Kimberly did the Illinois shot, here is her report!
The Bat Cam landed on my doorstep on Feb. 8th. My plans were to take the pictures while my kids were in school and possibly some inside the building, but Mother Nature had another thing in mind. We received around 3 inches of snow that evening so my children were with me and my building was closed for the day!For my photo, I decided to photograph the Coliseum Ballroom in Benld, Illinois. It’s located on Rt. 4 (used to be Route 66) just west of town. It was built by Dominic Tarro in the 1920s. In its early days the Coliseum had the largest dance floor between St. Louis and Chicago. It drew crowds from all over the area. It has been said that Al Capone and his fellow gangsters had many ties with the town of Benld and the Coliseum.
The Ballroom also held many concerts in its time. This list is long but it included Ike and Tina Turner, The Everly Brothers, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons and Fats Domino.
It is said to still be haunted by its original owner Dominic Tarro and his daughter, Joyce Tarro, who was found murdered at her residence in Benld in 1976.
Today the Coliseum Ballroom houses an antique mall. More information about the Coliseum can be found at www.hauntedmacoupin.com.
