The FINAL Book in the HAUNTED DECATUR Series!
Troy Taylor returns to the Hauntings of Decatur for the last time and reveals a collection of brand new stories of ghosts, crime, murder and corruption in what is being hailed as the "bloodiest and scariest Haunted Decatur book yet".
Click Here to Order Your Copy!

See the Info Below about Booking a Private Haunted Decatur Tour for Your Group! Book the entire bus, with driver and guided tour. It's a night your group won't forget!

Haunted Decatur: The Tour of Decatur's Spirits, Scandals & Sins!
In 1854, Colonel Dan Conklin started a whiskey distillery, racetrack and a whorehouse on the outskirts of Decatur and the city earned the first of its unflattering nicknames -- "Hell's Half Acre". It would go on to earn others, including the "Second Most Corrupt City in Illinois" in the 1920s, and would gain infamy as a place where murder, bootlegging, prostitution, kidnapping, gambling, corruption in city government and, of course, ghosts were commonplace. But Decatur's dark origins can be traced back to the earliest days of the city, when the original settlers built over the top of Native American burial grounds that were scattered throughout the downtown area of what would become Decatur. The destruction of these burial mounds cast a mysterious pall over the city -- a darkness that continues to linger today.

The Haunted Decatur Tour was created by Skip Huston and author Troy Taylor in 1994 and is one of the longest running ghost tours in the state of Illinois and has won several awards for being one of the most authentic in the Midwest. Troy Taylor has now re-created the tour for a whole new look at an even darker side of the city -- revealing more murders, scandals, sins and spirits than have ever been featured on the tours before! This is the tour that the "powers that be" in Decatur don't want you to see -- an open and honest look at the reason that Decatur has earned its sordid reputation and a celebration of the unusual history that has placed Decatur squarely on the map as one of the most haunted cities in America!
Join us as we uncover the secrets that you aren't supposed to know...
 Introduce you to a legacy of crime, murder and death that you were supposed to forget about... And reveal haunted places that have never been featured on the tour before!

Friday, April 16
Haunted History Tour:
Join us for a night you won't soon forget on the Haunted Decatur Tour and come along as we reveal the dark history of Decatur's spirits, scandals and sins -- including the scores of hauntings that have plagued the city for more than a century and a half and have given Decatur its infamous reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest! We'll be on and off the bus throughout the evening at new locations and old favorites, exploring burial grounds, haunted buildings, spirited theaters and an after-dark walk through one of Decatur's most terrifying spots! Departs from the Avon Theater at 7:00 p.m.
Click Here to Make Reservations for this Tour!
Friday, May 14
Haunted History Tour:
Join us for a night you won't soon forget on the Haunted Decatur Tour and come along as we reveal the dark history of Decatur's spirits, scandals and sins -- including the scores of hauntings that have plagued the city for more than a century and a half and have given Decatur its infamous reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest! We'll be on and off the bus throughout the evening at new locations and old favorites, exploring burial grounds, haunted buildings, spirited theaters and an after-dark walk through one of Decatur's most terrifying spots! Departs from the Avon Theater at 7:00 p.m.
Click Here to Make Reservations for this Tour!


Haunted Decatur Tour Departures:
All of the Haunted Decatur Tours depart from the Haunted Avon Theater, located at 426 North Water Street in downtown Decatur. Free Parking is available in the garage across the street. Please arrive no earlier than 10-15 minutes before the start of the tour. While drinks and popcorn are available at the Avon concession stand, it is a working theater, so please be respectful of the customers.

Friday, June 18
Haunted History Tour:
Join us for a night you won't soon forget on the Haunted Decatur Tour and come along as we reveal the dark history of Decatur's spirits, scandals and sins -- including the scores of hauntings that have plagued the city for more than a century and a half and have given Decatur its infamous reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest! We'll be on and off the bus throughout the evening at new locations and old favorites, exploring burial grounds, haunted buildings, spirited theaters and an after-dark walk through one of Decatur's most terrifying spots! Departs from the Avon Theater at 7:00 p.m.
Click Here to Make Reservations for this Tour!
Saturday, July 17
Haunted History Tour:
Join us for a night you won't soon forget on the Haunted Decatur Tour and come along as we reveal the dark history of Decatur's spirits, scandals and sins -- including the scores of hauntings that have plagued the city for more than a century and a half and have given Decatur its infamous reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest! We'll be on and off the bus throughout the evening at new locations and old favorites, exploring burial grounds, haunted buildings, spirited theaters and an after-dark walk through one of Decatur's most terrifying spots! Departs from the Avon Theater at 7:00 p.m.
Click Here to Make Reservations for this Tour!
Friday, August 20
Haunted History Tour:
Join us for a night you won't soon forget on the Haunted Decatur Tour and come along as we reveal the dark history of Decatur's spirits, scandals and sins -- including the scores of hauntings that have plagued the city for more than a century and a half and have given Decatur its infamous reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest! We'll be on and off the bus throughout the evening at new locations and old favorites, exploring burial grounds, haunted buildings, spirited theaters and an after-dark walk through one of Decatur's most terrifying spots! Departs from the Avon Theater at 7:00 p.m.
Click Here to Make Reservations for this Tour!
Looking for Tour Dates in the Fall? Tickets for the Haunted Decatur Tours Go on Sale 
Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, September 20 -- Online and Telephone ONLY!
All tickets are sold on a first come / first served basis and we'll have the Fall schedule posted in July 2010.

 From it's earliest days, the city of Decatur gained a reputation as a place where murder, bootlegging, prostitution, kidnapping, gambling, corruption in city government and, of course, ghosts were commonplace. But Decatur's dark origins can be traced back to the earliest days of the city, when the original settlers built over the top of Native American burial grounds that were scattered throughout the downtown area of what would become Decatur. The destruction of these burial mounds cast a mysterious pall over the city -- a darkness that continues to linger today.

From lost burial grounds to haunted theaters and blood-soaked crime scenes, the Haunted Decatur Tours are much more than just a run-of-the-mill ghost tour -- they are history tours, crime tours and a chance for visitors to possibly encounter the past residents of Decatur face-to-face! But it's not all about ghosts, the tour is also a look back at what has given Decatur it's sordid reputation over the years and we have spent years researching the sin and scandals of the city -- many of which will be revealed again for the first time in decades! These are the places and events that the "powers that be" in Decatur don't want you to know about and only the Haunted Decatur Tours will offer a glimpse back into our history and let you experience them for yourself!

Join us as we uncover the secrets that you aren't supposed to know... Introduce you to a legacy of crime, murder and death that you were supposed to forget about... And reveal haunted places that we aren't supposed to talk about! It's going to be a wild ride about the Haunted Decatur Bus in 2009 and we hope that you'll be there to take it along with us!

Public Tours: The Haunted Decatur Tours are offered in the Spring and Summer months (April-August) but our most popular tours are in October, during the Halloween season. The tickets for the October Tours go on sale September, 20 2010 and are reserved on a first come / first served basis. Our Halloween "Haunted History" tours will include our regular bus tours, as well as a limited number of our extended "Ghost Hunter's Tours" Price range from $30 - $45

Private Tours for Larger Groups: Private Haunted Decatur Tours with our larger buses are also available for groups of 25 people or more. A 30-day notice and deposit are required for reservations. Private tour prices start at $30 per person. Check with us about customizing your tour!

Different Types of Public & Private Tours Offered:

Haunted History Tours: Travel throughout the city of Decatur in search of history, hauntings, crime scenes, scandals and spirits! Join us for a journey back into the history of one of America's most haunted towns and discover not only our favorite haunted places, but new locations of crime, infamy and spirits that have never been featured on the tours before. Re-invented in 2009, experience Haunted Decatur in a way that you've never done it before! Popular with ghost buffs and history enthusiasts alike and includes new and favorite haunted locations! Lasts approximately 3 hours.  $30 per person

Ghost Hunter's Tour:  An expanded edition of the Haunted Decatur Tour with additional locations and a "behind the scenes" look at the places that make Decatur so haunted! More History, More Hauntings and an additional hour of sites that aren't normally featured on the standard tours! Lasts approximately 4 hours. $40 per person

The Lincoln Theater
One of the Most Haunted Places in America!
The Avon Theater
History & Hauntings of Decatur's Original Movie Palace

Railroad Phantoms
History & Mystery of Decatur's Railroad Hauntings

Shellabarger Grain Tower
A Mysterious & Haunted Spots from Decatur's Past

Danzeisen Meat Packing Plant
What Strange Secrets Once Lurked in this Building?

Pythian Children's Home
Although Vanished Many Years Ago, Haunted Memories Remain

Ghosts of Millikin
The History & Hauntings of Millikin University

Powers Mansion
The Ghostly Past of One of Decatur's Most Legendary Homes

The Culver Mansion
Was this Home Cursed by the Indian Burial Ground it was Built on?

The Race Mansion
Once Regarded as the Most Haunted House in Decatur!

The Harrold House
Unfinished Business from the 1920s Haunts a Decatur Home

Spirits of the Speakeasy
The History & Hauntings of the Secret Rooms Above Downtown Decatur

Greenwood Cemetery
One of the Most Haunted Graveyards in America!

Common Burial Grounds
The Lingering Hauntings of Decatur's Original Cemetery

Peck Cemetery
The Mysterious Forbidden Cemetery located near Decatur

 


Weird Chicago Tours  Chicago, Illinois!
Join us for the Ultimate Tour of Chicago's Ghosts, Gangsters & Ghouls! Available All Year Around and offering ghost tours and unique specialty tours like our original Devil & the White City  and our Bloody Chicago Ghost & Crime Tours!  Departs from Chicago's Hard Rock Cafe!

Click Here for the Weird Chicago Tours


Haunted Decatur Tours  Decatur, Illinois!
Join us in the "Haunted Heart of Illinois" for one of the longest-running ghost tours in the state! Visit one of the Most haunted cities in the Midwest! Created by Troy Taylor and based on nearly 20 years of Research!
 Departs from the Avon Theater!

Click Here for Haunted Decatur Tours


Alton Hauntings Tours   Alton, Illinois!
See the Dark Side of Illinois History and Discover why Alton is "One of the Most Haunted Small Towns in America"! Based on the best-selling book by author Troy Taylor, this is a walking (& sometimes bus) tour of Alton's most haunted sites.   Departs from the Alton Visitor's Center! 
Click Here for Alton Hauntings Tours 


Haunted Lebanon Tours  Lebanon, Illinois
Discover the spirits of one of Illinois' most historic small towns! From the Looking Glass Prairie to the Mermaid House, you'll come face to face with our resident spirits! Hosted by author & ghost hunter Len Adams, this is the first history & hauntings tour ever held in the area! Departs from the Lebanon Visitor's Center!
Click Here for Haunted Lebanon Tours


Haunted Jacksonville Tours  
Jacksonville, Illinois
Discover one of the Prairie's Most Historic and Haunted Towns on the first-ever Ghost Walk of the city! Experience the hauntings of this amazing town for yourself! Departs from the Illinois Theater, just off the old Jacksonville Square! 
Click Here for Haunted Jacksonville Tours


American Hauntings Overnight Excursions 
Our Haunted Overnight Excursions Take Travelers to the Most Haunted Places in the Midwest & America! America's Original Overnight Ghost Tours! Despite the slew of imitations, this is the real thing! Don't be fooled by imitations!

Click Here for American Hauntings Overnights!

Email us Here for More Information or Call Us Toll-Free at 1-888-446-7859



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All written material on this website is copyrighted by Troy Taylor and Whitechapel Productions Press. No material may be used without permission of the author. The written material on this website has been excerpted from copyrighted works by the author. Use of this information without permission falls under international copyright laws.