Not too late in the Halloween season to get out and explore the creepy and ghostly.

This, however, is a different kind of "ghost" as in "ghost town."

BackyardExploration via YouTube
BackyardExploration via YouTube
loading...
WKDQ-FM logo
Get our free mobile app

The only spirits left are those wandering a town that apparently used to be quite bustling.

I'm sure you've heard of Cairo, Illinois if only due to the fact there's a city with the very same name in Egypt.

BackyardExploration via YouTube
BackyardExploration via YouTube
loading...

Two things, there are more people in Cairo Egypt than there are in Cairo, Illinois and in the Land of Lincoln, folks pronounce Cairo, Care-Oh. Got it?

attachment-Screenshot Capture - 2021-10-29 - 09-24-38
loading...

Anyway, Cairo in Illinois used to have residents. It's much smaller these days and worse yet, it was just named as one of the Best Creepy Ghost Towns to Visit in the US according to Money, inc.:

It was the destination of freed slaves and once a bustling town on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, at the confluence of the two. It was a going concern when the ferry and riverboat industries were at their peak, but when both collapsed, Cairo became a casualty. Today it is nothing more than a collection of the remnants of buildings and ruins.

"Ruins" is putting it lightly. A video from 2013 by BackyardExploration on YouTube features rubble and garbage, and quite honestly while watching the person who took the video wander through those empty buildings, I was afraid they might end up crashing through a floor.

BackyardExploration via YouTube
BackyardExploration via YouTube
loading...

So while Money, inc. is was spot on calling Cairo one of America's best ghost towns, I'm not so sure anyone is headed there on a sightseeing expedition.

Then again, this YouTuber makes a pretty strong case to actually celebrate the rich history of Cairo.

How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns

Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection’s cultural significance and legacy along the way.

Ummm, can anyone explain why these toys are tethered to an abandoned motel south of Rockford???

More From WKDQ-FM