Sometimes a little inspiration can be just the trick to bring out that inner child. There's a make-believe park in Southern Illinois that is perfect for playing pretend all day long, and it's ideal for all ages.
Grab the kids or head out on your own to this epic playground. Scroll on for details about where to find this place and what to do once you get there.
Kid's Kingdom is a little-known park in the town of McLeansboro that locals love to visit when the weather is nice. Filled with color and interesting structures, this park is a paradise for both big and little minds.
Located within the Edgar Satterfield Kiwanis Park in Southern Illinois, this play place represents historic McLeansboro. Kids of all ages can pretend to run the town and make up tales about the goings on.
The design of the playground inspires imagination and creativity. A pretend train, a wooden castle, and a make-believe village populate this unique park.
Open daily from dawn until dusk, this Hamilton County wonder is a little-known make-believe park that belongs on your bucket list. Stop by for a few hours of fun in this historic fantasy world.
Kid's Kingdom is located at 402 Will, Meadow Acres Dr., McLeansboro, IL 62859, and you can learn more about it on the McLeansboro official city website here.
Some of the eeriest abandoned places in Illinois are also among the most beautiful. After all, there's a strange fascination surrounding once-bustling buildings and formerly thriving communities that now sit in ruin. While a sense of sadness permeates these spots, we can't help but be fascinated by the way they've been reclaimed by nature and, sometimes, found themselves at the center of local legends. While we don't condone trespassing, many of the most iconic abandoned places in Illinois can be admired via urban explorers' photography.
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Get out and explore the deserted pockets of abandoned Illinois with this handy list. Check it out:
1. Ashmore Estates - Ashmore
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. While renovation efforts have taken place over the years (with some still reportedly in the works), there's a real sense of spookiness about Ashmore Estates.
2. Old Shawneetown - Gallatin County
Due to the flooding of the Ohio River in 1937, this once-thriving town is currently home to fewer than 300 people. Most businesses are shut down and most buildings are abandoned places locals no longer frequent. While Old Shawneetown has a haunting past, there has been blooming from the rubble with the establishment of modern-day Shawneetown, which was rebuilt in the generations following the flood, not too far from these abandoned neighborhoods in Illinois.
3. Cahokia Mounds - Collinsville
The Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site preserves the burial mounds of an Indian civilization which inhabited the area from 900 to 1500 AD. | Location: Collinsville, Illinois, USA.
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. Talk about a fascinating way to connect with the earliest people who called our region home.
4. Cairo - Alexander County
Abandoned building in downtown Cairo, Illinois, USA.
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. And it's one of those creepy places in IL that you may remember forever.
5. Bachelor's Grove Cemetery - Midlothian
Burials at this cemetery began around 1840 and ceased around 1989. It is small with only 82 plots and is believed to be very haunted, with reports of everything from strange creatures to floating orbs among the tombs. Just 25 miles from Chicago, the cemetery is one of Illinois' most famous haunted places. Learn more about this chilling place in this YouTube video from @grimmlifecollective:
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6. Iron Furnace - Hardin County
The Illinois Iron Furnace is the only remaining iron furnace structure in the state of Illinois. Iron was manufactured at the Illinois Furnace by the charcoal blast method. The exterior of the furnace was manufactured of large limestone blocks quarried near the town of Cave-In-Rock.
Situated in the Shawnee Forest along the Ohio River near the town of Rosiclaire is a historic, abandoned furnace that once used to smelt iron that was mined nearby. It was in operation from 1839 to 1883, though it went into decline long before that. While it might be a little-known wonder here in Illinois, we think it's well worth seeking out when you're looking for an out-of-the-box roadside stop.
7. Damen Silos - Chicago
Located at 29th and Damen on the banks of the Chicago River, this is a popular spot for teens to roam. It is technically illegal to go here, so we don't advise stopping by to see for yourself. 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. And I wouldn't be surprised if they are among the most haunted places in Illinois.
8. Savanna Army Depot - Carroll and Jo Daviess 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. In its heyday, it spanned 13,000 acres, though most of that is now a nature preserve.
9. Joliet Correctional Center - Joliet
Abandoned Old Joliet Correctional Center Prison in Illinois
Though mostly deteriorated, 24 buildings on this campus had been in operation as a jail from 1958 to 2002. It is surrounded by high walls with barbed wire and includes guard towers, a hospital, a gym, a cafeteria, a church, and more. There's something so fascinating yet so sad about imagining the experiences of prisoners here during the institution's operational years. If you want to hear some incredible haunted stories, read the Haunted Joliet Prison book.
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10. Manteno State Hospital - Kankakee County
“Abandoned building from the Manteno State Mental Hospital in Manteno, Illinois”
Horror movies about old psych wards are probably all based on this one. 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.
You can learn more about some of these and other locations in Michael G. Wright's book Abandoned and Unusual Southern Illinois. Now that you're up to date on some of the most unique abandoned places in Illinois, we'd love to know if there are any other long-defunct spots in your area that should be featured in an upcoming article. Have you ever had the opportunity to experience a spooky spot in real time? Recommend some of your favorite purportedly haunted places in Illinois by completing our nomination form.
When I turned 40, I made a promise to myself that this would be my best year yet. I would get reacquainted with the "me" that existed before becoming a partner, mom, and coworker; I would tap into my truest self and embrace the awesome and wise woman I am. I would travel to the places I write about, alone and with my kids. I would get out of my own way; making "yes, and" my mantra and see where that got me.
My spontaneous "yes and" mindset was put to the test a few weeks ago, when I got a text on a random weekday asking if I'd be up for seeing P!INK the following weekend in Chicago. I thought about it for less than a minute; I was in. I found a cheap (and direct!) flight from CVG to Midway, and Jackie used her budget traveling stealth to secure us a room at the Congress Hotel, a historic hotel right on Michigan Avenue just minutes from the stadium.
Navy Pier and city skyline with the John Hancock Center from Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Packing for such a quick trip was a breeze; I was able to fit everything into a sleek backpack. I'd never flown into Chicago before; the waters of Lake Michigan are a brilliant cobalt blue and the cityscape -- with its striking architecture and iconic attractions -- is breathtaking. My 10-year-old is super into baseball right now and was delighted at this photo I snapped flying over the White Sox stadium:
Sarah McCosham/Only In Your State
I landed around 3 p.m. and took an Uber to the hotel. After a quick shower, we decided to make the most of a beautiful Saturday afternoon and take in the (iconic) views along Lake Shore Drive. Chicago is an incredibly walkable town and it's easy to get around on foot or with public transportation, which kept this trip extremely affordable, especially as we split the bill (and our concert tickets were just $40).
Sarah McCosham/Only In Your State
The concert itself was awesome - if you ever get the chance to see P!INK, do it. She put on an incredible show that brought me back to high school in all the best ways. More importantly, though, if you ever get the opportunity to drop everything and rendezvous with a lovely friend for a night in the city, do it. This kind of spontaneous travel makes way for the kind of memories that last a lifetime.
Soldier Field (formerly Municipal Grant Park Stadium), dedicated to men and women of U.S. armed forces, located on Lake Shore Drive, in the Near South Side, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 1924 landmark football field, home to NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Writing for Only In Your State has awakened a curiosity about the world for which I'm incredibly grateful. Travel fuels my soul and makes me a more inspired writer and better human. The perspective that comes with age has let me embrace a "Yes and" mantra and the opportunities that come my way. Adventures are all around us and sometimes, a spontaneous getaway with a friend is all you need to be reminded of just how awesome life is.
