Outside of Illinois’ political corruption, Illinois has a rich history that includes accounts from some of the most famous criminals. One of the most notorious was involving Al Capone, a mastermind and mobster in Chicago, known for running a highly successful criminal enterprise. During his reign, Al Capone allegedly used the Congress Hotel in Chicago, situated on the famous Michigan Avenue, as his criminal headquarters. The building has an iconic history, built in 1893, being classified as “new Chicago,” as it came after the horrific Chicago Fire of 1871. The famous hotel is known as the “Home of Presidents,” as it has served as lodging for several United States presidents, including Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Capone was operating a money laundering scheme and used the facility to hold meetings with associated gang members. However, after Capone died, it is rumored that he never actually left the Congress Hotel, and he and his associates continue to haunt the very halls they used to roam, although there is no record of Capone ever checking in. Employees and guests of the Congress Hotel report sightings of the mobster on the 8th Floor, which is where his alleged crime headquarters are located.
The Congress Hotel, although still haunted by Al Capone, is also known to be the most haunted hotel in the Midwest. The hotel, an old and popular lodging facility, has hosted some of the most famous and infamous guests, like H.H. Holmes, America’s first reported serial killer, contributing to its eerie feeling. One of the most haunted rooms in the hotel is Room 441. This room is reportedly so haunted that it is not available for typical reservations and must be specifically requested by the most thrill-seeking individuals.
Outside of Room 441, the 12th floor is also known for some of the most guest reports for sightings. On this floor, a devastating tragedy unfolded as a woman pushed her and her two children out of the 12th-story window. Now, guests report their windows randomly opening, hearing suspicious laughter from children, and running up and down the hallways. According to paranormal investigators, this floor of the hotel remains the most haunted.
Even event rooms in the hotel are known for their sinister vibrations. Thanks to the many historical events taking place, the Congress Hotel is now known for ghost tours and as a place where those in tune with their spiritual side come to experience for themselves.
Although the now luxurious hotel is known for hosting Al Capone and H.H. Holmes, the facility also holds important historical accounts. In the Gold Room of the Congress Hotel, women’s suffrage became a focal point for many, establishing paramount groups to the cause. Additionally, the hotel was purchased by the United States during World War II to house army officers, stimulating the local economy.
To visit the Congress Hotel and see for yourself if it is as haunted as guest accounts say, visit their website and request that the security guards take you to the most haunted places within the historical site.