The Country House Restaurant, Clarendon Hills
The Country House Restaurant in Clarendon Hills is said to be haunted by a young blonde woman and other active spirits, with tales of strange phenomena dating back to the 1970s renovations. The building was originally constructed in 1922 as a two-story roadhouse, with a tavern and grocery store on the first floor and the owner's family living upstairs. The most well-known ghost is a young blonde woman in her late twenties, believed to be connected to the building's past as a speakeasy and potential brothel. Mediums have reported that she died of internal injuries in the 1950s after a dispute with a bartender. Her reported ghostly activities include: Appearing as a solid, lifelike figure to staff and patrons. Standing by the jukebox after hours, sometimes playing songs that aren't on the machine. Beckoning to male customers from an upstairs window, which was eventually boarded up. Blocking the door of the women's restroom or rattling the handle of a locked stall. Beyond the blonde woman, numerous other strange occurrences have been reported by employees and guests over the years. After closing, phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, and the sound of partying and glasses clinking have been heard. The sound of a baby crying has been heard from empty rooms. In the kitchen, pots and pans have been known to move on their own, and dishes have reportedly levitated and crashed to the floor. Mysterious, unexplained pounding has been heard coming from inside the walls.