The night before I went up, I finally got around to reading the reviews, and I was very surprised to learn that it had the reputation of being one of the most haunted hotels in America. A few days later, however,–broke and staying at St. Mary’s Mission house on Peoria street–she tried to throw herself out a third story window and was promptly sent to a psychiatric hospital. And "voices" are heard in ballrooms even though no one is there. I'm Anna, and I'm obsessed with everything spooky — so when I got the chance to stay the night at Chicago's most haunted hotel, the Congress Plaza, you bet your ass I went for it. That’s all you need to know. The real-life 1408 was always believed to exist on the Congress’s most haunted floor: the 12th floor of the older North Tower. Read about the Congress Plaza Hotel, one of Chicago’s most haunted places. Congress Plaza Hotel Hidden Room 2018 World S Best Hotels ... Congress plaza hotel haunted chicago frightfind congress plaza hotel 12th floor you the king of haunted chicago ghosts congress plaza hotel congress hotel ghosts just the facts mysterious chicago tours. 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, 1408, a gripping tale of a professional—and skeptical—ghost hunter who meets his match in a mysterious hotel room (1408) said to be too haunted to lease. Rather, they are wisps of memory, glimmers of the hundreds of thousands of ordinary guests who have glided through its halls for more than a century, often embroiled in personal drama, heartache and tragedy. Subscription to our newsletter open soon. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our site. The Congress Plaza has seen better days. . With visits from America’s first serial killer to a one-legged ghost, the hotel has many ghost stories to sort through. 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. The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center: Haunted & Terrible Stay - See 3,405 traveler reviews, 1,626 candid photos, and great deals for The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center at Tripadvisor. The third floor hallways are home to a one-legged man, often reported to the front desk by guests who think a vagrant has found his way inside. I booked a room at the Congress Plaza Hotel because of its accessibility and reasonable rate. Over the years, there have been countless additions, renovations, closings, and re-openings. The Congress Plaza Hotel, or just ‘The Congress,’ was built around 1893 for the World’s Fair in Chicago. Located on South Michigan Avenue, the hotel has been around for more than a … And no wonder. In Chicago, the Sheraton Gateway Suites Hotel is an 11-story atrium hotel in O’Hare Airport’s Rosemont convention hub. She claimed they had taken the cyanide by accident, having confused it with epsom salts. But residents still see him from time to time, walking these hallowed halls with the rat-ta-tat of his two-tone wingtips. Whats people lookup in this blog: What is said to be on the 12th floor of this haunted hotel? Visiting haunted hotels is not the right pastime for everyone, but sometimes, the urge might hit where you want to test your bravery for one night and one night only. The Congress Plaza Hotel was built on the corner of Congress Parkway and South Michigan Avenue in 1893 in anticipation of another big festival- the World’s Fair. The South Tower construction included a magnificent banquet hall, now known as the Gold Room, which would become the first hotel ballroom in America to use air-conditioning. Room 242: The Lady in the White Dress You can get the chills by just stepping into room 242. . The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center: Haunted? , a gripping tale of a professional—and skeptical—ghost hunter who meets his match in a mysterious hotel room (1408) said to be too haunted to lease. 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. Required fields are marked *. By continuing to browse, you consent to our use of cookies. This room has a troubled past, and guests have reported ghostly experiences while staying in it. The hotel didn't actually become The Congress Plaza until 1908. 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. In Room 474 a once-resident judge eternally changes the channels on his cherished television set. Don't book room number 441 if you plan to stay at the Congress; security is called there than any other room. This room does, in fact, remain. The King of Haunted Chicago: Ghosts of the Congress Plaza Hotel. An unexplained temperature zone, 20 … Enjoy unparalleled value and gracious hospitality at one of downtown Chicago’s most legendary hotels. The Annex’s original North Tower was designed by Clinton Warren, but Adler and Sullivan oversaw its development, including the addition of “Peacock Alley” (now shuttered), an ornate marble tunnel which runs under the street, joining the theater and the hotel. Congress Plaza Hotel Chicago Guests who've stayed overnight in the hotel's most haunted room, Room 441, have reportedly been awakened by an evil spirit kicking them in the night. Congress Plaza Hotel – Haunted Florentine Room Congress Plaza Hotel – Haunted Florentine Room. It wasn't always that way. But it's not all about ghosts at The Congress Plaza. It’s on southern Michigan Avenue across the street from Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Building. The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center: Haunted? The Hotel Florence, in Chicago’s historic Pullman district, is rumored to be haunted by a woman who lived in the hotel at one time, and the hip House of Blues Hotel is home to a number of phantoms in the larger ghostworld of Marina City, including that of a young girl believed to have died in the hotel structure when it was an office complex. The Congress Hotel has graced the Chicago skyline since 1893. Still others claim you can’t even place it anymore: it’s been papered over to remove any sign that it was every there. Since 1989, I have participated in more than 3 dozen investigations of the Congress Plaza, documenting no fewer than 47 distinctively haunted rooms and at least two ballrooms, as well as common areas such as employee workrooms and public guest areas. The 871 guest rooms and suites of The Congress Plaza Hotel are notable for providing posh accommodations—and incredible views—for visitors to Chicago. All Rights Reserved. Then there are the top 5 most haunted hotels you can visit. If you are someone who loves learning about ghosts and mysteries? Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt all made the Congress their base of operations while in Chicago, leading to the hotel’s longtime moniker, “The Home of Presidents.” 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. One of Chicago’s largest and oldest hotels, the Congress was originally named the Auditorium Annex when it was built to house visitors to the Columbian Exposition—the transformative World’s Fair of 1893. Hotel Congress, Haunted Tales. Which they did quite a bit. If it still had a number, the room would be–believe it or not– number 666. In July of 1926 a Galesburg woman, Mrs. Harriet Harrison, staying at the Congress with her husband before a planned European excursion, took a wrong step and plunged six stories down an elevator shaft to  the hotel basement. It is said that he was an elderly gentleman—a longtime resident–whose son had come to take him to a nursing home many years ago. 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. Let’s talk about ghosts. And then there are the rooms that that I promised the management not to number: the room where the pictures on the wall rotate 360 degrees before the eyes of astonished residents; the room where an impromptu exorcism was held, on some unidentified Chicago winter’s night not so long ago, before the victim was moved to a local convent. Chicago From a Distance: Virtual Attraction Tour, First Time Visitor’s Guide to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, What You Need to Know to Visit Shedd Aquarium, Things to Do in Chicago with Kids : A Guide to Fun Activities for Kids, Art Institute of Chicago: Everything You Need to Plan Your Visit, Visiting Skydeck Chicago: Everything You Need to Know, Learn more about what you'll receive from us. His wife was also at death’s door but alive. before and after the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. In Room 759 another erstwhile resident pulls the door shut from inside when guests try to enter. The room I was assigned to was on the 4th floor I think. The nearby O’Hare Hilton, directly across from the airport entrance, was long rumored to have an “uninhabitable” room—one that just made guests so inexplicably uncomfortable that they literally couldn’t sleep. Room 441? 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?”. 1 - Congress Plaza Hotel Book a Room Without any doubt, the most haunted hotel in Chicago, IL has to be The Congress Plaza Hotel – known simply as ‘The Congress’ to locals. But the North Tower? Since 1997, this small, family-owned company has never wavered in our mission to make travel easier and more affordable by giving you access to an easy-to-use, discounted bundle of remarkable attraction experiences in 14 destinations. The Congress Plaza Hotel is located on South Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park in Chicago at 520 South Michigan Avenue. Often cited as the most haunted hotel in America, ... Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago. Your email address will not be published. Later, in the early twentieth century, the firm of Holabird & Roche designed the South Tower, completing the current structure, which houses more than 800 rooms. That’s a different story. Design by GoDo.io, Lincoln Park Hauntings Chicago Ghost Tour & Ghost Hunt. Noxious odors and disembodied voices are reportedly rife in the building, now an apartment development. In the lavish Gold Room—a hotspot for Chicago wedding receptions—bride and groom are often chilled by photographers’ photos. The hotel has also played host to presidents, celebrities, performers and foreign dignitaries. Most leave agreeing that they would rather be alone almost anywhere but in the hallways of this storied monument to Chicago’s troubled past, full of sorrow and secrets, with always room for one more. Indeed, the ghosts of the Congress are everywhere. The lintel above the old doorway is, indeed, still quite visible. But guess just what type of "guests" are checking in—and not checking out—of one of Chicago's most prestigious places? 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. 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. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Unbelieving, the young man convinces the hotel’s manager to let him have the room for a night, though the previous tenants all took their own lives during their stays in it. Room 441? At some point in time, the spot where this room’s door should be was drywalled over, a piece of baseboard patched in to connect the wood where the doorway once stood. I chose this particular hotel because it was close to a race I would be running in the morning. 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. 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. Langer’s widower described the family’s despair at being forced to flee Nazi influence in their homeland, leaving behind home and family. As for sleeping rooms, only one guest room in the South Tower is reported to be haunted: Room 905, where constant phone static has bedeviled guests for years. The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center: Haunted & Terrible Stay - See 3,405 traveller reviews, 1,626 candid photos, and great deals for The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center at Tripadvisor. Share this: It was originally called the Auditorium Annex and it opened just in time for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and thousands of people thronged to visit the hotel. In 1904, an elevator operator at the Auditorium Annex fell seventy feet to the subfloor, dying on impact. This "Landmark of Chicago Hospitality" was originally built over a hundred years ago to accommodate visitors coming for The Chicago World's Fair. WE ARE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU! 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. But the ghosts of the Congress are not generally those of headline-grabbers. Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler served as consultants during the building phase. 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 your Chicago CityPASS, and, by the way, are not anywhere near as haunted as the Congress Plaza Hotel. The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago was originally constructed in 1893. In August of 1939, Adele Langer, a Prague native, threw her young sons, Karel and Jan, from a thirteenth floor window in the Congress Plaza. The 871 guest rooms and suites of The Congress Plaza Hotel are notable for providing posh accommodations—and incredible views—for visitors to Chicago. 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. But it’s not on the 12th floor. - See 3,407 traveler reviews, 1,626 candid photos, and great deals for The Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center at Tripadvisor. The Florentine Room, an ornately painted ballroom, was originally also used as a roller rink when the hotel opened to World’s Fair visitors in the 1890s. It should come as no surprise whatsoever that the hotel is a hub of paranormal activity if you have taken a look at the hotel’s history. Your email address will not be published. R.H. Southgate was the hotel’s developer but the first section of the hotel was designed by Clinton Warren. That said, though, even my general skepticism, I’ve been known to say that if the Congress Hotel isn’t haunted, no place is haunted. Others say it’s the one that’s been boarded up. Even now he remains, determined to live at the Congress forever. Step 1 : Introduction to the question "Which room in the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago is thought to be the most haunted?". Endless, it seems are the stories that echo the tale of James Kennedy, a New York man who checked in, alone, in May of 1910. Research has not turned up the room number. Accidents, too, have left their mark here. 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. There is the room fled by two Marines in 1989, running through the lobby in their boxer shorts at 3 a.m., with the later explanation that a towering black figure had entered the room from the closet and approached their beds, and the room where a woman slit her wrists in the bathtub after a night on Rush street in the 1970s, who is said to still be glimpsed during the night by weary boarders. He went to his room, cut the dry cleaners identification tags out of his clothes, burned his papers, walked to the Lake and shot himself.