"Doc's Palace" - formerly "The Railroaders Club" - Belleville
One of our readers sent us the following report from an adult entertainment establishment in Belleville. Although our researcher/investigator in the area, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., is looking into the case, we are hoping one of our readers can assist us with information or even share their own reports.
I worked there in 1997, and had some strange experiences. There are a few people who do believe what I witnessed/felt, including the son of a former owner and his wife. Not to mention several dancers who have worked there, have witnessed "things".
My experiences are unique.
It happened on a Saturday night in January of 1997. I had been sitting with friends, and I began to feel a sensation of someone stroking my hair. There was no one behind me as I had my back to a wall. My hair was full of static. There was no explanation.
Later that evening, I went to retrieve a shirt from my room on the 3rd floor. I knew there was no one upstairs at the time, but when I reached the top of the stairs, I immediately felt as if someone were right beside me, and to be quite honest, it scared the heck right out of me. When I entered my room (last door on the right as you go east down the upstairs hall), my room was as cold as a walk-in freezer, yet the water heater was very hot to touch. I ran back downstairs and went to speak with the owner's son. At that time I refused to go back upstairs unescorted, and he informed me of three possible hauntings in the building, a little girl, an older man and a woman between twenty-five and forty. Each apparently on a different floor.
At the end of the night, another dancer by the stage name of Sassy walked me to my room so I could get ready to go home. When we went into my room, Sassy also noticed how unusually cold the room was. I can't explain what happened after that, but the room appeared to develop a warm glow, and I immediately felt like I was being hugged, but Sassy was on the other side of the room.
When I went to leave the bar, I had passed by the seat I had occupied earlier that evening. The shadow from the chair was what amazed me. The chair was empty, but the shadow showed a little girl sitting in it swinging her legs.
Have you heard from anyone else about this building? I am very curious. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Update - November 2006: One of our readers writes:
I live right by the Doc's palace. It is now closed because of a fire a few years ago, but the building is still there. I used to live not even a block away in a corner house. One day I went outside for a cigarette and saw a little girl with long blond hair and a blue short set that had a ruffly sort of trim to them across the street. She was standing by a fire hydrant. I would say she was 7-9 years old. I looked away for a second and when I looked across the road she was gone. There is absolutely no way anyone could have ran away that fast. I'm wondering if it's the same girl from down the street at the doc's.
Our investigator/researcher in Belleville is following up on these reports.
As stated, we'd love to hear from anyone with any extra information on this site. Please, if you can share your information or report your own experiences, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Your anonymity and security are assured.
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Update September 2013
Doc's Palace is currently being demolished to make way for a new fire hall. Will this end the reports of hauntings? Only time will tell. Thanks to OGHRS investigator Jason Pettit for the tip.
You can read more about the demolition here