The near western suburbs of Cook County and neighboring DuPage County are home to some of the Chicago area’s best-known ghost stories and paranormal legends. While there is no scientific evidence that any of these locations are actually haunted, they have become an important part of local folklore and attract ghost hunters, historians, and curious visitors alike.
One of the most famous sites is Munger Road, which crosses the Cook–DuPage county line near Bartlett. According to local legend, a school bus carrying children was struck by a train at the railroad crossing, and visitors claim to experience mysterious lights, hear phantom screams, or find unexplained handprints on their vehicles. Although historians have found no evidence that such a school bus accident occurred there, the legend remains one of Illinois’ most enduring ghost stories.
In Clarendon Hills, the historic Country House has long been associated with reports of paranormal activity. Employees and diners have described seeing the apparition of a young woman, hearing unexplained footsteps, doors opening by themselves, and objects moving without explanation. The building has been featured in numerous books and television programs about haunted Illinois.
Benedictine University in Lisle has developed its own collection of ghost stories over the years. Students have reported seeing the ghost of a young boy running across campus before disappearing, mysterious figures inside older buildings, and unexplained electronic disturbances. These accounts have become part of campus folklore passed down between generations of students.
Near Oak Brook, the historic Evangelical Church Cemetery is often associated with stories involving Civil War-era spirits and unexplained apparitions. Located near the historic Graue Mill, visitors have reported ghostly figures, strange lights, and an unusual atmosphere, making it one of DuPage County’s better-known paranormal locations.
The former Ovaltine Factory in Villa Park also became the subject of local legends after the abandoned factory attracted urban explorers during the 1970s and 1980s. Stories circulated about mysterious noises, cold spots, and alleged occult activity. Although the factory has since been demolished and replaced with residential development, paranormal tales continue to surround the site.
In nearby Wheaton, the former funeral home that now houses One Twenty Live has inspired numerous ghost stories. Staff and patrons have reported hearing footsteps, voices, and doors opening without explanation, while others describe an unsettling feeling of being watched.
Together, these locations illustrate how the near western suburbs of Cook and DuPage counties have developed a rich tradition of supernatural folklore. Whether rooted in historical events, urban legends, or local imagination, these stories continue to be shared through books, ghost tours, and community traditions, adding another layer to the region’s history and cultural identity.
Haunted Near West Suburbs Tour Information -> PDF files
5 entries so far…
COUNTRY HOUSE
255
Clarendon Hills, IL 60643
The Beverly Unitarian Church in Chicago is housed in the famous Givins Beverly Castle, a limestone “castle” built in 1886 in the Beverly neighborhood. Over the years the building has served as a private residence, a girls’ school, and eventually a Unitarian Universalist church after the congregation purchased it in the 1940s. Because of its unusual medieval-style architecture, long history, and multiple uses, it has accumulated a strong reputation for being one of Chicago’s more haunted locations.
Local legends and paranormal stories say the castle is home to lingering spirits from its past. One commonly repeated tale involves a student who allegedly died there in the early 20th century, and is said to still appear in the building. Other accounts describe unexplained footsteps, sudden cold spots, and mysterious figures glimpsed in the towers or hallways. In some versions, staff and visitors have reported strange sensations or objects moving without explanation, especially when the building was used as a church and later as a preschool.
While none of these stories are verified and they are considered urban legends, they have become part of the castle’s identity in Chicago folklore. The building’s dramatic design and long, layered history make it a natural setting for ghost stories, even though it continues to function today as an active community church and meeting space.
Beverly Unitarian Church -> Website
COUNTRY HOUSE
241 55th Street, Clarendon Hills
The Country House Restaurant that currently stands on this site, was once a roadhouse back in the day. There are two stories that could be the reason for stories of the building being haunted. One was that a woman asked if she could leave her baby with the bartender while she runs some errands. The owner refused, so the woman left with said child and shortly crashed into a tree killing herself and the child. Another story is that a woman hanged herself in one of the upper story rooms.
[41°47’18.3″N 87°57’19.4″W]
Country House of Clarendon Hills -> HauntedHouses.com
THE ITALIAN BRIDE
Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside
The Italian Bride was named Julia (nee Buccola) Petta. She died at the age of 29 while giving birth and the baby also perished. She was buried in her wedding dress with the baby in her arms. Afterwards for years her mother, Philomena, had dreams about Julia. In these dreams, Julia wanted her mother to open her grave and exhume her body. After 6 years, her mother won the case and Julia was dug up. Julia’s body was perfectly preserved even though the infant child in her arms was decayed and skeletonized. She was re-interred and a new headstone was erected, paid for by people who considered her to be holy. A photograph was taken and placed on her new headstone.
[41°47’18.3″N 87°57’19.4″W]
The Italian Bride -> American Hauntings
Julia Petta: The Italian Bride -> Wikipedia
ROBERT R. MCCORMICK MANSION
Cantigny Park – 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
The Robert R. McCormick Mansion was once the home of Robert R. McCormick, a member of the wealthy and powerful McCormick family, made that way by the invention of the McCormick Reaper, which revolutionized the grain industry. Robert was a lawyer, a Chicago Republican Alderman and eventually publisher of the Chicago Tribune.
There is a small graveyard near the mansion, where Robert and his family were buried. There has been reports of upper story lights turning on and off and a sighting of a little girl appearing in a window, as if gazing out over the gardens.
[41°51’20.9″N 88°09’13.5″W]
Cantigny Park -> Website
Robert R. McCormick -> Wikipedia
RESURRECTION MARY 1 | RESURRECTION MARY 2
Willowbrook Ballroom Site, Willow Springs | Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, Justice
Resurrection Mary is a legend in Chicago. She is unknown for sure but believed to be of Polish ancestry. She was once thought to be Mary Bregovy, but her story does not fit. Perhaps she is actually Anna “Majira” Norkus, but we shall never known for sure. She was believed to have been killed while walking home to Justice from a dance at the Oh Henry / Willowbrook Ballroom.
There have been many sightings of a girl hitch-hiking along Archer Avenue between the Willowbrook Ballroom and Resurrection Cemetery. Just as the drivers pass the cemetery, the girl always vanishes without a trace. There have also been sightings of a woman in white aimlessly wandering the cemetery at night. Supposedly Resurrection Mary was seen inside the cemetery at night. A woman was yelling, thinking someone had been locked in for the night. The figure inside came to the fence and in the morning, handprints had been bent into the bars, as well as the bars themselves were bent, as if something was trying to get out.
[41°43’43.3″N 87°52’54.2″W] | [41°45’35.4″N 87°49’38.7″W]
Resurrection Mary -> Wikpedia
Resurrection Mary -> WindyCityGhosts.com
SHOWMAN’S REST
Woodlawn Cemetery, Forest Park, IL
In 1918, the Hogenbeck Circus Train was stopped for the night in Hammond, IN. In the morning it was to continue onto Chicago, but it never got there. Instead someone wrongly switched a troop train onto the same track and tragedy struck! 56 persons were killed, along with numerous animals. Showman’s Rest is where these circus performers and workers are buried.
There have been reports of the sounds of animals at night. Is this the animals killed in that fiery wreck bemoaning their fate? Of course not! It is from the animals at Brookfield Zoo, a short distance away.
[41°51’02.7″N 87°49’05.9″W]
Showman’s Rest