The 11 Most Haunted Places in Chicago

Chicago, the Windy City, has plenty to offer—sports, history, nightlife, deep-dish pizza… and ghosts! Yep, some folks come here for more than just the sightseeing; they’re after the city’s spine-tingling reputation as one of the most haunted places in America. If you’re up for some ghostly thrills, you’re in the right place.

Grab your courage (and maybe a snack) as we dive into some of the most haunted spots in Chicago.

Prairie Avenue, once known as Millionaire’s Row, is home to some of Chicago’s most haunted spots. The Glessner House, built in 1886, may look foreboding from the outside, but it hides a surprisingly cozy interior. Its resident ghost is believed to be its architect, H.H. Richardson, who died before its completion. Unlike the usual chills associated with haunted houses, his presence is said to be warm and welcoming.

Meanwhile, the Kimball House across the street has a more unsettling vibe, thanks to the lingering spirit of Evalyne Kimball. After losing her grip on reality in her later years, she now peers out the windows, still waiting to host parties for guests that never come.

Then there’s the Keith House, with its French château-inspired design that screams “haunted mansion.” Its history of tragedy and neglect has left it with an air of bitterness, and ghost hunters claim to have seen phantom cars and shadowy figures lurking inside.

But the eeriest spot on Prairie Avenue might just be the Marshall Field Jr. House, a palatial residence with a dark past. Marshall Field Jr.’s mysterious death—rumored to have occurred at a brothel—has left behind a sour, unsettling energy that supposedly lingers to this day.

Together, these mansions stand as silent witnesses to Chicago’s ghostly Gilded Age, where wealth couldn’t keep out the specters of time.

In all of the haunted places in Chicago, none is bigger or appears to have the level of paranormal activity that people have experienced at the Congress Plaza Hotel.

Regarded by many as the most haunted hotel in Chicago, The Congress Plaza Hotel has accommodated everyone from presidents, to celebrities, to millionaires, and gangsters such as Al Capone since 1893.

In the history of hotels, no other hotel has had a longer strike by the hotel than the Congress Plaza.

The stories from people who have either visited the Plaza or stayed there have varied. Room 441 is said to be the home to the shadowy outline of a woman. It is such a creepy and unnerving room, security for the hotel has been called there countless times.

People have heard pianos playing when no one is near them; gunshots in the banquet room are another sound people have heard. People have seen the ghost of a young boy they believe died when he and his brother jumped out of a window with their mother.

When attending weddings in the Gold Room, photos of people taken around the grand piano have come back with people not in the photos.

A room on the twelfth floor is sealed permanently and covered with wall paper because of how terrifying the room is said to be. | Check Availability

If you cruise up Lake Shore Drive and hop off at Lawrence Avenue, you’ll stumble right into the legendary Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. This place is dripping in history—and not just the kind you read in textbooks.

Originally called Pop Morse’s Roadhouse, it transformed into Green Mill Gardens to match its lush surroundings before becoming the ultimate Prohibition-era hangout for none other than Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn, one of Al Capone’s top goons. With mob money flowing and a maze of tunnels for smuggling booze in and, well, the occasional body out, the Green Mill quickly became the hottest speakeasy in town.

Fast forward to today, and the mob’s influence is still felt—literally. A candle burns nightly behind the ornate art deco bar as a tribute to Capone and his “charming” legacy. Feel like sitting in Capone’s favorite booth? Go for it; it’s got the perfect view of both entrances, you know, just in case a quick exit is needed!

The old tunnels now serve as storage, but employees swear things mysteriously move around down there. And don’t even get them started on the eerie piano music that sometimes echoes through the empty lounge at opening. Looks like the ghosts of jazz and gangsters aren’t quite ready to leave their stage just yet!

Founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, Hull House was a haven for European immigrants on Chicago’s West Side. But with its legacy as a refuge for the underprivileged came some pretty wild rumors—none more infamous than that of “The Devil Baby.”

The story goes that a local atheist fathered a deformed child (think scaly skin, short horns, and a tail), and Hull House became the rumored hideout for the poor kid. Streams of curious visitors swarmed the house for weeks, disrupting its daily activities. Jane Addams allegedly tried to care for the child and even attempted a failed exorcism, eventually keeping the baby in the attic.

Though the University of Illinois at Chicago now occupies most of the old Hull House grounds, the main building still stands. Legend has it that if you look up into the attic windows, you might just see the face of that “Devil Baby” staring back at you. Inside, things don’t get any less spooky—lights flicker for no reason, windows break without explanation, and motion detectors randomly go off.

The ghost of a “lady in white” has also been spotted in the front rooms. With so many souls passing through its doors, it’s no wonder Hull House remains one of Chicago’s most paranormally active sites. So next time you’re on the UIC campus, give those attic windows a glance… if you dare!

If you’re searching for a haunted spot with serious castle vibes in Chicago, make your way to the Excalibur Club, located in the heart of the River North neighborhood at 632 N. Dearborn Street.

Built in 1892 with rough granite blocks instead of wood, this place has a fortress-like feel that practically invites ghostly tales. Over its century-long existence, it’s housed everything from magazines and the WPA to the Loyal Order of the Moose and the Limelight nightclub.

Paranormal activity at the Excalibur Club has kept things interesting over the years. Visitors have reported hearing keys rattling with no one around to cause it. One bartender, while using the restroom, felt an invisible force pushing against the stall door, trapping him inside.

The storage room is another hotspot, where people have heard boxes shifting even when it’s locked up and empty. And if that’s not spooky enough, the pool table has a habit of making its balls move around on their own. River North just got a whole lot creepier!

Long before it became the James M. Nederlander Theatre, this iconic Chicago venue was marked by catastrophe. On December 30, 1903, during a performance for 1,700 guests, a devastating fire broke out, resulting in 602 deaths and 250 non-fatal injuries.

The aftermath was grim, with over 100 bodies stacked in the alley behind the theater—many of them people who had leapt in a desperate attempt to survive. It’s no surprise this spot has been named one of the most haunted places in the world.

To this day, the theater’s dark past lingers. People who work or live nearby report hearing phantom footsteps, believed to belong to those who perished in the fire.

The alley is notorious for its eerie, unexplained noises, leaving anyone passing through with chills and the urge to make a quick exit. If you decide to visit, brace yourself for a brush with history… and maybe a ghostly encounter or two!

In 1915 a horrible tragedy occurred when the S.S. Eastland, carrying more than 2,500 crew members and passengers, rolled over onto its side. More than 800 people perished on that day. At the time of the tragedy the vessel was docked at the Clark Street Bridge.

The Clark Bridge remains standing today and overlooks the site of the horrible tragedy that took the lives of entire families. People who have crossed the bridge have made claims that bodies can be seen floating in the Chicago River before they end up sinking.

There is an overall eerie feeling when one is on the bridge or looks out onto where the Eastland sank.

When the Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869 using sturdy Lemont limestone, no one could have predicted the devastation it would endure. Just two years later, the Great Fire of Chicago tore through the city, destroying nearly everything in its path and claiming over 300 lives. But amidst the chaos, the Water Tower stood its ground, practically giving the fire a defiant “not today.”

The fire spared the tower, but its history took a grim turn. As legend has it, a man operating the water pumps to fight the blaze eventually took his own life by hanging himself from the tower when the flames grew too close.

Instead of perishing in the fire, he chose a different end—and now, his ghost is often spotted in the tower’s window, serving as a haunting reminder of that fiery catastrophe. Talk about a window with a view you might not want to look through!

If you’re exploring Chicago’s most haunted spots, you’ll want to swing by what’s now known as Hunter’s on Halsted. This artist-friendly lounge, known today for hosting live bands, comedians, and DJs, has a history as colorful as it is eerie.

Back in the roaring twenties, it went by a different name—the Tonic Room—and served as everything from a bustling tavern for the North Side Irish gang to a brothel running out of the upstairs apartments.

When the Tonic Room’s owners first moved in, they made some strange discoveries in the basement: a pentagram on the floor and Egyptian iconography on the ceiling. Naturally, this led to rumors that the basement was once a secret meeting spot for the American chapter of the Golden Dawn.  An elderly local even claimed that a murder occurred there in the 1930s!

Today, ghost sightings are a regular occurrence, with apparitions appearing both in the bar area and the creepy basement. So, while Hunter’s on Halsted might be all about the artsy vibes now, don’t be surprised if you get more than you bargained for during open mic night!

H.H. Holmes or Dr. Henry Howard Holmes is the aliases of Herman Webster Mudgett, a notorious serial killer in America. In 1886, Holmes moved to Chicago and eventually opened the World’s Fair Hotel. The Hotel was huge spanning 3 blocks.

Holmes built the hotel to accommodate visitors to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The Hotel would gain the nickname of “The Castle” because of how massive a structure it was at the time.

The size of the hotel is not what makes the H.H. Holmes’ Murder Castle famous. At least 20 people, if not countless more, died in the hotel at the hands of Holmes. The actual number of deaths in the hotel may have reached into the hundreds but Holmes only admitted to the 20.

Found within the hotel’s walls were pits of acid, gas chambers, and even makeshift operating tables. With the revelations about what transpired within the walls of the Murder Castle, eventually, it was torn down only to be replaced with a Post Office.

Ghost hunters frequently visit the location in hopes of experiencing some sort of paranormal activity ranging from sighting apparitions or hearing unusual sounds.

The Drake Hotel isn’t the only place in Chicago with a flair for ghostly guests, but it sure knows how to add a touch of elegance to the paranormal!

Built in 1920, The Drake has hosted its fair share of the rich and famous—think Bing Crosby, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and Princess Diana. Oh, and don’t forget the forlorn ghosts who’ve stuck around for the endless room service.

Among the hotel’s spooky residents are the grieving parents of Bobby Franks, the 15-year-old kidnapped and killed by the infamous duo Leopold and Loeb in 1924. Rumor has it they moved into The Drake after the trial… and never checked out.

Then there’s the mysterious Woman in Black, who shot and killed a socialite in her eighth-floor suite in 1944, vanishing without a trace. And let’s not overlook the Woman in Red, arguably the hotel’s most famous specter.

During the hotel’s New Year’s Eve gala in 1920, she caught her husband (or fiancé, depending on the story) being a bit too friendly with someone else. In a fit of rage, she dashed to the 10th floor and leapt to her death. Now, her ghost haunts the Gold Coast Room, the Palm Court, and—of course—the 10th floor.

Feeling brave? Book yourself a high tea at the Palm Court and see if you catch a glimpse of The Woman in Red. Or better yet, splurge on a stay at this historic, luxurious hotel. Just be ready for a little extra company that doesn’t show up on your reservation! | Check Availability

Other Haunted Locations:

• Frank Shaver Allen House, Joliet