It’s the time of year where make believe ghosts and ghouls permeate our stores, yards, and even news feeds. Monsters, goblins, and pumpkins are everywhere, and kiddies are prancing through department store aisles looking for their new favorite costume.
But what about the real horrors? Do they only occur around Halloween too?
In Chicago, the most haunted city in Illinois, that’s a big fat no. According to Mysterious Heartland, nobody else comes close either. Here are their top 10 most haunted places, with a little blurb about each.
10) Lourdes High School
Tales of a phantom nun who haunts the third floor have been told for decades. Observers have reported heavy footsteps and ghostly apparitions materializing before their eyes. The old school has closed down, and a new one has been opened at the site. So far, there haven’t been any reports of ghostly activity since.
9) Ford/Oriental Theatre
Just five weeks after the theater’s opening, the deadliest theater fire in the U.S. took place. 572 people died initially, with another 30 passing away later on due to their injuries. 125 of the bodies were piled behind the theater, and passersby have heard unsettling sounds and feelings of distress.
8) Ethyl’s Party/Tito’s on the Edge
Employees have seen extra band members on stage, a man in a brown trench coat, and a thick white cloud at various points. The venue was built over an old funeral home, and this is the supposed cause of the hauntings.
7) Adobo Grill
Within the walls of Adobo, a medium used to hold séances in the 80s. During one such incident, a reporter became ill, people were touched by unseen hands, and one woman was even dragged across the floor.
6) Holy Family Church
Though this church was closed to the public for a time, they reopened in the 1990s after an extensive renovation. The institution has stood since before the Chicago Fire began, a shocking revelation considering that the disaster likely originated just blocks away. One priest has reported a figure standing in the choir area.
5) Tonic Room
It’s speculated that the venue may have been a meeting place for the Golden Dawn in the past. A woman also claims that she witnessed a ritual murder on site in the 1930s.
4) Drake Hotel
The Drake Hotel’s opening night led to disaster, as the legendary Woman in Red jumped to her death after seeing her fiancée with another woman.
3) Red Lion Pub
Though the pub is currently closed for remodeling, several specters supposedly haunt its halls.
2) Excalibur Club
Pools balls roll on their own, heavy boxes on the locked third floor have been moved, and a woman has even been shut in the bathroom for a short while.
1) Congress Plaza Hotel
On the twelfth floor of the Congress, a room is rumored to have been sealed and permanently covered by wallpaper. Security guards have heard mysterious organ music and skate wheels. People have gone missing from wedding photos. A one-legged man haunts the south tower, while moans have been heard from the north tower.
To see the full story on each venue and learn more about their ranking, check out Mysterious Heartland’s complete review.