Shocking And Famous Abandoned Locations In Illinois

Illinois has a lot of memorable places that have gone into ruins over time. Many places either shut down after they passed their prime or were destroyed by a natural disaster.

These places are shockingly popular and well-known. Many of these spots are falling apart. They are considered unsafe and forbidden to explore... that doesn't stop videos of these spots from coming out.

Famous Abandoned Spots In Illinois

Some are spooky... some are fascinating, and some are just straight-up dangerous. Remember to never trespass on these spots.

According to sources these spots are popular in Illinois for those who like to check out haunted and forgotten places. Many of these spots are popular enough to have videos and shows about them uploaded and even aired on TV.

Damen Silos

These are located in Chicago and are very popular amongst teens to visit. It is illegal to visit, but many source state that it is still visited frequently.

Built in 1906, these 15-story grain silos were abandoned after an explosion in 1977, yet enough of its secret tunnels and rail line are still standing. These fascinating silos conjure memories of a long-gone era in Chicago and its surrounding areas.

 

Ashmore Estates

This spot has been featured on many different shows and YouTube channels. According to some sources, it is haunted.

Built in 1919, this long-abandoned building has a fascinating history. Following years of use as an almshouse, it operated as an asylum from 1959 to 1986. Today, it is rumored to be haunted by the ghosts of residents who once called it home.

Sadly over the last few years, there has been some vandalism on the property as it continues to get older. Thankfully there are still some talks about the spot getting fixed up.

Old Shawneetown 

After the major flooding of the Ohio River in 1937, this once-thriving town is currently home to fewer than 300 people. While most of it is forgotten and destroyed, the town was actually rebuilt three miles away and is now called "Shawneetown"

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More Famous Abandoned Illinois Spots

Only in your state named 10 of the most popular abandoned spots in Illinois, some of those spots are as follows:

• Manteno State Hospital (Kankakee County) - Known for being the site of lobotomies, shock treatments, and other unpleasant procedures, it was in operation from 1930 to 1989, though it was at peak capacity in the 1950s. While the vast majority of the grounds have been demolished or destroyed, a small number of buildings remain standing and provide plenty of content for ghost stories throughout Illinois and beyond.
• Joliet Correctional Center (Joliet) - Though mostly deteriorated, there are 24 buildings on this campus that had been in operation as a jail from 1958 to 2002.
• Savanna Army Depot (Carroll and Jo Davies counties) - Located along the Mississippi River, this building was once used by the U.S. military to store equipment for the Rock Island Arsenal, which is nearby. The depot was in use between 1917 and 2000.
• Cairo (Alexander County) - Located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in Southern Illinois sits an abandoned town you must visit before it withers away completely. It is currently home to fewer than 3,000 people and is rumored to be haunted. With a tragic and complex history, there's a lot to learn about Cairo, whether you believe in these ghost stories or not.
• Cahokia Mounds (Collinsville) - Though once a large Indigenous community that thrived, this plot of land has been left to decay since about the 1400s. Visitors can still see remnants of the community and learn how they engineered their way of life.

All these spots have a long history, and while they are still up today... some may not be for long. Have you seen or been to any of them?