Veteran’s Memorial Hall
Spirits of Illinois war veterans may still roam through the corridors of their beloved memorial hall
Paranormal Encounters at
Veteran’s Memorial Hall
- People report being physically touched on the stairs
- Shadow figures have been seen on the auditorium balcony
- Sounds of a funeral procession have been heard on main staircase
- Orbs and light anomalies have been seen
- An entity in the upstairs auditorium will reportedly shove people
- Workers have heard their name called out by unseen entities
- A woman’s apparition has been seen wandering around
History Remembered at
Veteran’s Memorial Hall
In the bustling center of Rockford, Illinois, a lot has changed over the years. The city has grown and modernized in countless ways through the last century.
But, there’s one spot in Rockford’s downtown that hasn’t changed much since the day it was built: the Veteran’s Memorial Hall.
Built of strong stone and sporting tall columns on its front facade, the Memorial Hall looks to be an eager soldier in the everlasting battle to memorialize America’s veterans.
And some say that spirits of long lost soldiers and veterans still linger through the building’s rooms. Perhaps a few veterans enjoyed the Memorial Hall so much that they opted to make it their permanent, afterlife home.
Timeline of Veteran’s Memorial Hall's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Veteran’s Memorial Hall through the years
1882
In the decades following the Civil War, American communities started to focus more on supporting and celebrating the veterans of war. In Rockford, the first push to memorialize local veterans started in 1882. The idea began rather simply, with a pitch for a tall obelisk with carved names of local veterans on its base.
But, this concept didn’t immediately gain much interest. It wasn’t until 1887 when the idea started to gain steam around Rockford. But, once support finally rose, the design wasn’t just for an obelisk.
1899
Over time, Rockford’s plan for a veteran’s memorial grew from a simple monument to an entire building. In 1899, groups of veterans gathered hundreds of signatures in support of building a veterans’ memorial center in the city, and presented it to the county. By the following year, funding for the memorial had been approved, and work started quickly.
Rockford’s Veteran’s Memorial Hall opened to great fanfare in June, 1903. Teddy Roosevelt, then President of the United States, was even there to dedicate the building to the region’s veterans.
1966
From the start, the Veteran’s Memorial Hall served the purpose it always has: curating exhibits and fostering community amongst Rockford’s military veterans. And year-over-year, decade-after-decade, the hall served its purpose to great effect. But as the city modernized through the 1950s and 60s, the hall’s future came into question.
Talk of demolition was quickly quelled, and the building instead embraced the history it had built. A stone plaque was added outside the building in 1966, commemorating the building’s lasting impact on the city.
1974
Through the 1970s, more work was done to preserve the Veteran’s Memorial Hall as part of Illinois history. The building was made a state historic landmark in 1974, protecting it from demolition. In 1976, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places, greeting new veterans and supporting old ones.
Some even say that old veterans who have passed on still return to the hall in spirit, roaming the halls and making themselves known in the building that memorialized them.
Is Veteran’s Memorial Hall Haunted?
One well-known Veteran’s Memorial Hall ghost story is of a mysterious woman’s apparition wandering through the building. The woman is always seen wearing a long gown or dress, and doesn’t engage or react to anyone else’s presence around her.
She has been spotted lingering in rooms and walking up and down the building’s large main staircase. She has possibly even been photographed sitting on the main staircase as it leads down into the building’s basement.
The ghostly woman has been seen through windows and doors by people on the outside. In at least one instance, someone trying to enter the building saw her and knocked on the door to get her attention, but the woman walked by without so much as a glance.
After wondering who that rude staff member was, the visitor was informed that no such person was in the building at the time, and that they’d spotted a ghost!
The Phantom of ‘Della’
While the mysterious woman’s specter hasn’t been known to speak with people, a security guard reportedly heard a woman call out to him as he was doing his nightly rounds, apparently saying that her name was either, ‘Ella,’ or ‘Della.’
Interestingly, the name Della reportedly relates to the mother of a young World War I soldier who died in battle. According to lore, Della went to the hall and learned of her son’s fate. Could this woman’s shadowy figure be Della, forever lingering in the place where she learned her child would never come home?
Apparitions in the Auditorium
Though the mysterious wandering woman is one of the Memorial Hall’s most well-known spirits, she is far from the only one. In the auditorium on the top floor of the building, balcony seat visitors have claimed to see shadow figures wandering around.
In one area by the edge of the balcony, there’s said to be an aggressive spiritual entity who is protecting an old storage room up there. No one knows why, but this specter doesn’t seem to deviate far from their favorite room. In at least one instance, a visitor reportedly was shoved away from the room when they got too close, taking a tumble over a row of seats as a result.
Spirits in the Stairwell
The building’s main staircase is another purported paranormal hotbed. Along with the shadowy woman’s figure heading up and down, others have heard strange noises from the staircase. Phantom footsteps traverse the creaky steps when no one is there.
Others have claimed to feel light touches or tugs on their hair or clothes when they are on the stairs, only for them to turn around and find no with them.
In one notable instance, a witness claimed to hear an entire funeral procession heading up the main stairs to the auditorium – numerous heavy footsteps, mournful music, and all!
Spooky Sights at
Veteran’s Memorial Hall
Unexplained shadows and other visible anomalies are also common reports around the Veteran’s Memorial Hall. While many photographs of supposed ‘orbs’ are often dubious, visitors to the Memorial Hall have claimed to see bright orb-shaped lights appear and disappear with their own eyes in the building.
Strange, shifting shadows have been reported through the building as well, often as a quick, corner-of-the-eye event that leaves witnesses scratching their heads.
Ghost Hunting at the Memorial Hall
The reports of hauntings around the Memorial Hall over the years have attracted attention of ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts.
Ghost hunting groups have since performed numerous investigations at the hall and turned up more claims of ghostly happenings. EMF spikes are frequently noted in strange areas of the building, where no electricity is.
Additionally, numerous potential EVP recordings have been collected from the Memorial Hall.
In one old meeting room on the main floor, ghost hunters have reportedly identified one spirit that likes to sit at an old desk in the corner of the room and will make themselves known through EVPs, EMF spikes, and other activity if anyone sits in their spot.
Veteran’s Memorial Hall:
A Mysterious Rockford Museum
Rockford’s Veteran’s Memorial Hall remains as dedicated to veterans and America’s military past as it always has been. Visitors can stop in and explore the museum space throughout the week on any of the hall’s open days.
The building can also be rented out for special events and programs. The Memorial Hall also makes sure to find time for their ghosts every once in a while too. Ghost hunting groups still do investigations of the space, and the building has become a regular feature on walking ghost tours of the city during the Halloween season.
So if you ever visit the Veteran’s Memorial Hall to take in the exhibits, be sure to keep an eye and ear out for the resident ghosts. Maybe you’ll hear one of them head up the stairs behind you, or spot a shadow figure lingering in the auditorium.
The ghosts of Veteran’s Memorial Hall are slowly but surely becoming an exhibit in and of themselves. And they’re doing well to ensure the building’s reputation as Rockford’s most mysterious memorial.
