FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Roff House in Watseka ranks #4 among Illinois's most haunted places
A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend
September 30, 2026
With Halloween approaching, Roff House in Watseka ranks #4 in HauntBound's 2026 index of Illinois's most haunted places. The index ranks 156 Illinois sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.
Roff House ranks #4. Spiritualists Asa B. and Anna Roff built the house in 1868, and in 1878 it became the site of the Watseka Wonder, when twelve-year-old Lurancy Vennum reportedly took on the identity of the Roffs' late daughter Mary and lived in the house as Mary for about fourteen weeks before returning to her own family. Three separate published accounts describe activity there, the earliest dated to 1877. Guests report doors found open that were shut the night before, cold drafts in the upstairs corridor, and footsteps on the stairs when the house is empty. The case has also drawn skeptics, who read it as dissociation or suggestion rather than possession.
Statewide, Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville ranks #1, and 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:Roff House, 300 E. Sheridan St., Watseka, offers guided tours and overnight paranormal stays by appointment.
For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/illinois/The fact sheet, with cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/illinois/Venue contact: facebook.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