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All the United States Illinois Peoria Springdale Cemetery
AO Edited

Springdale Cemetery

This graveyard is home to the so-called "Witch's Circle."

Peoria, Illinois

Added By
amadsamer651
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Here stands the Rose Hill Mausoleum.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Here stands the Rose Hill Mausoleum.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
The cemetery is home to a number of private mausoleums.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Statues can be found along the South Bluff.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
This statue of a woman gazes forlornly into the distance.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Wander among the graves on Prospect Hill.   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Winding autumnal road up one of the hills   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Norman Purple’s rock covered grave   maibyers / Atlas Obscura User
The half-buried Zotz Mausoleum   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
Mystical sunset at Prospect Hill   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
The eerie walk to the Witch’s Circle   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
Unique Buehler Mausoleum   amadsamer651 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This sprawling cemetery, which dates back to 1855, is the final resting place of more than 78,000. But it's best known for a series of spine-tingling rumors and allegations of occult activity. 

In the middle of this cemetery is a large grave site only accessible by foot that some call the Witch's Circle. You must walk through a path surrounded by a savannah until you stumble across the grave marked A.S. Cole. The family was once one of the richest in Illinois, having been alcohol manufacturers, but now their family name is associated with witchcraft. The family itself is innocent, but the circle has been rumored to be the site of many witch gatherings for decades now. 

In the 1930s, a woman went missing, only for her body to be found dead in the cemetery. This did in fact happen and there are many news articles documenting the murder and the trial of the man who killed her. He was later executed in Joliet, Il for her murder as well as other crimes he committed. Some say she wanders the cemetery at night and sits at the gazebo near the Whispering Woods pet cemetery.

One final legend is that the grave marked by the last name Purple belongs to a warlock said to return at some point. He was an Illinois Supreme Court Justice during the Civil War era who had a reputation of being extremely mean and wicked. This is why he is rumored to have practiced witchcraft and as a preventative measure, his grave contains many large rocks in a pile to keep him underground. 

Some less spooky information is that this cemetery was a part of the rural movement. This can be seen by the way the paths go through woods and up hills. There was also once a lake within the cemetery, but it has been gone for decades now. Abraham Lincoln himself admired the cemetery and at one point thousands of people would wander its grounds by foot or carriage every Sunday. Those times have long passed, but it remains a hidden relic that locals still enjoy today.

Related Tags

Graveyards Occult Witchcraft Cemeteries

Know Before You Go

There are two entrances; however, the secondary one is usually closed. The main one is accessible off of North Prospect Road. Also, there are a lot of pedestrians and bikers so beware while driving. 

Community Contributors

Added By

amadsamer651

Edited By

maibyers, SemiruralYeti

  • maibyers
  • SemiruralYeti

Published

November 29, 2023

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Sources
  • https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2016/03/26/springdale-cemetery-has-been-sanctuary/32069655007/
  • https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/digital-originals/haunted-central-illinois/chapter-5-springdale-cemetery/
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/Co499m-uplr/?hl=en
Springdale Cemetery
3015 N Prospect Rd
Peoria, Illinois, 61603
United States
40.723594, -89.575367
Visit Website
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