Alton Somewhere in the vicinity of Alton, Illinois is the abandoned Miles Cemetery, which includes the Miles Mausoleum. In the 1960's some dummies dug up the bodies of the 11 Miles family members and burned them during a ritual, which gives this site an infamous reputation. I can't find any definite instructions on how to get there, however - the website linked to the left is the best I could find. Good luck! Oh, and send pictures, if you find your way there! (Thanks to Rose for the suggestion.)
Decatur
Lincoln Theatre Ghost Hunt
A Comtesse Photo-Essay!
A collection of photographs taken at the allegedly haunted Lincoln Theatre in Decatur during an all-night ghost hunt hosted by Ghosts of the Prairie's Troy Taylor. Naturally, the ghosts did not come out to play this night... but I did get some lovely photos!
Chicago
Come visit the remains of the man-eating Lions of Tsavo, who killed nearly 140 workers in East Africa in 1898.
A plaque marks the site of the deadly Haymarket Riot of May 4, 1886. (Thanks to Donald for the suggestion.)
A stroll through the morbid memorabilia in Chicago's lovely lakeshore museum.
A trip to the Windy City would not be complete without a visit to the Human Body Slices exhibit at the Museum Of Science & Industry. This exhibit consists of preserved full-body slices cut from a man and a woman in the 1940's. K. describes it thusly: "The photo at the link doesn't do it justice as to what it looks like in person -- the slices are complete with pubic hair and, well, everything!" Sounds mesmerizing to me!
Although the original bullet-pocked brick warehouse was sadly demolished in the 1960's (some people have no sense of HISTORY), the site of the biggest mob hit in history is still allegedly haunted and worth a visit. The garage was located at 2122 North Clark Street and the area is now marked by a fenced lawn and five trees. The center tree marks the area where Bugs Moran's men met their deaths.
Herrin Striking coal workers murdered twenty-two strike breakers in a confrontation on June 21 and 22, 1922. Many of the strike breakers were murdered in the Herrin Cemetery. (Thanks to Donald for the suggestion.)
Manteno Manteno State Hospital was in operation from 1929 to 1985 and has been mostly shuttered since '85. Sadly, as with most historic asylums, most of the old buildings have been demolished but there are a few left.
Palatine As Nail Bunny describes, Ahlgrims puts the "fun" back in "funeral":
""If you're ever near Chicago I have a fun and morbid place for you to visit! The Algrims Funeral home in Palatine has a mini golf course in its basement that is quite fun! I went with my family last week and we had a blast. You get to shoot through coffins, a haunted house, a crematorium and a (rather out of place) windmill that spins and knocks your ball out of the way. The best part of the Algrims Funeral home is it's free! It's great! So if you're ever in Chicago I suggest you go."
"It's not all grim at Ahlgrims"
Springfield Dave highly recommends this fun-filled museum: "The museum features a 1928 embalming room, old hearses and coffins, old embalming equipment and instruments, portable funeral equipment, examples of "Post-mortem Photography," and several exhibits that recreate Abraham Lincoln's funeral and burial. Jon Austin, the museum's director, is friendly and helpful, and shares interesting stories including details of Lincoln's botched embalming."
Ol' "Honest" Abe is buried in a huge monument in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

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