6 Once-Thriving Illinois Towns That Transformed Into Eerie, Abandoned Beauties

With the third most populated city in the United States and numerous lakefront mansions, Illinois may not seem like the most likely candidate for a wealth of eerie, abandoned villages, but The Prairie State is, in fact, home to an estimated 82 ghost towns. With empty streets of boarded-up brick buildings and fields dotted with paint-peeling wooden homes, these Illinois abandoned towns feel like preserved windows into a slice of Midwestern history. Many of the buildings in Sailor Springs, a once-prosperous natural springs resort town, have been reclaimed by nature. Much of Kaskaskia, the state's former capital, has slipped away into the Mississippi.

While these oft-forgotten hamlets are no doubt eerie, there's also something wistfully beautiful about them as well. Whether you're a history buff or simply nostalgic for the slower-paced way of life of the rural Midwestern towns of yesteryear, these six once-thriving Illinois towns are rich with history and spooky charm. 

Cairo is located between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in the southern tip of Illinois. The city was once a prosperous steamboat and railroad hub, but as the shipping and transportation industries slowed, the town declined. In the 1960s, racial tensions in the town were also high, leading more residents to relocate elsewhere. 

Today, the streets are empty, with most of the buildings boarded up, and the town appears to be abandoned, although about 1,500 residents remain. Several of the town's beautiful Victorian homes are now owned by the state, and the Cairo Public Library is a gorgeous, 1880s red-brick building with elegant stained glass windows.

Bath is located on the Illinois River in Mason County, about 40 miles from Springfield. Fishing was once Bath's largest industry, with buyers trekking in from Chicago for fresh catches. By 1910, the village had more than 1,000 residents. As the commercial fishing industry on the Illinois River suffered under the strain of pollution and water diversion, the local fish population dwindled. 

Now, with just over 250 residents, Bath is technically not a ghost town, though several of the buildings sit abandoned or boarded up. One of the oldest buildings still standing is Gatton Mansion. Built in the 1850s, the decaying beauty features an elegant and unique hand-carved tower.

Old Shawneetown is located along the Ohio River in southeastern Illinois. Established in 1748, it is one of Illinois' oldest communities, and it was once a major hub for trade and banking. The community suffered from repeated floods, however, and in 1937, it was engulfed by 15 feet of water. 

Today, around 100 residents remain, and many of the buildings along Main Street are gone or abandoned. One landmark still standing is the Old Shawneetown Bank. Built in 1841, it's the state's oldest bank building, and with its grand Greek Revival architecture, it's also one of the prettiest.

Kaskaskia, the once-thriving former capital of Illinois, is located on Kaskaskia Island on the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois. During the early 1800s, Kaskaskia was briefly a hub of commerce, but repeated flooding beginning in 1844 washed much of it into the Mississippi River. The town was rebuilt about 3 miles away, but frequent floods continued to threaten its survival.

Today, fewer than 25 people call the 67-acre farming village home, making it the smallest town in the state. Visitors can wander past lovely, lush fields, a boarded-up schoolhouse, and the 144-year-old Church of the Immaculate Conception, home to the historic Kaskaskia Bell.

Benjaminville, or what little remains of it, is found about 11 miles east of Bloomington in McLean County. Founded in the 1850s by Quakers, the settlement once had churches and several shops. However, when no railroad stop was built in town, people began to relocate to neighboring towns to be closer to transportation, and the town suffered. 

By the mid-1870s, only one building remained — The Friends Meeting House. Still standing today and well preserved, the wood-frame structure sits overlooking picturesque farmland. Visit during the fall, when the surrounding trees turn a festive orange and the adjacent cemetery takes on an especially eerie vibe. 

Sailor Springs is located in Clay County, about 5 miles north of Clay City. In the 1870s and 1880s, the small village was a popular summer vacation destination, thanks to the area's mineral springs. However, after a 1917 fire destroyed the Glendale Hotel, businesses shuttered and residents relocated elsewhere. 

Today, fewer than 100 people live in the ghost town, and many of the homes have been abandoned and eerily swallowed up by nature, though the overgrown roads and weathered, wooden barns have a rustic beauty. The Sailor Springs School dates back to the early 1910s, but it has been abandoned since 1970.