Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery
Posted: 09.21.2021 | Updated: 04.09.2025
Hidden off the beaten path in Cook County, Illinois, is a graveyard that is often visited by a lady in white searching for a lost loved one. But she isn’t alone. Multiple spirits frequent this sea of forgotten tombstones, keeping ghost enthusiasts coming back for more.
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Who Haunts Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery?
The Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, in the Rubio Woods southern suburb of Midlothian, is home to a long list of spirits. It is said that the eeriness of this place cannot be captured by photographs alone.
The History of Bachelor’s Grove
In the 1820s, immigrants from England, Scotland, and Ireland arrived in the U.S. Many settled in the community now known as Bachelor’s Grove.
The cemetery first appeared in the town’s records in 1864, when the land was sold by Edward M. Everden to Frederick Schmidt. The terms of the sale indicated that one acre of the land was set aside for use as a graveyard.
The cemetery remained quiet until the 1950s when the Midlothian Turnpike was rerouted to 143rd Street. This change made it more difficult to access the cemetery from the main road. The graveyard became a place where local teens could park at night, drink, and get up to mischief.
As time went on, the graves at the cemetery were ransacked. Tombstones were broken, vandalized, and even stolen. Is it possible that this disrespect led to this once peaceful graveyard becoming a space filled with an abundance of dark energy?
The Ghosts of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery
Few cemeteries in the United States have such a prominent eeriness about them as the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery. The legends connected to this historical site have made this a must-see haunted location in Illnois.
The Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove
When a photograph taken at the cemetery in 1979 resurfaced in the early 1980s, news of the spirit known as the Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove spread throughout the community. In the photo, there is a cloaked figure standing near the cemetery’s fence.
The figure appears to be holding an infant in her arms. The image is similar to descriptions of an apparition seen by many locals and visitors to the cemetery.
A woman dressed in a white flowing robe with long brown hair wandered through the maze of tombstones. Her appearance is translucent and gives an eerie energy that cannot be denied.
Also known as the White Lady or the Woman in White, the ghost has been seen with and without a baby in her arms. Some believe that she’s looking for the child, or maybe more than one of her lost children, as she stands near a grave with a small tombstone marked “Infant Daughter”.
Others believe she could be the spirit of Luella Rogers, who died in a fire along with her young child. Because of that theory, she’s also referred to as Mrs. Rogers.
The Phantom House
Also known as the Disappearing House or the Magic House, the Phantom House of the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is a strange and unusual apparition that has stumped researchers for years.
Witnesses have stated that a small one or two-story Victorian-style house with a front porch will appear in the open field near the cemetery’s fence. As soon as you look away, the entire building vanishes, leaving behind no trace of it being there.
A young photographer recounts his experience seeing The Phantom House after spending the day taking photos of wildlife in the nearby Rubio Woods with a group of friends. While exiting through the graveyard, he saw the house in the distance, very clearly.
Afraid that the house owner may call the authorities on them for trespassing, he alerts his friends. As they look in the direction, the house is no longer there.
The photographer states that while he didn’t feel fear regarding the phantom house, there was a great sense of unease in the area, even after he returned to the site several years later.
The Farmer and his Horse
Few tales from the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery are as frightening as the one about the two-headed monster roaming the grounds.
According to the 1985 book Real Ghosts: Don’t Wear Sheets by Don Farrant, the author states on page 61, “and people claim to have seen a two-headed monster crawl from the water up onto the bank. But sometimes, say passing motorists, they have seen a murky monster going back into the waters…and disappearing!”
Although some claim to have seen a two-headed monster, others who have a similar experience believe it is the apparition of an old farmer and his horse. Some have reported seeing a man driving a horse-drawn cart inside the cemetery at night.
According to the legend, in the 1870s, a farmer was plowing his land when his horse suddenly became frightened and ran off toward a nearby pond, dragging the farmer behind into the water and drowning them both.
Mysterious Red & Blue Lights
Red and blue orbs or flashes of light have shown up in photographs taken in the cemetery and have also been seen in person by visitors. The first account of blue orbs was in 1970.
A man described the light seen from afar, appearing small at first and then growing as big as a basketball. It blinked for ten to twenty seconds while changing positions.
Others have seen a blue light move up and down the Midlothian Turnpike, which is south of the cemetery. There have also been reports of these lights moving among the headstones.
The red lights were first seen in the early 1980s and are accompanied by a vision of a yellow humanoid figure, commonly referred to as the Yellow Man.
This apparition, who appears after a display of streaking red lights, stands by the trees, wearing a hat, and giving off a modest yellow or gold glow. Multiple visitors have tried taking photos, but the figure disappears just as the picture is taken.
The Ghost Dog
While it may be common to see apparitions of humans in graveyards, the vision of a ghost dog is another unusual occurrence connected to the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery. This legend can be traced back to the 1980s when two young men were visiting the cemetery. One of the men spotted a strange flickering light near the wooded area.
There was no explanation for the light and nothing in the vicinity that would cause a reflection. When he turned away from the light, he saw the backside of a black dog, which soon faded away into nothing.
The dog has been spotted several times since then, with everyone having a similar experience. Some describe the dog as a black Doberman, while others have described it as a brown and black Rottweiler.
One account from a researcher who visited the area with a group stated he was walking toward Rubio Woods when a dog showed up, trying to keep pace with the group. The dog appeared real; however, it seemed strange that it didn’t bark or growl at anyone.
The dog followed the group outside the roped entrance of the cemetery, stopped at the curb, and watched as they walked across 143rd Street to their vehicle. When the researcher turned to look at the dog again, it had vanished.
Haunted Chicago
With so much haunted activity, it is easy to see why the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is one of the most talked about cemeteries in the world. While it is no longer operational, the graveyard can still be visited.
It is surrounded by a forest preserve, and visitors are legally allowed on site from sunrise until sunset. People are encouraged to visit this historical site whether they are interested in the history of the area or want to find out more about the dark energy that surrounds this eerie location.
Want to learn more about the most haunted locations throughout the United States? Be sure to check out our blog, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram accounts for the latest updates. And don’t forget to book your next ghost tour with Windy City Ghosts by visiting their website today.
Sources:
- https://www.thepathtobachelorsgrove.com/legends-and-lore.html
- https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPOuF4N_5XvZ3x2tGzaQKGM2cexCe0bbnRQPn0i1AKJ3xp-gPo7sp66jxp7WNl_uA?pli=1&key=YzMxVmtfc3IzSW5zRUZoXy1vVllwY3pCLWN3Y3lB
- https://www.bachelorsgrove.com
- https://www.bachelorsgrove.com/paranormal-history
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4x09AUWE8Y
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/5gz1rs/experiences_a_couple_actually_in_chicagos/
- https://www.thepathtobachelorsgrove.com/news-articles.html
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