Haunted Things to Do in Chicago, Illinois: Ghost Tours, True Crime & Haunted Places
- Desirae-Haunted Traverse
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 15 hours ago
Chicago’s skyline hides a darker history beneath its streets. From Prohibition-era crime and tragic fires to historic theaters and haunted hotels, Chicago is one of the most paranormally active cities in the Midwest.
This guide covers the best haunted things to do in Chicago, including ghost tours, notorious locations, and tips for planning a paranormal-focused visit.
Safe and spirited travels, my Dear Readers. ~Dez
Best Ghost Tours For Haunted Things to Do in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Mobs and Haunts Walking Tour
A popular guided experience that blends ghost stories with Chicago’s true-mob crime past, including Prohibition-era legends and haunted neighborhoods.
Chicago Haunts and Hooligans Tour
The perfect tour to get away from the most popular...errr..cold spots of Chicago. Promising to take you off the beaten path with access to secret tunnels and parlors.
Haunted Pub Crawl Chicago
Guided pub tours that explore historic bars with reported paranormal activity, often paired with Prohibition stories, and some of the more popular ghost tour stops in Chicago.
Haunted Ghost Tour Plus Ghost Investigation Tools
Guided tour that explores Chicago's Lincoln Park and look for paranormal activity. But not just ghost hunting but this tour is a favorite becuase it touches on some intriguing paranormal subjects such as Great Fire of 1871, Suicide Bridge, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and visit Lincoln Park, and the old City Cemetery.
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Haunted Things to Do in Chicago: Haunted Places
Congress Plaza Hotel
One of Chicago’s most famous haunted hotels, linked to tragic deaths and long-term reports of ghostly encounters.
Reported haunting symptoms: apparitions, cold spots, unexplained sounds
Iroquois Theatre Site
The site of one of the deadliest theater fires in U.S. history. Visitors report uneasy feelings and lingering sadness in the area.
Reported haunting symptoms: emotional heaviness, chills
Hull House
Once home to reformer Jane Addams, Hull House has been linked to sightings of a mysterious “Devil Baby” and other unexplained phenomena.
Reported haunting symptoms: strange sensations, movement in peripheral vision
Planning Tips for Haunted Chicago
Best neighborhoods: Loop, River North, Lincoln Park
Evening tours recommended: Atmosphere improves after dark
Public transit friendly: Most haunted sites are accessible by CTA/Taxi
Sample 2-Day Haunted Chicago Itinerary
Day 1: Ghost & crime walking tour + Chicago Crime and Bus Tour of Chicago
Day 2: River ghost cruise + historic theater district
The Most Famous Ghost Story In Chicago
My favorite Chicago ghost story and one of Chicago’s most enduring ghost legends is Resurrection Mary, the apparition of a young woman often seen walking along Archer Avenue near Resurrection Cemetery.
First reported in the 1930s, witnesses describe Mary as a blonde woman dressed in a white or pale evening gown, sometimes hitchhiking or appearing suddenly in passing headlights. Many encounters follow a similar pattern: drivers offer her a ride, only to watch her vanish without explanation near the cemetery gates.
Over decades, reports have included physical interactions such as doors opening, footprints in cemetery soil, and iron fence bars bent outward—events that have cemented Resurrection Mary as one of the most credible and frequently sighted ghosts in American folklore.
Explore this area around Resurrection Cemetery in Justice Illinois and visit the following haunted locations:
Willowbrook Ballroom
Once known as Henry Ballroom, Mary was last seen alive before she was killed in the hit and run car accident.
Chet's Melody Lounge
Located across from the Resurrection Cemetery, this is the location where Mary may have danced before her tragic car accident.
Archer Avenue are which contains six cemeteries
Reports of ghost lights, ghost cars, and phantom monks make this consider the most haunted road in the Chicago area.
Stories like Resurrection Mary are one reason Chicago consistently ranks among the most haunted cities in the United States, drawing both paranormal investigators and curious travelers year after year.
🎥 Watch the full Resurrection Mary video above for a narrated exploration of Chicago’s most famous ghost.
To Wrap up this Article and Answer Why Chicago Feels Haunted?
Haunted Things to Do in Chicago, Illinois: Ghost Tours, True Crime & Haunted Places is tied to industrial tragedies, organized crime violence, fires and mass casualties, and rapid urban expansion. These forces left behind stories that continue to fuel ghost tours and paranormal tourism today.
When I traverse the haunted, darken streets of Chicago, the echoes of mobsters, and tragic teenager losses, the chaos of fires seem to blaze chills to deep into my soul. My heart yearns for their peace and mind continues to be enthralled by haunted Chicago.
Safe and spirited travels, my Dear Readers. ~Dez
More Haunted Destinations to Explore
Haunted travel doesn’t stop here. I’m continuing to explore some of the most paranormally active destinations across the U.S., including Savannah, Salem, Charleston, and beyond.
Thank you for reading this article
Let's explore more if you have time!
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Explore More Haunted Destinations
If haunted travel draws you in, these destinations are known for their ghost tours, paranormal history, and unexplained encounters.
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