Bachelor's Grove cemetery is a defunct cemetery off the beaten path in a forrest preserve in Midlothian Illinois, and is thought to be one of the world's most haunted places, rich with history.

The property on which Bachelor's Grove sits was first settled in the 1820 by English homesteaders from the New England area, including Stephen Rexford, which was the most well known of the Anglo settlers. And reached its peak in the 1840s. In 1864 Edward M. Everden sold the land to a man named Frederick Schmidt, in which one acre of land was reserved to be used as the cemetery.

While the origins surrounding the name Bachelor's Grove is uncertain, there are a couple of theories of where it originated. One possible origin is that a family with the surname Batchelder lived in the area by 1845. The second theory of where the name came from comes from claims that him and three other men all of which were single men, hence the name Bachelor. There are several variations of the name of the property which include Bachelor, Batchelder, Bachlor and a few others. 

According to documentation from 1917, the first burial occurred in 1844, which was Eliza Scott. And the last burial was in 1965, a woman by the name Laura M. McGee. And in 1989 Robert E. Shield’s ashes were the last to be interred at his family plot . Since then the cemetery had sat undisturbed and mostly forgotten. 

The Infamous stories date back to the 1930's and the stories between visitors have been pretty consistant with each other. But what made this seemingly peaceful place become one of the worlds most haunted locations? Over the years there are countless situations that would cause a place to be so disturbed. Bachelor's Grove has sadly been the victim of desecration, vandalism, satanic rituals, disturbed sacred land of indians that once resided in the area, several murders and even bodies being dumped in the pond that sits only a few feet away from the cemetery by the infamous mobster, Al Capone. It is also rumored that the land is cursed. With all that, then you add in the fact that this place is the site of vortexs and even a possible portal to another dimension. When you think of these disturbing acts occuring on the land, it's not surprising that this place has been dubbed one of the most haunted places in the world.

Phenomenon, lore and historical happenings

For over 100 years there have been countless reports of phenomena reported by visitors.

Phantom Cars

The report of disappearing cars first began in the 1970's. People would report that while driving down the road that runs alongside the cemetery, they would see a car parked on the side of the road, upon passing, they would look in their rearview mirrors to see that the car had vanished.

Other reports of the sighting of the phantom car were that as they were driving,  a car would pass them and pull off to the side of the road. Upon reaching where the car had pulled off the road, the witnesses would report that there was no car.

Another eyewitness account of a phantom car was a couple that was driving down the road, another car came out of nowhere and collided with their car. The couple felt the impact, and heard the sounds of crunching metal and glass shattering. When they had exited the vehicle, the car that smashed into them was nowhere to be seen, and there was no damage to their car.

Phantom Farmhouse

In the 1960s, people began to report sightings of a farmhouse on the pathway that leads to the cemetery, and any attempts to approach the house result in the house shrinking in size until it disappears. I have heard many times about this phantom house, and that it is a portal to another dimension, and that if you are able to go into the house, you are never to be seen again. The description of the house is generally the same per sighting, a two story white house with a porch with pillars, a swing and a light can be seen in the window. Records show that two houses once stood where the sightings occurred. I personally have not seen the phantom house but I have found broken pieces of dishes and other items that may have been from the time of the houses. I have found pictures of the houses that once stood at the location of the sighting on either side of the pathway. One of which matches the description of the sightings.

Floating Orbs of light

Another well known phenomena reported within Bachelor's Grove are the floating orbs of blue or white light. While it was first reported in the 1960s, it is believed that these sightings may go back further than that. These orbs are said to be seen within the cemetery and the surrounding woods. All reports suggest that these lights seem to move with intelligent intent and that they pulse or fade from sight and then reappear somewhere nearby. Over the years the occurance of this phenomena has seem to dwindle to only a few first hand accounts. Statements have been made by the local police that they saw the lights, and when they went to investigate. When following the lights, they would vanish into the darkness of the woods.

Unexplained footsteps and voices

Unexplained footsteps is another phenomena that is very frequently reported by visitors. Along with the footsteps there is a strong sense of being watched from the woods, and unexplained voices.

While the reports of the footsteps and being watched from the woods is a common experience, the disembodied voices are less common. When talking about disembodied voices, it is not to be mistaken for an EVP. I mean a voice of someone that is not there that you hear with your own ears. Even though EVPs are frequently captured here. Some people report hearing their name called, or someone saying hello, and there have been reports of hearing kids laughing in the distance.

The Caretaker

One of the stories that I have heard several times is about the caretaker of the cemetery. The caretaker and his family lived in a house in the woods near the cemetery. It was said that he was overcome by evil spirits that told him that he needed to kill his entire family. After killing his family he hung himself To erase the memory of what happened the people living nearby burned down the house.

The Farmer and the Plough

This tale centers around a farmer, his daughter and a plough horse. As the legend goes, a farmer and his daughter were on the plough, something spooked the horses and they were both pulled into the nearby lagoon in which they both died. it is said that sometimes their spirits will be seen standing at the edge of the lagoon.

The Monks

Another piece of phenomena associated with the site is that monks in robes can be seen. It is questioned whether or not these are spirits or people performing satanic rituals as this is also associated with the site, and evidence for these rituals have been found.

The Bleeding Tree

This legend is centered around a tree, and is said was used during blood sacrifices. It was rumored that if you peeled the bark in the tree it would "bleed red". I have never tested this theory but I do have pictures of the tree. It sits on the edge of the creek, and is hollow. It's root system half in the creek. But the tree is still alive. 

​Murders at Bachelors Grove

September 6th, 1966 a man hunting mushrooms found the body of a 19-year-old Gary Indiana woman Audry Ellis who had been missing since June. The body was found in Bachelors Grove, the third African American woman found dead in the area's forest preserves that year.

In 1989, a woman lured her lover to the cemetery, murdered him, and mutilated his body.

On April 21st, 1989, just outside the entrance to Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, the body of a man was found. age 43, had been shot in the head and abdomen. 

November 5th, 2020- 22-year-old woman's body found and burned in the woods surrounding bachelors grove.

There have been several more murders on here that have been obscurely mentioned that I am currently searching for more information on to add here.