Bachelor Grove Cemetery Chicago

The most haunted team are well aware of the wonderful infrared photograph that was taken by Jude Huff-Felz during a parapsychological investigation by the Ghost Research Society in Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois, on August 10, 1991.

On 2nd January 2004 the alMost Haunted team set out for the cemetery in an effort to find this famous ghost. With instruments at ready, and several bottles of whisky left over from hogmanay in hand, the team carefully scanned the cemetery for any signs of abnormal activity. Suddenly the electromagnetic meter went wild - everyone became excited until we discovered that Bob was on his mobile phone ordering up pizzas and the UHF signal was affecting the reading. Sadly, despite 4 hours in the cold, three bottles of whisky and eight pizzas the team left without a single picture.

We did however manage to take a photo of the original photograph that was taken in 1991. This photo shows a young lady with long hair sitting on a tombstone. She appears to wear a light coloured dress that reaches her ankles.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery has been in use since 1864. It was used by gangsters to dump their victims after brutal murders. The burial ground is very small and has a dank mysterious little pond.

Ruthin Castle Wales

In 1163 the castle was in the possession of Lord Rhys, who ruled over Deheubarth at a time of stability and harmony, a time, moreover, of a renaissance of Welsh culture, music, poetry and law. After the death of this great ruler, conflict over the succession arose between his sons, and thereafter the important castle figures repeatedly in the turbulent years of dynastic struggles between the Welsh princes, and the wars between the Welsh and the English in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

Ruthin Castle is located in the town, Denbighshire, north Wales. The town is fairly small. It is now a Best western hotel. Originally, the castle, a Welsh fortress, has the reputation of being haunted – yes, like most castles – by a woman known as “The Grey Lady” for being dressed from head to toe in grey. She was the wife of the second in command at the castle when it was a fortress and was inhabited by the armies of Edward I. She has been seen wandering outside the castle, as well as the chapel and the medieval banqueting hall, hey she’s just taking a stroll, being in the dark for so long, that’s not fun –

According to rumors and legends, The Grey Lady’s husband was having an affair with a local peasant lady – tttttt naughty, naughty - and then she decided to murder her love rival with an axe, ouch, that hurts! When it was discovered, she was sentenced to death and executed for her crime, she was buried in the area around the battlements, as no local priests would allow her to be buried on consecrated ground. Her grave is still be seen today by millions of visitors. From time to time she has been seen wandering outside the castle; hey it’s much more fun outside!

Another soul that has been seen haunting the castle is a Medieval knight in armor wearing only one gauntlet (glove). There is a strange glowing ball of light that has been seen at the castle by many visitors and locals. Known as orbs it is believed that these orbs are the souls of the dead. They are probably stuck between two worlds and cannot find their way any more, too bad.

So if you feel like taking a tour at Ruthin Castle, be prepared for a spooky and freaky night, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Woburn Abbey

Woburn has been the home of the Dukes of Bedford for over three centuries. Since the opening in 1955, millions of tourists have visited Woburn, inspecting its treasures and 3000 acre deer park; very popular for deer hunting.
The house was rebuilt by Inigo Jones in the mid-18th century and a century later, additional buildings were added to the house. Today Woburn has one of the most important art collections in the world as well as collections of English and French furniture.

So what could be haunting this nice castle? Many visitors have felt a presence in some rooms on the top floor of the castle. They were reflecting an tremendous atmosphere of misery and unhappiness- poor souls, probably can’t find their ways to a better place, it’s not fun to stay in the same place over and over again- So who are these ghosts? Well, apparently, many guests have said to see different figures, one of them one morning the Duchess found Paul Getty jumping up and down in the corridor where the guest bedrooms were situated. He told her that a woman guest had complained that the door to her bedroom and dressing room had kept opening in the night and she had to get up five times to shut them. The reason why Paul was jumping was to see if there was a vibration from the corridor affecting the doors.

The ghost of a monk is also haunting the Abbey and has been seen mostly in the crypt – ohh, it does sounds like The Tales of the Crypt- Freaky- where he was buried centuries ago. He is thought to be the abbot of Woburn who was hanged when he opposed Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn. But this monk is not the most powerful ghost on the premises. And the most recent haunting of the Abbey that took place is the ghost of a young man who was half strangled and later drowned in the lake – now, come one, that’s not nice, barbarians!- But he still likes to hang around from time to time. Guests claim that they have seen doors open and close for him as he enters the rooms.

The Abbey is not the only place to be haunted by a friendly ghost. The summerhouse is haunted by the Duke’s grandmother. Her plane mysteriously crashed on the east cost, she died at the age of 64. It is not her ghost that haunts the place but an overwhelming feeling of sadness, as if her unhappy spirit lives on and carries on- maybe she just likes it over there and just wants to stay. Who knows?

Mary King's Close: Ghosts beneath the streets of old Edinburgh, Scotland

A close is a very narrow lane that joins two larger roads. It houses taverns, shops and residences. These lively closes are also practical shortcuts. Mary King’s Close was a 17th century street in the old city of Edinburgh, in Scotland. Much of the Close is still intact and in its original state. Shops and houses can be inspected - and some ghostly figures have been experienced over the years in this “Street of Sorrows.” Edinburgh is famous for its ancient and crumbling streets, with small closes everywhere. They probably have old secrets from the past, but the biggest dark secret is the one of Mary King’s Close. I would not adventure myself in there, way too claustrophobic!

The story began in the 17^th Century when the Close was just one of the many crowded cities in Scotland with many streets, houses and businesses all around. The conditions of living in Mary King’s Close were grimy, dirty, with people wandering all over. But that was not the worse of Mary King’s Close for people living there. At this time, Britain was having a terrible plague that was consuming the population and of course Scotland was not left out- hey you want to have friends in here- and privileged people decided to do something about it in a very cruel and inhumane way.

Mary King’s Close was mainly underground, and the city council decided to block the close instead of evacuating the tiny alley, from one end to the other they bricked it up – Not cool at all – As a result many people were left trapped inside those walls with the diseases running around – sure like little bugs- Their cries could be heard from the outside, no wonder it’s haunted, with all these poor souls trapped, not fun. Mary King’s Close was left like that for a year; that is a long time! Until the council decided to open it again; the bodies of those trapped inside being cut apart by local butchers so the remains could be carried through the streets and buried in mass graves around the city. It is estimated that between 400 to 600 people died in the Close, men, women and children. That’s for sure they did not have the penicillin at this time! The Close was permanently closed in the 19^th century. Now it is haunted by many ghosts, one famous is the one of a 10 year old little girl who died in the plague. Her name was Annie. Tourists with no prior knowledge of the ghosts or even the reputation of the close have reported seeing her. Dolls were left for Annie as these visitors really felt her presence. But she is not the only one. A ghost pretty mean, a landlord who in the past probably made the lives of his residents very miserable with high rent and poor conditions of living strongly haunts this place chilling the visitors of the Mary King’s Close.

Chillingham Castle

Chillingham Castle located deep in the English countryside, between Newcastle and Edinburgh (Scotland), is one of the most haunted castles in the world. In the 1200s, this castle was known as the “Home of the Torturers”. The vicious torturer’s name was John Sage. He created the most painful and barbaric devices one could find. Brr, just to think about it, I would not like being in the patients shoes! His favourite was the cage, in which he would place his victims before lighting a fire beneath them. He would watch, as, bit by bit, the victim slowly cook from the feet up. You really have to be wired wrong to do such a thing! Sage's spirit still returns to Chillingham, and many say you can feel his breath on the back of your neck as you walk the cold corridors. Well it will not happen to me, because I would not visit this charming little place.

Many ghosts inhabit this little mansion and the most famous one is called ‘The Radiant boy”. No one knows his name or who he is; one just knows he had a very terrible and mysterious death. His bones are buried in a secret passage behind the wall-one will have to pay me big money just to set a foot in there!- Could he have been placed in the wall still alive? No one will ever know. But his spirit is here and haunts what is called the Pink room, people say he is emerging from the wall, a weird light surrounding him, his face has no form, no eyes, no mouth- it’s going to be hard for him to see where he’s going, watch that wall! But when night comes, the silent is shattered by cries and complaints of a child in pain. The bones are now interred at a local churchyard.

But this little boy is not the only resident of Chillingham castle. A famous ghost is Lady Mary Berkeley, the wife of Lord Grey of Wark and Chillingham. She spends her nights wandering in the corridors of the castle – well, she’s probably bored- She is looking for her husband who ran away with her own sister- now, this is not cool, traitor- Lady Mary was then left all alone in the castle with her infant child, and heartbroken. Visitors who came to visit Chillingham castle have often heard the rustle of an old fashioned dress or a chill as if the ghost of Lady Mary has walked by. This beautiful castle, though the story of many deaths, tortures and misfortunes, has since the 13^th century be owned by the same family, the Earls Grey- tea owner- and their relatives. The castle has been restored many times and is now open to the public.

Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee

Bell Witch Cave is located in the small and sleepy town of Adams, Tennessee. The cave lies hidden on the side of a bluff on the former property of John Bell’s family house. It is a story to really make your skin crawl. The event started in 1817 and has always intrigued people since the early 19^th century. The Bells were successful farmers when something happened that turned their world upside down by a paranormal phenomena. The two main persons the ghosts were after was John Bell himself and his 12 year old little girl, Betsy. This spiritual creature was very strong minded in seeing John Bell dead. At the beginning the house was afflicted with knocking noises and scratching sounds and soon the sounds looked like dogs fighting and wings flapping around this big mansion. Dog fights? I would’ve not like being in the house at that time, boo no! But as the story tells, John Bell did in fact die at the hands of the Bell Witch.

The Bell family kept the secret for a long time. I would too, saying that your house is haunted, ghost no! But in 1818, John Bell has been afflicted with a strange disease that affected his jaw and tongue. Soon, the ghost claimed herself and said she was the witch of Kate Batts, a woman (his neighbor) who hated John Bell because of a bad business transaction. She started to threaten him and definitely stating she would kill him, poor guy, his life was just beginning to be Hell! The ghost was called the Bell Witch because it called herself that and was constantly harassing the Bell family

But after some time the Bell family could not keep the secret any longer and they had to tell someone. They told some of their closest friends. They asked some friends to come and sleep over just to see for themselves, I don’t know if I would like to be in a haunted house just to hear weird things, not my favorite sleepover! So they did, and they heard laughter and had the sheets pulled off of them, boo, put that back dude, it’s cold! But no one could defeat the Bell Witch.

Unfortunately, Betsy Bell was also a victim of the Bell Witch ghost’s cruelty. The Witch “Kate” has been torturing Betsy for days, pinching and slapping her and worse, pulling her hair, ouch, that hurts! But this is more than being a ghost, it is more like a demoniac phenomena such as infestation, oppression and possession of premises. Kate Batts had only one purpose and one purpose only, to kill and see that John Bell would die. He died after three years of being tormented him and his family. After his death the haunting subsided.

So who was really the Bell Witch? Kate Batts’ghost? Or just an entity that created itself? No one will ever know. But whatever the Bell Witch was, the residents of Adams, Tennessee believe she still hangs around. Hey, maybe I’ll go check it out, who knows…

Dudleytown in north western Connecticut

Cornwall is located in the northwestern corner of Connecticut. There lie the remains of a small town now famous for the settlement of Dudleytown, which is said to be one of the most haunted places in the USA. Dudleytown was founded by Thomas Griffis in February 1645; the town was actually settled by—and named after—three Dudley brothers, who moved there a few years later. The founders of the settlement were the great grand sons of Edmund Dudley who had been minister of Henry VII of England. And these three brothers supposedly brought over a curse from England that infected the land ever since. Charming, looks like the curse decided to cross the ocean as well, probably wanted to seek new adventures!

People however do still explore Dudleytown and a lot of strange activity has been reported, paranormal phenomena such as dark creatures are roaming around those woods. They are said to chase down their human prey with ruthless abandon, causing madness from fear or sometimes mauling and killing their unfortunate victims. There are instances of strange lights and reports of demonic rituals. Strange sounds frighten would-be visitors away. Ghosts and poltergeists seem to be the only remaining residents. Are you sure you want to go alone in those woods? I’m not so sure, maybe another time, way other time. The most frequent event reported are large black shadowy beings that seem to guard the woods. Some others say that these shadows rise out of the foundations of ruined houses that scared the curious who wandered into the woods. Sure would scare me! I’d run so fast, I would probably be faster than the shadow itself! It is very well known that Dudleytown procures bad vibes to people.

But what happened back then to bring such a fright to people and instigate such a paranormal activity? Well the town began in 1740 as a farming town of around ten families including the great grandsons of Edmund Dudley. It was this family that brought Dudleytown to life but probably to its death as well. The inhabitants of the town supplemented their income by felling lumber to produce charcoal for the iron industry in a nearby town. It was a difficult life, but it seemed that most settlers of Dudleytown were doing wonderfully, until something manifested itself with full and violent force upon Dudleytown. People seemed to loose their mind and madness invaded the town. Some members were struck by lightning and died; others hanged themselves and some of them committed murders, diseases and so on. Oooh, that’s for sure I would not even set a foot near this town, too freecky, madness? Do people really loose their mind after seeing a big creature? Well, it seemed like it because they all had something in common, they all saw a big monster bursting out from the forest. Death and misfortune stroke the people of Dudleytown well over the 20^th Century.

So, is Dudleytown really haunted? It seems that everyone has a different opinion on this matter. But the many photographs taken by different tourists seem to suggest it is!!

The Lemp Mansion Located in St. Louis, Missouri

The Lemp Mansion is one of the most haunted places in America. The story begins in the 1800s. A nice gentleman called John Adam Lemp came to America from Germany and settle his nest in Saint Louis, Missouri, a peaceful town at the time. He became a grocer and his store soon became very popular, quite a success, for a little immigrant, don’t you think? But it did not become popular because of its groceries but because of its beers. Germany is the country of beer. John Lemp brewed a full-bodied larger beer, a new taste for the American people. it was a light golden beer and was very different from the ones you can find at the time and from the English Ales. Then Lemp decided to leave the grocery business and devote his time entirely to the beer manufacture, which made him a millionaire. Cool, I would like to be a millionaire too, pretty nice way to make it to the top.

After his father died, John Adam Lemp built the business even more and became very famous. He built a brewery that was so big that it covered almost 5 blocks. By 1970, the Lemp brewery was the largest in St. Louis. In 1876, John Lemp bought a mansion that his father-in-law built. The mansion was so huge –hey, I would not mind having one like that, without the ghost of course – that it was occupied by the family but served as well as an office for the brewery company. He thought it was not big enough so he expanded it to make it a 33 room Victorian beautiful house. The decor of the mansion was odd in many ways. The atrium was decorated in a jungle theme, and in this room they kept exotic plants and animals. You had better need a map if you don’t want to get lost in there. A bunch of tunnel were built underground that would connect the house and the brewery. William Lemp Jr. son of John Lemp, constructed a ballroom, auditorium and swimming pool in these tunnels, that’s it? William J. Lemp was the first member of the Lemp family to live there.

Lemp beer was one of the great financial success stories in America. William Lemp, Sr. taught the business to his favorite son, Frederick, unfortunately, the long, hard work hours proved too much for Frederick Lemp and he died from heart failure in 1901 at the age of 28. His father was heart-broken and never recovered from his loss. He became a hermit, very few public appearances and used the tunnels for his daily trips from the mansion to the brewery. Just three years later, William J. Lemp, Sr. shot himself in his office at the mansion.

The paranormal events in the mansion started in 1977 when the house was sold. When renovation began to make the Lemp mansion into a bed and breakfast, workers were disturbed by inexplicable banging noises and objects moving about on their own, boo, spooky. Who wants to see a flying object anyway! What was most disturbing was the creepy sensation that they were being watched. Some of the men claimed that the unseen stares practically burned through them. Today visitors say they see strange lights and feel cold spots.

Well if you want to know more about this story, you can always go there, stay in one of the rooms and see what happens…..chilly…

Gettysburg Battlefield, in southern Pennsylvania

Gettysburg a small town located in Pennsylvania is a historical landmark just at itself and is known to be one of the most haunted places in America. Give me a break! The battlefield is famous and will remain so for decades. The battle took place during the civil war in the United States, between the South and the North and has cost the lives of 48,000 brave soldiers. Many people believe that the Gettysburg battlefield is haunted by the souls of dead soldiers. Come on, is this for real?

The pall of gunfire and the smell of death hung heavy over Gettysburg at the end of the day on July 3, 1863. Tourists visiting the battlefield say they have experienced or seen paranormal activity, such as an energy orange light moving in the air. Are you sure it’s a ghost? Maybe somebody is having fun with people! However, the battlefield is not the only place that seems to be haunted by soldiers. The Cashtown Inn has its reputation as well.

During the Civil war, the ghost of an unidentified soldier has been seen walking the halls of the inn. People have heard his footstep in the attic, and he likes to knock on the door of Room Number 4 in the middle of the night. Boo, I would not sleep in this room, that’s for sure, a ghostly visitor? No thanks. The spirit was very active when the inn was undergoing restoration, but he still makes himself known when summer comes around, especially around the end of June and early July. Well, maybe he just wants to get a suntan! Another "ghost" or perhaps the same, had been seen in Room Number 4, I think it’s the same unless he has buddies; or standing in the one doorway that leads into the area behind the bar. "He" might have been caught, accidentally or because he chose to be, in a famous photograph of the front of the Inn. This picture was taken in the late 1890s, which apparently shows a man wearing what looks like a floppy, "slouch" hat-popular with Confederate soldiers-and an oversized shell jacket of the Southern infantry, because, as if appearing in an old 1860s style photo, he does not appear very clearly and is out of focus. Check your camera dude.

This Inn is not the only hotel haunted by dead soldier souls wandering around; I guess they are stuck between two worlds. The Farnsworth House Inn on Baltimore Street has a long, and some say haunted, history in Gettysburg. The original part of this house was built in 1810 and a brick portion was added in 1833. The house was built by John McFarland. The Sweney family occupied the premises during the Civil War battle, and then it was later opened as an Inn in the early 1900’s.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, near Midlothian, Illinois

Bachelor’s Grove is one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States. Located near the south suburbs of Chicago on the edge of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, Midlothian, Illinois the cemetery is abandoned and dishevelled. Ooohh…Spooky. For sure I will not go there, especially at night, no ghost for me. The name Bachelor’s Grove came from the fact that a lot of single men were living in the area and no one has been buried in there since the 1960s. Among the ghosts that are haunting this charming place are; a farmer with his horse pulling a plough, (whom drowned in a river), the White Lady who appears only during full moon, sure like the wolf and all, and of course a lot of mobsters and murder victims from the 1920s Chicago.

A lot of strange paranormal phenomena have been reported such as actual apparitions, unexplained sights and sounds and even glowing balls of light. But even the day one can feel some kind of presence, really frightening! Well at least one won’t be in the dark to find the way! The haunted history of the Bachelor’s Grove cemetery began in 1844 when the area was left behind as a burial ground, first called "Everdon's". It was actually the first burial in the cemetery and has been used until 1965, when things began to drift off until 1989 when another burial occurred, the ashes of a local were interred.

It is in the mid 1880’s that the cemetery was known at Bachelor’s Grove and has around 125 people buried in it. But problems began when the road leading to the cemetery became a popular “lover’s lane”, quite a charming place for a romantic date, don’t you think? Anyway, in 1965, it was closed because of the way it was left abandoned and forgotten, but this was only the beginning. People say that things have gotten worse and that satanic and occultists groups perform ceremonies, leaving behind them the remains of their Satanism, even Vandals have left few of the graves still standing and many tombstones have been stolen and stories report that the graves move by themselves.

To enter Bachelor’s Grove cemetery, you have to take a small gravel trail away from the turnpike, are you sure you want to go there? Beware of the spooky ghosts! It is on this small road that people have reported that they saw a white farmhouse that appears and disappears. The house is always described in the same way by visitors, as a white house with porch pillars, a swing and a soft light burning in the window, but it never stays in the same place and the house have been seen during daylight and night but there is no historical record stating that a house was ever being built there. Oohhh, strange…

The most famous ghost reported is the one of the farmer and his horse whom two forest rangers have spotted guiding his horse and plough more than one hundred years later. So, are you up for a little fright? You want a romantic date with your loved one, why not surprise her and take her to Bachelor’s Grove, I’m sure she’ll like it! Just be ready to spend a lot of night outside on the porch!