Weird Illinois: Your Travel Guide to Illinois' Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

Owing to the fact that most Illinois people live in the Chicago area, and that is where I am from, my review is limited to this region. Famous buildings discussed include the Hull House. One of the unusual buildings featured in the book is the replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and located in suburban Niles. One of the eye-catching restaurants included is the Superdawg. It is a 1950's-style hot dog stand, located at the corner of Milwaukee and Devon, on the far northwest side of Chicago. First opened in 1948, it features the likeness of a boy and girl hotdog perched high above the restaurant. (I remembered it from my 5 year-old self being driven to my grandmother's burial in 1960). Some crime scenes are included, notably the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and the site where John Wayne Gacy, dressed like a clown, murdered over 30 men and older boys, and buried their bodies in his basement. It is said that it took a mysteriously long time for grass to begin growing again at the site. A number of cemeteries are featured. But ghost stories also originate from other areas associated with death, especially mass death. When a large airliner crashed at O'Hare Airport in May of 1979, killing over 270 people, there were reports of strange lights in the field at night, and knocks on the doors of locals. No one was there when the owners came to the doors. The authors missed a chance to include the Our Lady of the Angels School fire of 1958, in which 92 children and 3 teachers perished. The school was subsequently rebuilt, and is no longer a Catholic school. But, over the decades since the tragic fire, there had been, from the new school building, occasional reports of mysterious sounds of children screaming.

This is a fascintating book. I didnt know alot of the oddities in this book existed and i learned alot to. Like the creator of Popeye is from Illinois. And that Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz is based on a little girl here. This is a truely fascinating read ....

I had bought a copy for myself about a year ago and loved it. When my friend was having a birthday this February I purchased a copy for him too. When I presented it to him he was very pleased as it turned out that he had seen it before and had considered getting it. As people that live in Illinois it's fun to read about strange things we know about as well as many things that are new to us. Since each "Weird" thing presented is a short read in itself it's a great book to have lying around for "fill in" reading.

I love all the 'Weird' books, especially the 'U.S.' and the 'Weird New Jersey' book, but amongst the other states, this one is a real treat. First off, it's well written by expert Troy Taylor. Secondly, the pulse of the book never ceases. From the start it grabbed me and had me turning pages, when usually these books are something you pick up and put down, just because there is so much to digest. there are some great ghostly tales and other-worldly visits that make this compilation stand on top of my stack of 'Weird' books.

and this is the second book of his that I have read. The first was Haunted Illinois, which was also very good. I love books about haunted places and local (Illinois and Chicagoland) history. I found this book quite easy to read and interesting.