Are There Secret Tunnels Beneath Rockford, Illinois? The Truth May Surprise You

If you've lived in the Rockford, Illinois area long enough, you've probably heard stories about the underground tunnels beneath the city streets, but are these stories actually true?

Rockford's Abandoned Underground Tunnels

Recently I wrote a post about the the mysterious abandoned tunnels rumored to be lying beneath the streets of Downtown Rockford and included the video from Decayingmidwest that "proves" they exist...

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Now, I've watched and researched enough of the abandoned videos that Decayingmidwest posts to know that sometime they stretch the truth a little bit to get more views, so after watching that footage of Rockford's underground tunnels I had some questions. Primarily, did these tunnels even exist, are they still there if they did, and what were they used for?

Some people say they were used to carry the steam that powered Downtown Rockford. Others say they were used to move liquor during Prohibition. I've even heard these tunnels were part of the Underground Railroad, but what's the truth?

The Truth About Rockford's Underground Tunnels

Shortly after publishing the article about Rockford's abandoned underground tunnels we received a message from Rob Wilhelmi, Brownfields Redevelopment Specialist for the City of Rockford.

Part of Rob's job is to handle environmental issues at old sites and buildings throughout Rockford so they are ready for redevlopment, and  Rob explained to us that he has been in every one of Rockford's "underground tunnels" before. He also said that there were some very important things that needed to be clarified about them.

Here's part of the conversation we had with Rob...

Now that we know some underground tunnels do still exist in Rockford, PLEASE remember they are extremely dangerous, filled with asbestos, and private property. Do NOT try to explore them, it could get you arrested...or worse.

Here are some more creepy abandoned places in Illinois that we found pics of...