off as some college boy nonsense. The grounds keeper simply said, well you're not the first to meet her.

The Woodland Cemetery Photo Album

Victoria Theater: Dayton Ohio

Dayton Ohio is best known as the birthplace of aviation, and perhaps a little bit more obscure, for the electric automotive starter, and the cash register.  Besides its history of innovation and progress in modern industry, Dayton has a few more equally interesting stories.  In the heart of downtown there is a lovely old theater called the Victoria.  Closed several times over the years, and turned into a movie house for a short time in the 60's the theater is now restored to its former ornate beauty.   The theater is once again active with numerous theatrical productions and concerts throughout the year.  There are at least two ladies, however, who would argue that the theater has continuously been active.

Some time in the theater's early years, a young woman was attacked in one of the upper boxes during a performance.  In the darkness and as the music peaked, she was murdered.  While the spirit of this young woman has only been seen a few times since, there have been instances reported, where gentlemen have entered the theater box only to be slapped hard across the face.  Of course no one is ever found in the box, but the phantom hand strikes so hard that it leaves a bright red welt on the face of the gentleman.  

A sudden and powerful sent of roses has frequently caught visitors and patrons by surprise.  In several instances they are even more startled, when the sent is accompanied by a vision of a young woman in a beautiful gown.  Paying little attention to anyone, and after just a few seconds she vanishes into the shadows of the theater.  The legend suggests that she was an actress  who left the stage for what was intended to be only a few minutes, but vanished never to be heard from again.  While this incident is said to have occurred at the turn of the century, the mystery remains unsolved to this day.     
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Memorial Hall,   Dayton Ohio

Constructed in 1909, Dayton's impressive Memorial Hall is listed on the National Historic Register.  In addition to hosting numerous public performances and private events, it is home to the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.   It is also home to the spirit of a gentleman who once cared for the property.

In the late 1960's, a custodian working alone in overhead rigging slipped and fell into the orchestra pit and was severely injured.  The man lay alone in the darkness of the theater for hours until discovered by his co-workers.   The custodian, a long time caretaker of the theater, later passed on as a result of his unfortunate accident.  Shortly thereafter, strange, unexplained occurrences began and have continued to this day. 

Frequently, theater employees and stage hands are startled by sounds in the rigging above.  Sounds of scuffing or distinct foot steps, sometimes accompanied by the sound of creaking metal are those most often reported (no one is ever on the overhead catwalks when these phenomena occur.)   Lighting systems have been known to exhibit strange behavior, strangely flickering or pulsing for no apparent reason.  Common objects, like brooms and mops, have been moved, and others report hearing running water and toilets flushing when no one else is in the building.  

It causes one to reflect, that as we have purpose and commitment in life, we must also have purpose and commitment in death.

Camp Chase and the Lady in Gray, Columbus Ohio

In a quiet west-side neighborhood of Columbus Ohio, lies a small neatly kept cemetery. surrounded by a low, gray stone wall with a plain, spiked iron fence erupting from its top. This quiet cemetery hardly gets a second glance from passers by, or from the school children that play in the adjacent schoolyard, but this ground has quite an interesting and tragic story to tell. It is the final, resting place of 2,260 Confederate soldiers.

During the bloody years of the American Civil War, Camp Chase served as a primary training camp for the Union Army. As the war wore on, Camp Chase was used as a prison camp to hold captured Confederate troops. The camp officially became a prison on July 5, 1861, when the first group of prisoners arrived from western Virginia. Camp Chase was known as one of the worst prison camps of the era, with terrible conditions and severe over crowding, the camp held up to 9,425 prisoners. More than 2,300 men died here of malnutrition and disease, 2,260 of them were buried in the camp cemetery, in long rows of graves marked by simple stone tablets. With so much heartache and loneliness in its past, it is no wonder that this cemetery has witnessed a long history of strange occurrences.

One of the more persistent and recurring apparitions, is that of the "Lady in Gray." The specter of a young woman, dressed in a lady's gray traveling suit, a typical fashion for women in the late 1860's, is seen walking through the cemetery. Her head held low, she appears to be weeping. By some accounts, she has been witnessed walking through trees, tombstones, and even disappearing through the stone wall surrounding the cemetery. The "Lady in Gray" is thought to be the spirit that frequently leaves flowers at the head of one of the graves. These mysterious (fresh) flowers have been seen many times over the last 130 years, and always at the same grave stone. On several occasions, local residents have reported hearing the sounds of a woman weeping forlornly, coming from inside the enclosed plot, when patrolling police officers have investigated, no one is ever found.

More Camp Chase Photos.

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