The Oldest Cemetery in Illinois: Greenwood Cemetery

Illinois is home to some pretty rustic cemeteries, and the oldest one in our state may be so old that it's allegedly haunted!

I love looking at spots that have a lot of history and stories to tell, and this cemetery in Decatur is certainly one of them. However, you can count me out on visiting the place if it's genuinely haunted. I'm so not about that energy.

The Oldest Cemetery in The State of Illinois

I was sleuthing around on the internet because I was so curious about the oldest cemetery in the state of Illinois. Turns out, there's some pretty interesting facts behind it!

When it comes to finding the oldest cemetery, they measure by dates on gravestones. While many Native American burial practices happened before this date, the oldest "modern" cemetery is Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois. The oldest gravestone dating back to 1813 resides there today. Making the cemetery about 210 years old!

A few prominent figures in Illinois history are buried there too- James B. Parsons, the first African American Chief Judge of a federal court (U.S. District Court in Chicago;) Jesse Hale Moore, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1849 - 1873, and served as a member of the Union Army during the Civil War.

However, despite its long history, there is also a rumor that this cemetery may be harboring some paranormal visitors.

Haunted Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois

It wouldn't be an Olivia story if there wasn't the potential of a place being haunted, right?

The most common experiences here are Confederate soldiers being seen, even going so far as confronting people who enter. Many believe these Confederate spirits are responsible for the ghost lights/lanterns that are frequently seen on the property. There's even an entire Reddit thread about this hahaha!

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However, the most common paranormal mythology about the area is the one of the Greenwood Bride that haunts the area. A ghost woman allegedly visits her husband's grave after he was tragically killed in a bad dealing. I found a TikTok on it, check it out!

@freyzel_productions The ghosty story of the Greenwood Bride at the haunted Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, Illinois. #ghosts #haunted #cemetery #hauntedtiktok #fyp ♬ original sound - Freyzel Productions

I'll be honest, this place does kind of give me the creeps. But every cemetery does -- I don't like them at all. What do you think?

But, nonetheless, we all know Illinois has a long history when it comes to creepy and haunted locations. Here are some other ones I've found too!