With the outbreak of World War II, the Government bought up the hotel to use as a training site for the US Army Air Forces. FrightFind's guide to the top haunted hotels in the US. 1. The south tower was constructed between 1902 and 1907, designed by the world-renowned Holabird and Roche. Others say it's the one that's been boarded up. There were two heavy doors at either end of the hallway, making me feel trapped. Szabelski says John was at home one night settling down for a quiet evening sitting down in his easy chair, putting on some soft music, and preparing to open a book to start reading. The Congress Plaza Hotel stands on Michigan Avenue in the middle of Chicago's Loop neighborhood. The ghost of the famed Lady in Red still creeps around the hotel, nearly 100 years after her tragic death on New Years Eve. And speaking of the Gold Room, it's rumored that some of the bridesmaids in wedding parties who gather around the piano for photographs do not actually show up in the pictures. The Haunted Halloween Ball will sellout the Congress Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Chicago ! The Congress Plaza Hotel is located near Chicagos retail and business districts which make the hotel the ideal location to stay whilst in Chicago. If it still had a number, the room would be--believe it or not-- number 666. Reportedly, this room has had the most ghost sightings, including the silhouette of a woman. Though the causes behind this haunting are anyones guess, it is creepy enough that all the reports and complaints are so similar in nature. Even Americas very first serial killer, H.H. Its red neon sign. Top 10 Real Haunted Houses That Inspired Movies. The ghost of a six-year-old boy has been seen running around the 12th floor for decades, but the root of this haunting is even more troubling. Are you visiting Chicago? Szabelski notes there have been many documented suicides at the hotel too many to try to start a comprehensive list. In 1933, the Tampa Electric Company's dam was intentionally destroyed. Upon inspection by guards or other members of staff, the room is completely empty and quiet. I began to wonder if the hotel was keeping people out of these rooms or keeping something in. 2022 Ghost City, Ghost City Tours. And no wonder. John says the boy just looked at him, grinned, and slowly faded away right before his eyes. And at some point, a taxi driver made a fatal leap out of an upper floor window, a salesman very deliberately flung himself down an empty elevator shaft, and a troubled family man hung himself from a cupboard hook. Franks was kidnapped and murdered by his cousin Richard Loeb and his accomplice Nathan Leopold in 1924. Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Copyright Policy. It was easily the largest hotel room I have ever stayed in, but the design choices felt dated to me. In bed in the dark, I couldn't stop thinking about the ghost stories I read when I first arrived at the hotel. . That was about twenty years before one of its most notable (and notorious) residents, gangster Al Capone, was said to have lived here; some reports are that he owned the hotel for a while and used it for his headquarters. Its more accepted that Capones thugs were at the Congress dealing with business. If youre hunting for Capones ghost, try the haunted Arlington Hotel in Arkansaswhere he stayed on the 4th floor. 1. Enjoy your stay. Located near Grant Park on Michigan Ave., with views of Lake Michigan, the Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center has been a Windy City icon since 1893, playing host to U.S. presidents, international celebrities and performers, foreign dignitaries and elite travelers from around the world. He was butt-naked, bound hand-and-foot with his own socks and had been strangled with his own shirt. Nobody knows exactly who this woman is, but a lot of people have reported her, Szabelski says. Some have ventured that this room was simply put out of use because of its stigmatized number, but there is definitely more to this story. Williams was a guest at the hotel, as the story goes, and entered her room to discover the Woman in Black, who pulled a gun from her purse and shot Williams dead. A hobo is said to have been killed in the hotel many years ago. Appliances have been known to turn on and off by themselves. "We never experience any paranormal activity in any of our rooms. Still others claim you can't even place it anymore: it's been papered over to remove any sign that it was every there. As for others, legend has it that a lone man roams the eighth floor, where the elevator is said to stop frequently, even though no one has pushed a button. There are rumors because of the age of the building.". People also talk about "Peg Leg Jonny" who is said to have been killed in an alley behind the hotel. The purple rug with the blue suede comforter made it feel like I was stepping back in time to the colorful '80s. The ghost of the famed Lady in Red still creeps around the hotel, nearly 100 years after her tragic death on New Year's Eve. Several of Capones friends and business associates lived at the hotel during the 1920s and '30s, establishing the Congress as the home to some of the century's most violent and corrupt criminals. Where did room 666 and 209 go? While guests at the Congress Plaza and The Drake enjoy luxury, comfort, and meticulous attention to detail, they also revel in ghostly lore particularly during Halloween season. The lintel above the old doorway is, indeed, still quite visible. You may find that history is more frightening than our urban legends. While the Congress Plaza is clearly teeming with apparitions, the hotels most enduring creepy legacy, perhaps, is connected to one of its real-life patrons, Americas first serial killer, Dr. H.H. In my life, I have been blessed with a good family and a good group of friends, that have made me realize that I do not need a boyfriend in my life to be genuinely happy. Here are some of the most notoriously haunted hotels and attractions in and around Chicago. Like many such buildings, a number of past guests have reportedly committed suicide by throwing themselves over the atrium railings; since one such incident in the Fall of 2001, the victim has been seenin suit and tiegazing over the east side of the atrium rail. Another ballroom, the Florentine Room, was added in the North Tower. Forever, and ever, and ever." The piano is known to play by itself, and a woman may be heard screaming outside a staff door on the east side of the room. If you want to go biking, running or walking, you can do so at the Lakefront Trail. Its red neon sign is particularly resplendent at night especially when seen as a backdrop to Buckingham Fountain during the summer. She has since been seen roaming the hallways, and is most commonly witnessed on the 10th floor and thesumptuous Palm Court no doubt drawn by all those High Tea afficionados. One celebrity said he saw what appeared to be a shadow figure moving back and forth in his closet, and he was so freaked out that he checked out of the hotel, went down the block, and decided to stay at the Blackstone Hotel instead. Facebook/The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center Today, it features over 870 rooms, most of which are available for reservation. One story was about a. Among the multitude of haunted hotels in Chicago, however, none--or even all of them together--can touch the granddaddy of them all: the Congress Plaza. He died in 1969 at St. Anthony's Hospital. Accidents, too, have left their mark here. It's still the retired judge, except he's dead now. One of the most haunted hotels in Chicago, The Congress Plaza Hotel has a long history with the paranormal. In fact, King spent a few nights at the Congress Plaza Hotel and, according to Patch, his story "1408" was inspired by one of the rooms, 441, at this Chicago hotel. Luckily, I fell asleep with the lights on and the rumored ghosts weren't active. Learn more about the haunted Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago. Taking place in the stunning Palm Court, your ticket allows you admission to a luxurious masquerade ball, filled with history and mystery. Congress Plaza Hotel (from USD 161) Located directly across the iconic Millennium Park, and sitting on Chicago's illustrious Michigan Avenue, the Congress Plaza Hotel is covered in elegance, luxury and history. As for things hotel guests can actually see, the Congress Plaza Hotel has plenty to offer just by stepping outside its front doors. As noted earlier, former President Theodore Roosevelt made the announcement at the hotel that he was leaving the Republican Party and forming a new party but the context was that he had just lost the presidential nomination for the GOP that year. Holmes is known to have loitered aroundthe hotel lobby in search of new victims. His wife was also at death's door but alive. Director Tyler King Writer Tyler King Stars Corey Bailey Tyler King See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 5 User reviews 1 Critic review Photos 24 Top cast Edit Corey Bailey Corey Tyler King Tyler Director What could possibly have gone on inside those walls? It really felt like I was the only guest at the hotel. It has been called the hand of mystery. 1 56 It's Haunted in there for sure! Security reports getting many calls from people saying their TV channels changing on their own. In Room 759 another erstwhile resident pulls the door shut from inside when guests try to enter. But no matter how scared I got during my time at the Congress Plaza Hotel, at least I was able to check out some don't seem to be so lucky. The South Tower was designed by the famed architectural firm of Holabird & Roche, which also designed Chicago's City Hall, the southern half of the Monadnock Building, and numerous other historic buildings downtown. The Congress changed hands one last time in 1987, winding up under the ownership of investor and philanthropist Albert Nasser. Video produced by Blake Tyson. Its eleven story edifice was originally designed by architect Clinton J. Warren as an annex to the Auditorium Theater across the street. Indeed, the ghosts of the Congress are everywhere. Enjoy unparalleled value and gracious hospitality at one of downtown Chicago's most legendary hotels. Guests can expect to have . While the Congress Plaza Hotel reigns supreme in the world of Chicagos haunted hotels, The Drake Hotel (140 E. Walton Place) is a strong second. The gorgeous hotel still offers impeccable service and care to its guests. Guests report seeing the same thing: the shadowy outline of a woman. Constructed during an era when it was common for Chicago's elite to permanently reside in a hotel, the 871 rooms and suites at the Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center offer a grand bridge between The Windy City's legendary past and cosmopolitan present. The hotel has a bit of a shady past. By the time the breathless guard caught up, hed simply vanished. Theres the Baymont Inn and Suites, where employees have witnessed balls of white light in the lobby area, and where guests are repeatedly driven from room 208 by a spirit who seeks to strangle them in their sleep. But, over the years, it has also become known as the most haunted hotel on Michigan Avenue, and maybe even the most haunted space in all of the Windy City. Be the first to get new Haunting Tales and tour updates. Still others claim you can't even place it anymore: it's been papered over to remove any sign that it was every there. Whatever the beliefs of others, my own experiences have firmly rooted this enigmatic spot at the pinnacle of my "Most Haunted." There are also rumors about the ballrooms. Guessing at his identity, some tie him to one of the many families who made their homes at the hotel in years gone by, and the all-too-common deaths from then-incurable illnesses like tuberculosis and pneumonia. 1408 I tried to visit the most haunted room in the hotel, but the labyrinth of hallways got me spooked. By visiting ChooseChicago.com, you are consenting to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. There was the night my worst fear as a ghost hunter came true: the sheets and blankets were peeled off me by unseen hands as I slept. Zombies, werewolves and vampires might be filling the movie lots and soundstages of Hollywood. A security guard who may or may not be the same one that chased down the Shadow Man once reported seeing a young boy in worn-out clothes standing at the end of the hall. 24 W. Randolph Street, Loop Over on Randolph Street in the heart of Chicago lurks a pedestrian alleyway known as Couch Place, which has a far more sinister history than the name might imply. If you want to catch a thrill or experience a real haunted place, then we can get you there. The 14-story property (or maybe 15-story, as another mysterious rumor suggests a hidden, closed off 15th floor) is located in the heart of the city and is just a few feet from nearby classic Chicago attractions and things to do such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum, which are all included in Chicago CityPASS tickets, and, by the way, are not anywhere near as haunted as the Congress Plaza Hotel. The Congress Plaza, where we begin our 1893 World's Fair Tour, is reputedly Chicago's most haunted historic building. Siddiqui later told me the tape was used to direct people at a veterans event at the hotel, but the information did little to ease my panic and confusion in the moment. If you get a chance to visit The Congress Plaza Hotel yourself, keep an eye out for any apparitions and uneasy feelings. Then came the Night of Incessant Knocking, as we came to christen it: More than a dozen times through the night, someone rapped three times on our door, but no one stood by. Even now he remains, determined to live at the Congress forever. If you would like to unwind with a cocktail, you can go to the Tavern Tap Pub. Roughly sixteen years later, an attorney named Frederick Haye was found dead in his room. There was no one in the lobby, there was no one in the restaurant, and there was no one in the halls. It even inspired Stephen King, the worlds most prolific horror writer, to pen 1408, a short story about a cursed hotel room notorious for suicides. Seating will be available in the Palm Court and Club International rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. Given the nickname Peg-Leg Johnny, his real identity remains a mystery, though he is reported to be the ghost of a hobo murdered behind the hotel. In the summer of 1916, mining investor Morse Davis and his wife were believed to have formed a suicide pact when Davis was found dead in their Congress hotel room 312 of cyanide poisoning. If youre looking for a prime place to stay in the Windy City, this hotel has 871 rooms available with stunning views of the city and the nearby park and lake beyond. Through the long months and years, the strikers have won countless supporters, their cause garnering momentum around the world. I even imagined a ghost ripping the blankets off me. 3. The structure was badly damaged and the shops inside the arcade quickly closed. Last month, Travel & Leisure named the Congress Plaza Hotel the most haunted place in Illinois, which came as a shock to precisely zero Chicagoans. But it's not on the 12th floor. 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605, USA. One former hotel operator who worked the property in the 1940s remembers a resident with a wooden leg who always had a big smile and a big tip, who suffered a heart attack at breakfast during his residency and died. "The White House presented this chair to the owners of the Congress Hotel in the early 1900s," a plaque on the chair reads. But the ghosts of the Congress are not generally those of headline-grabbers. Chicago Water Tower. Louis Ostheim of the First United States Artillery. And there was the night my daughter and I were kept awake, chillingly, by the sound of two men whispering at the foot of our bed: "Are they still awake?". I think that as a 19 year old girl that is in college, we often get caught up in the idea of being in a relationship. It was at the same hotel in 1971 where 3,000 people packed the Great Hall for an address by President Richard Nixon to the Midwest Chapter of the AARP and the National Retired Teachers Association, the hotel says on its website. THE CONGRESS PLAZA HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER - 760 Photos & 862 Reviews - 520 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois - Hotels - Phone Number - Yelp The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center 862 reviews Unclaimed $$ Hotels Edit Open Open 24 hours See hours See all 765 photos Event Planning & Services Hotels The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center The Dark History Of The Congress Plaza Hotel. Two years later, three more opulent spaces were added to the now-North Tower: a ballroom and two other event rooms called the Florentine Room, Elizabethan Room, and the Pompeian Room. There was the morning I was awoken by the sound of the shower blasting full force, steam filling the bathroom, though I could get barely a trickle and little warmth when I'd tried to take a bath. He is known as the Shadow Man of the Congress, Szabelski noted. Our favorite phantom is the loveable Peg Leg Johnny. There were renovations to change lighting and bathroom fixtures. The ghost of 6-year-old Karel is now said to haunt the 12th floor. Keep reading: Check out 11 of Chicagos most haunted places, from Al Capone hangouts to H.H. Room 242: The Lady in the White Dress As the clock ticks down toward an unprecedented US debt default, the world's second- and third-biggest economies are watching in fear. An enormous hotel, which takes up an entire block on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Richardson saw his heavily-mortgage investment destroyed and found himself bankrupt. Holmes. We found dozens of ghost stories that gave me chills. Sightings of Ostheim's ghost have been reported throughout the building. Join us on a Ghost Tour for a spooky night of fun! Security guards say that, on their wee-hour rounds, cheerful organ music can still be heard from outside the locked doors, as well as the sound of old wooden skate wheels against the wooden floors. Plus, its nestled among some of Downtown Chicagos most iconic parks, museums, and other must-see attractions. From eerie sights to unsettling noises, Its been enough to send some people packing early and some others even running out of their rooms in the middle of the night. CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Congress Hotel officially called the Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center is a striking sight along the Michigan Avenue streetwall downtown. Haunted Halloween Ball Chicago takes place on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at Congress Plaza Hotel . Sealed Rooms of The Hotel Congress. Little is known about this spooky hobo ghost, but the Internet tells us that the incorrigible spirit has an urge to turn room lights and electronics on and off, and generally cause havoc for guests. Wanting to stay put at the hotel, he mustered the strength to try to keep his son (and security guards) from opening the door. I think that if we are not the best version of ourselves alone, how could we be the best version of ourselves in a relationship. With visits from Americas first serial killer to a one-legged ghost, the hotel has many ghost stories to sort through. Ever since, his spirit has been seen in many areas of the hotel. haunted Arlington Hotel in Arkansaswhere he stayed on the 4th floor. For years Al Capone played cards every Friday night in a meeting room overlooking Grant Park, and rumors abound (though most certainly false) that he even owned the Congress for awhile. The Congress Hotel has graced the Chicago skyline since 1893. She claimed they had taken the cyanide by accident, having confused it with epsom salts. Well, just me and a few ghosts. Rumors have long flown that it was a room here at the Congress Plaza that partly inspired writer Stephen King to create his short story. There is the old Leland Park, also in Aurora, haunted by a number of guests who have reportedly checked in, not to stay the night, but to throw themselves into the Fox River from this, one of the tallest buildings in the city. Several guests have reported seeing a ghostly gloved hand sticking out of the wall. It wasn't always that way. In August of that year, Adele Langer, 43, came to the hotel with her two sons Karel Tommy, 6, and Jan Misha, 4 1/2. Sure enough: some websites and blogs dubbed the Congress Plaza Hotel "The Most Haunted Hotel in Chicago". He has acquired the nickname "Peg Leg Johnny.". . The hotel opened in 1893 for the World's Fair. Plus, there's the story of two children who were pushed from a 12th-story window by their mother. He said he got a call that a little boy was running around and making a lot of noise on the 12th floor, so he went up to investigate. One of Chicagos largest and oldest hotels, the Congress was originally named the Auditorium Annex when it was built to house visitors to the Columbian Expositionthe transformative Worlds Fair of 1893. CityPASS and CITY PASS are registered trademarks of City Pass, Inc. Attractions and admission types differ for each option. Later that same year, an insurance salesman--Andrew Mack--called on a friend at his Congress Plaza hotel room before also walking to the Lake and apparently drowning himself at the foot of Van Buren street. This room does, in fact, remain. In fact, Travel + Leisure once named the Congress Plaza Hotel the most haunted place in Illinois and, as I would learn, for good reason. It was originally called the Auditorium Annex and it opened just in time for the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago and thousands of people thronged to visit the hotel. Many people report calling security because they see a woman standing or hovering over the bed, pushing or tugging on the bed, or pushing or tugging on the covers. The strike went on to claim the fortunate honor as the longest hotel strike in history, leaving in its wake a hotel haunted by pulled proms, boycotted conventions and an estimated loss of 700 million dollars in revenue. In 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt announced his new Bull Moose platform in the Florentine Ballroom, and in 1932 the hotel served as headquarters for Franklin Roosevelt and his hopeful Democratic party. Once he was spotted by a security guard who ended up chasing him all the way to the roof. There are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy in these places. Some have reportedly even photographed her. Sometime in the 1970s, a woman slit her wrists in one of the hotel bathtubs. "It was a favorite of Presidents Polk, Van Buren, Harrison, and Hardingand it's a favorite of ours too!". Chicago's elite held their soires in those rooms, along with two others rooms named the Elizabethan and the Pompeian, the hotel says. I truly hope every girl can feel that way because, if they can not, I can not imagine how much they may suffer, or how much stress or anxiety they feel due to the need of being in a relationship. China and Japan are the largest foreign . The 12th floor and 12th-floor roof access. And in addition to being the home of presidents and the home of ghosts, it seems the Congress Hotel might even be the home of ghosts of presidents. Also in the South Tower, a young boy of about ten has been a prolific presence, running up and down the halls in knee breeches and high button boots. At that point, I couldn't put my finger on what felt odd about the hotel, but I remember feeling strange while walking through the lobby and during check-in. Though no staff member claims to remember why this room was sealed off forever, window washers tell us it was closed up with the furniture still inside, almost as if even the objects in the room were believed to be cursed.
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