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OAK WOODS CEMETERY

1035 East 67th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637

directions

From the center of Chicago, take Lake Shore Drive to the south for about 5 miles to the 47th Street ramp. Turn right onto 47th Street and follow it for about 0.5 mile before turning left onto Woodlawn Avenue. Follow Woodlawn for another 2.5 miles before turning right onto East 67th Street. The cemetery will be on your left.

history

Oak Woods Cemetery is home to many famous people. Mayors of the city, as well as gangsters, Civil Rights activists, and scientists, are all buried here. One of the more famous burials is that of Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens. The ghost stories about this place do not focus on any of these famous folks, though; they focus on a piece of ground within the cemetery known as the Confederate Mound.

During the Civil War, one of the worst prison camps in American history was in Chicago and was called Camp Douglas (see Camp Douglas chapter). Poor conditions led to many Confederate POWs dying within the camp. Many died of disease. Some died from escape attempts or even starvation. By the end of the war and the closing of the camp, thousands upon thousands had died on this site.

Many of those who died here were buried in the Old North Side Cemetery. But when the city cemetery closed, the bodies of the Confederate dead were moved to other cemeteries throughout the city, including Rosehill and Graceland. The most significant number of dead were moved to Oak Woods Cemetery. At least 6,000 Confederate dead are buried around the central monument on the Confederate Mound. This is the largest collection of Confederate dead in the North.

ghost story

The cemetery is haunted by the ghosts of the soldiers that are buried here. People see men dressed in either Union or Confederate Civil War uniforms walking through the cemetery. These apparitions are most often seen near the Confederate Mound. These apparitions mysteriously vanish soon after they are first seen.

People also hear screaming coming from the cemetery during both day and night. Those who investigate the screams never find any source for them. Strange lights have also been seen throughout the cemetery at night. These balls of light are said to float through the cemetery, then suddenly blink out.

visiting

The cemetery is open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Saturday, and 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday. You will be unable to enter the cemetery outside of these hours. The apparitions are most often seen within the cemetery during the day, so you can enter and look for the apparitions during regular hours. However, the screams and lights are most often experienced at night, and you will have to look for them from outside the cemetery gates.