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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bartonville has four documented haunted places in new Illinois index

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, the #1 site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Illinois's most haunted places is in Bartonville. The index ranks 156 Illinois sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Peoria State Hospital ranks #1. Dr. George A. Zeller, the hospital's first superintendent, persuaded state legislators to drop 'Incurable' from its name after it opened under his direction in 1902; patients unclaimed by family are buried across four cemeteries on the grounds, many marked only by number. Four separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1900. Visitors to the surviving buildings today describe a girl glimpsed in a former basement, sometimes seen playing with dolls, a shadow figure in the same space said to chase witnesses up the stairs, and heavy footsteps in the old men's ward.

Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Peoria State Hospital Museum, 4400 Industry Rd., Bartonville, offers museum tours and periodic guided history-and-paranormal evenings by appointment.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/illinois/The fact sheet, with Bartonville numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/illinois/Photo: Peoria State Hospital, on the fact sheet.Venue contact: peoriastatehospital.comA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bartonville has four documented haunted places in new Illinois index
A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, the #1 site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Illinois's most haunted places is in Bartonville. The index ranks 156 Illinois sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

Peoria State Hospital ranks #1. Dr. George A. Zeller, the hospital's first superintendent, persuaded state legislators to drop 'Incurable' from its name after it opened under his direction in 1902; patients unclaimed by family are buried across four cemeteries on the grounds, many marked only by number. Four separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1900. Visitors to the surviving buildings today describe a girl glimpsed in a former basement, sometimes seen playing with dolls, a shadow figure in the same space said to chase witnesses up the stairs, and heavy footsteps in the old men's ward.

Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, the state's most famous haunted site, misses the top ten.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:
Peoria State Hospital Museum, 4400 Industry Rd., Bartonville, offers museum tours and periodic guided history-and-paranormal evenings by appointment.

For media:
The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/illinois/
The fact sheet, with Bartonville numbers and cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/illinois/
Photo: Peoria State Hospital, on the fact sheet.
Venue contact: peoriastatehospital.com
A short version follows.

About HauntBound: HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

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Short version

SHORT VERSION

Bartonville has four documented haunted places in new Illinois index

Bartonville is home to the #1 site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Illinois's most haunted places, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame; the index documents four haunted places in the town. Peoria State Hospital, the 1902 psychiatric institution where Dr. George A. Zeller served as first superintendent, holds the top rank; visitors today describe a girl glimpsed in a former basement and heavy footsteps in the old men's ward. The museum offers tours by appointment.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/illinois/

SHORT VERSION
Bartonville has four documented haunted places in new Illinois index
Bartonville is home to the #1 site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Illinois's most haunted places, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame; the index documents four haunted places in the town. Peoria State Hospital, the 1902 psychiatric institution where Dr. George A. Zeller served as first superintendent, holds the top rank; visitors today describe a girl glimpsed in a former basement and heavy footsteps in the old men's ward. The museum offers tours by appointment.
Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/illinois/