A ghost known as 'The Rail Girl' haunts this historic theater on Millikin University's campus.
1184 West Main Street,
Decatur, Illinois 62522
1184 West Main Street, Decatur, Illinois 62522
The ghost that haunts Millikin's Albert Taylor Theater, located inside Shilling Hall, is called 'The Rail Girl'.
This spirit has been around since the beginning of the University. When theater students first started putting on productions in the theater their work would continuously be destroyed. The sets would be knocked over, lights would fall, and the power would mysteriously fail.
Frustrated and desperate a theater student left an offering of three pieces of candy to the spirit on the edge of the stage in hopes that it would calm the spirit. The next day the candy was gone, and the production went off without any disturbances.
This ritual offering is still repeated today. Three pieces of candy must be left on stage before the night of production in order to calm 'The Rail Girl'.
However, prior to the production 'The Rail Girl' is still very playful and bothersome. Students have reported at first being scared of the disturbances but as time would go on, and the activity more annoying, they would yell at the Rail Girl. This will only make her more destructive.
Students have stated that you shouldn't loose your temper with 'The Rail Girl', instead talk to her sweetly and tell her some jokes, she seems to enjoy that.
No one really knows the origin of the Rail Girl, nor is it known if this is a spirit of a girl. However, it is assumed that it is a child because the ghostly activity is accompanied by the sound of childish laughing, and, at times, faint singing.