Check Out These 5 Iconic Urban Legends In Illinois

Who doesn't love a great urban legend? Illinois has plenty of fun legends and stories that both haunt and capture the imagination of the state. We are looking at 5 legends that are popular in their area.

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Illinois Urban Legends

While Illinois has countless legends, let's take a look at 5 awesome urban legends.

• Homey the Clown

Scary clowns peaked on the internet in 2016, but this legend started way before that. In 1991 multiple kids reported this clown going by "Homey" driving down the streets in a creepy van, ready to lure children into it.

By the end of the investigation, Chicago police said it was nothing more than an urban legend.

• Murphysboro Mud Monster

During the Summer of 1973 in Murphysboro, Illinois a couple parked near a boat ramp and reportedly saw a large, non-human figure approaching them making a terrifying noise.

The police were notified about the incident. Obviously, the police didn't believe them, but after returning to the scene, large footprints were discovered.

A few other people reported seeing this matted creature. Since then, no sightings of the Murphysboro Mud Monster have been reported, but the story lives on in the area as an iconic urban legend.

• Ghost Lady at Kennedy Hill Road

This story blew up in popularity in the 80s. There are many different retellings of this one...

On this rural road, people reported seeing a woman in various stages of dress walking and then vanishing. There were numerous sightings of this person/ghost, but no one could explain it. Some people thought it was the ghost of a woman buried nearby. Others thought it was a mentally disabled person who had run away from home. The strangest explanation was that it was really a man wearing his dead girlfriend's clothing.

By spring no one ever saw the woman again...

• McPike Mansion, Alton

This home was built in 1869, it was then sold in 1908 to Paul Laichinger. Lainchinger's ghost is said to still haunt the property. This rumor started after a couple bought the home in the 1990s. There are a few different reports about what happened,

The woman reported seeing the spirit of a man through the window as she was outside doing some yard work. She was able to identify him as Laichinger because he was wearing the same outfit as seen in a photo. A paranormal investigation was conducted, and they reported hearing footsteps when no one could have made them.

• Vanishing Man, Egypt

This one is a basic one, but its simplicity is what makes it fun. A man boards a bus in Egypt, Illinois. When the bus crosses the bridge... he disappears.

According to the legend, the man is the same one who died at this bus stop many years ago. As I said, simple, but a classic that is similar to many other legends in other states.

If you love these five iconic legends you can learn more about them and others here.