Spooky Spots: ‘7 Gates of Hell’ in Collinsville

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – It’s time to discover our next Spooky Spot. Our Today in St. Louis team travels to various haunted locations around St. Louis throughout October.

This time, we’re taking you to Collinsville, where a local legend has spread like “hellfire.”

Just outside the city there are seven gates which, according to legend, form a bridge between this world and the underworld.

Sydney Stallworth guides us through the strange happenings near the “Seven Gates of Hell”.

She found a trusted guide to explain the legend. Mark Farley is the founder of the St. Louis Paranormal Research Society. “I mean, not everything I’ve seen in the paranormal I can explain,” Farley said.

Farley saw quite a few things that defy expectation at the “Seven Gates” in Collinsville.

“There were like three or four shadow figures standing up there. It was a full moon that night. You could see them. We turned on a flashlight and we could see them. Then we just left… time to go,” Farley said.

The “Seven Gates” are a system of railroad trestles outside of Collinsville, Illinois. “According to urban legend, if you pass through all seven gates and approach the 7th gate at midnight, you are supposed to be transported to hell…or a demonic creature will come to greet you. I heard that side of the story,” Farley explained.

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Our 5 On Your Side team had to go through gates one and two to meet Dr. Farley between gates three and four, a place he says is a hotbed of paranormal activity.

“That’s when I saw the ball of light that kind of moved and followed down the creek bed, came up and disappeared,” Farley said. “Another thing that was weird here, years ago we always found animals. carcasses…dogs, deer scattered around here. You’d be here at night and you’d hear the dogs barking. It was always like the hounds were closing in, like they were right on top of you…and they never came. That’s the story. People talk about hounds from hell.

The people of Collinsville have definitely spoken. Many come out at night, especially at this time of year to catch a glimpse of something ghostly.

Our reporter, Sydney Stallworth, points out that people came to number the doors with spray paint. Farley said, “Yes, I mean people have been spray painting these doors for years.”

“Some of them descend for thrill seeking, others descend for more nefarious means or worship reasons because this place has a lot of energy…some people have a lot of energy there. attached,” he said.

Whether you believe the rumors or not, doors are dangerous for another very real reason.

“A lot of kids, teenagers will be here in the middle of the night and people will be flying here at night and kids will be affected,” Farley said.

Farley sent 5 On Your Side a photo he says captures the image of a spirit, at the site of a fatal car crash years ago. He added: “…I have a photo of an apparition, you can see her in a hoodie standing right there.”

It turns out that Collinsville has some heavenly spots on the outskirts of town. About 10 minutes further, and past gates five and six, we come to Acid Bridge.

At the bridge, Dr. Farley told our reporter, “You just get the feeling here that you’re never alone…Acid Bridge and the 7 Gates…every time you read about them, whenever you hear about it, two things always come up high: One, worship activity Second, everyone seems to have their own experience in these two areas.

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