The old cliche of “driving is America’s favorite past time” is as common as baseball and apple pie. With summer coming up, something like 77% of America takes some sort of road trip. Why not spice it up and take one through a haunted road?

For some reason, there seems to be an abundance of these in and around the Midwest. Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana seem to take a majority. Although, there’s an infamous road in Pennsylvania nicknamed “Devil’s Road.” The location is right on the edge of Cossart Road, where an abandoned stone mansion stands at the top of the twisty hill which was rumored to belong to a DuPont family member. (The history on that family tells some dark tales that are stranger than fiction.)

Some top roads to give you chills if you happen to be in the Midwest are Boy Scout Road(Stevens Point), and Witch Road (Ripon) both in the state of Wisconsin. Rumor has it that on Stony Hallow Road (Burlington IA), a young heartbroken women threw herself off the cliffs onto the road below.

A road I hold dear to my heart which was also a big part of the inspiration behind Shoe Factory Road, is one called Cuba Road located in Lake Zurich, IL. This road has some really strange stuff. Wedged in between two upper class towns is a desolate road (Rainbow Road) that houses an old glass mansion that was actually a defunct asylum, cult signs over almost every stop sign, and a cemetery that dates back to the 1820's. Really eerie if you go drive down it.

Lastly, a road I've personally been meaning to drive down, being just outside the city of Chicago is a road called Archer Avenue located in Willow Springs, IL. A triangle of forest preservers, lakes, and trails has been easily pegged the most haunted road in the Chicagoland. A plethora of strange encounters have made this site a favorite among ghost seekers, paranormal researchers, and travelers abroad. “Resurrection Mary” hitchhikes down Archer Avenue trying to get to Resurrection Cemetery. In the early 1930's, a young woman got into an argument, and rather than face a drive home with him, she decided to brave the cold Chicago weather. Due to the poor visibility, “Mary” as came to be known, was struck by a passing car. The driver fled the scene and Mary was left there to die. Her parents buried her in her white dress and dancing shoes at Resurrection Cemetery.

So if you’re in the midwest, or looking for some fun…unique places to travel this summer, I highly recommend one of these places. If you make it back in one piece, I would love your feedback on what you thought. Safe travels!