Bachelor's Grove Cemetery


Chicago, IL

Located in a suburb of Chicago, Bachelor's Grove Cemetery is an abandoned graveyard in the middle of Rubio Woods Forest Preserve. From the looks of it, the place used to be home to a number of houses, as told from the empty wells in the forest near the cemetery. Many strange stories have been told about Bachelor's Grove; it is reported as being one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States! Sightings of spirit lights (blue orbs), a creature in the adjoining lagoon, phantom cars and bodies, and a disappearing house(!) has been the make-up of the lore surrounding the cemetery.

When I visited Bachelor's Grove in the beginning of March, 2004, I went during broad daylight on a chilly afternoon. The fables of the graveyard being shrouded in darkness at all times of the day is an absolute lie to get kids creeped out. The cemetery was actually peaceful and sunny when my boyfriend and I found it. Most of the graves have been destroyed by vandals or time. The last burial occurred sometime in the 1960's, and it shows. Brush has grown up around headstones, and the fence is smashed in by a fallen tree on one side. Although I didn't see anything creepy in the form of ghosts, lights, creatures, etc., I did find a truckload of junk strewn about the site. Probably discarded by teenagers partying at night, leaving their folding chairs, dropping their keys, beer cans, and the like when the police came to check the place out. (The police heavily patrol this area and WILL ticket anyone they catch for trespassing at night! I know this from a hapless victim of such injustices! (He was not doing anything bad, only wanted to search for spirits.)


If you happen to visit Bachelor's Grove, please refrain from destroying what remains of this historical site. No graffiti, no stealing, no grave rubbing (it deteriorates the headstones and makes them illedgible), and please, don't leave trash lying around! Taking pictures is the best way to appreciate this famous cemetery, and you may be awarded in the pictures you bring back from the trip by capturing something on film previously unseen to the human eye!


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