Chicago’s Haunted Haunts and Tours
Today’s Halloween and no better day than today to celebrate Chicago’s most haunted haunts. 
Chicago is known for its legends, ghosts and haunted sites. A great way to see Chicago’s colorful and ghostly history is to take a bus tour with Chicago Hauntings (888-GHOST-91) based on Ursula Bielski’s nearly 20 years of ghost hunting and her “Chicago Haunts” series of books. While paranormal activity can’t be guaranteed, an in-depth tour and historical lessons of some of Chicago’s most haunted landmarks will surely turn even the most unbelieving into ghost experts.
Some of Chicago most famous haunted places that you might see on the tour include:
Oprah’s Harpo Studios that were built on top of the same land that served as a morgue for passengers killed when the Eastland Steamer capsized in the Chicago River in July 1915.
Archer Avenue where people claim a blonde-hair girl in a white party dress, supposedly killed over 70 years ago by a hit and run driver, asks them for a ride to Resurrection Cemetery where she disappears into the darkness.
Water Tower on Michigan Avenue where bystanders swear they see a shadowy figure of a man dangling from an upstairs window. The story goes that during the great fire of 1871, the Water Tower was the only building in Chicago to survive. Instead of fleeing the tower during the fire, one worker stayed and manned the pumps and then hung himself before the fire devoured him.
For more information: Chicago Haunting’s tours are nightly, Monday through Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sundays at 6 p.m.; and an additional 10 p.m. tour on Fridays and Saturdays. Price: $35 in October; otherwise $28 for adults and $20 for children 8 – 12.
Tours begin at 600 North Clark Street (map) next to the Rock & Roll McDonald.
Another great Chicago haunted tour is Weird Chicago (888-446-7859). What sets this tour apart is that it mixes ghosts with gangsters spotlighting not only haunted places but also some of Chicago’s best-known crime scenes, including the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
For more information: Weird Chicago Tours are Thursdays, Fridays, Satursdays, Sundays, and of course on Halloween, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Price is $30. Tours depart from the Hard Rock Cafe, 63 W. Ontario Street (map).
Photo credit: SXC
