With the weather getting cooler and leaves changing color that can only mean one thing… spooky season is right around the corner. Whether you and your friends looking for a terrifying tour or are you interested in Illinois horror lore, this list is for you.

Old Joliet Prison

Famous for its cameo in Blues Brothers and a staple in Joliet, the Old Joliet State Prison becomes haunted on select nights throughout the fall. Featuring storied prisoners such as John Wayne Gacy and Baby Face Nelson, the prison still holds a lot of dark energy. This haunted experience claims to be the only haunted house within a real abandoned prison in the Chicagoland area and is not one you will forget anytime soon.

13^th Floor Haunted House

This Chicago experience includes a haunted house, shattered skyline, immersive experiences and more. Founded in 2002, this is a classic Halloween experience with high quality production that remains a staple of Illinois’ spooky season. With over 30,000 feet this haunted house is run by the country’s largest professional haunted house production company. Learn more about this haunted house here.

 As we welcome the Halloween season, there are notable stories and legends that help will certainly help you get into the spirit. While Illinois is not immediately recognized for hosting a haunted house mystique, the state holds a few tales and sites of hair-raising tragedy worth a second look.

1) The Ghost of Abe Lincoln
After tragedy struck on April 14, 1865, the country found itself without the leader responsible for leading his people out of civil war and the Lincoln’s without their patriarch, President Abraham Lincoln. His final resting place was Springfield at the Oak Ridge Cemetery, along with his three youngest sons. There were attempts by grave robbers to seize President Lincoln’s remains while construction was being made but the plan was foiled by Secret Service. Since the memorial was built in 1876, there have been steady amount of claims made by visitors and staff members at the memorial regarding being able to hear weeping, whispers and footsteps around the memorial. There have also been sightings of the phantom train that carried Lincoln’s remains back to Springfield on the nearby train tracks.

 2) Old Book of Bartonville
In 1910 at the Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Manual Bookbinder worked as a grave digger for the hospital. His true name remains a mystery as the given name of Bookbinder was due to the job prior to grave digger that of binding books together. After burying the dead and attending the services of the deceased patients of the hospital, people that he would get to know from working there, he would lean and weep on the side of the elm tree that overlooked the cemetery. When Bookbinder passed away, he received a funeral service and burial at the same cemetery where he worked, as he was beloved by patients and staff alike. During that ceremony, people attending could actually see the ghost of Old Book, wailing beside that same elm tree meanwhile Bookbinder’s body still lay in the casket.

Soon after his death, the old elm tree began to die. As the hospital attempted to remove the elm tree, workers found that every attempt was met with the cry of Bookbinder. One man reported trying to remove the tree using an axe and when he struck the tree, it was as if he hit someone with the axe, as ear-piercing cries could be heard. Eventually, the elm tree was struck with lighting and the tree was able to be removed. Along with its removal came silence as the cries stopped.

 3) 12th floor Ghosts of the Congress Hotel
In 1939, a Czech woman by the name of Adele Langer and her two boys found refuge at the Congress Hotel in Chicago, as it was used to host refugees in both World Wars. Langer’s husband was supposed to meet up with them in Chicago from Czechoslovakia but never showed up. As their visas were set to expire and no sign from Mr. Langer, she fell into a deep depression which then triggered a nervous breakdown. On Aug. 4, 1939, the anxiety became too much and snapped. She had taken the kids to the Lincoln Park Zoo and upon arrival to their room, she threw her kids and herself off the ledge of the room and died. That same day, an unopened letter arrived, informing that the family was offered permanent refuge in Canada. The husband, Mr. Langer, received the news and was so grief stricken that he also contemplated ending his life. Since then, people on the 12th floor has reported seeing their ghosts roam around, as one of the young boys reportedly chase around guests and staff alike.

Have you ever enjoyed a sour Lemonhead or a hot Atomic Fireball as a sweet treat? Both of those candies and more are a result of Illinois innovation!

Illinois has been the source of several sweet inventions throughout the state, while also being home to production centers for some of the largest, most iconic candy producers in the world.

Did you know the first blood bank in the nation was opened at Cook County hospital in 1937? During World War I soldiers who needed certain blood types had difficulty receiving the right kind of care. A Chicago physician, Bernard Fantus, came with up a way to preserve blood and store it for longer periods of time so patients to access blood without having to for a donor.

The new blood bank opened on March 15, 1937 in Cook County Hospital. The initial opening cost was $1,500 and facilitated 1,354 transfusions in its first year. Previously, a patient would have to find a suitable donor on short notice. This method would create complications as there were matching errors and errors in preparation.   

Since the opening of the blood bank, millions have been saved by the readily available blood. According to Cook County Health, nearly 21 million blood components are transfused a year. This medical innovation is one Illinois’ many contributions to growth and development in our country.