Windy City Ghosts has Chicago history to die for!
Historical site of American gangster John Dillinger in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL
October is time for falling leaves, pumpkin drinks, cinnamon treats — and don’t forget screams! For being bright and cheery, I also have an interest in the macabre, but not too macabre. So Windy City Ghost Tours was the perfect mix of fun and frightful for an October friend outing with my roommate Kieran.
Lilly’s Bar is known for haunted sightings like 1920’s flappers seen dancing, living their best “afterlife,” among living partygoers. There are also reports of barking ghost dogs. Creepy!
It’s no secret Chicago has a rich history. Along with scares just in time for Halloween, we learned about Chicago history on the walking tour like: the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the Great Depression gangster history, the Chicago Tylenol murders, World War I history at the former Grant Hospital site, Prohibition Era bar history, and more.
The Tour started at Oz Park, named after L. Frank Baum’s American fairytale. I’m from Kansas, a natural fan of The Wizard of Oz and spin-offs like the Wicked film franchise, so I was locked in from the start. We got our Electromagnetic Field (EMF) detector from our tour guide Danielle — and we were off! Cue spooky music. The tour covered popular spots in Chicago’s most-haunted lively Lincoln Park neighborhood like: The Bad Apple restaurant, a psychiatric hospital-turned-yoga studio, a witchcraft store-turned-dog-friendly bar Hunter’s on Halsted, movie theater-turned-live theater Victory Gardens Theater, American gangster John Dillinger’s death site in the alley near Victory Gardens, the Red Lion Pub, and Lilly’s Bar.
Eek! Come to Victory Gardens Theater for shows that will have you on your feet — maybe even before the end of the show. A specter spectator is known to pinch audience members who take their seat! So much so that the Theater now reserves it for the phantom audience member.
My roomie Kieran’s and my mind were blown by how much spooky history our tour guide Danielle covered in our extended ghost tour. She really knew her stuff! We were expertly spooked and stoked to return for dinner, drinks, and entertainment at new-to-us Chicago night life joints.
US Ghost Adventures has much haunted history to offer as well as the chance to find new restaurants and bars in whichever spirited American city you may find yourself in. As a Chicago transplant, I was just as interested in the scary stories behind each establishment as well as the establishment itself to plan future nights out.
Whether you are a ghost enthusiast, dark history buff, or simply looking to get your steps in with your ghost hunting crew, you’re in for a great ghastly time. What a fright night to remember!