Thrillist recently compiled a list entitled the Most Haunted Place in Every State. While Illinois’ most haunted spot isn’t a surprise, it’s certainly one spooky location. The Old Joliet Prison was opened until 2002 and was once home to serial killers John Wayne Gacy and Richard Speck.
“There were riots and slayings, executions and other maladies that made this place midwestern Oz between 1856 and 2002, when it closed and sat abandoned for nearly two decades,” Andy Kryza, a former Thrillist editor, said in the prison’s entry on Thrillist.
The site also might be familiar for another reason – it was the filming location for the classic 1980 film “The Blues Brothers.”
The prison is actually open as a tourist attraction, with regularly available tours. While self-guided tours take place on most weekdays, nighttime flashlight tours are offered on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Halloween.
Tours are $30 for members of the general public, $10 for members of the Joliet Area Historical Museum and $10 for children ages three to 12 years old.
Curious about the most haunted places in nearby states? Find them below.
- Indiana – The Haunted Bridge – Avon
- Iowa – Villisca Ax Murder House – Villisca
- Michigan – South Manitou Island – Leland
- Wisconsin – The Pfister Hotel – Milwaukee
