Once upon a time, Cairo, Illinois was one of the most popular towns in Illinois. They got things right by founding the town at a great location, right at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Great views abound, and it was easy to found industry. But that great location turned out to be its downfall. It suffered flooding as the result of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. And industry really declined when river trading ceased to be a thing. Tensions flared, times changed, and it was eventually too much for this town to handle.

So what’s left of Cairo? Not much. Even though this is a ghost town, there still is a population of roughly 3,000. But what sits abandoned – which is a lot – is truly haunting. Even creepier are buildings where nature has begun to take over. This, of course, has led to all sorts of stories about the town being haunted. Apparently, patients still roam the halls of the abandoned hospital. And ghosts inhabit the library. Is it haunted? Maybe, maybe not. Whether or not you believe in the paranormal, you will accept that this town is just plain creepy. Check out these haunting pics.

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