Feeling brave? Spend the night in one of Chicago's historic and allegedly 'haunted' hotels

Chicago's Congress Plaza and The Drake are known for their rich history and luxurious accommodations, but they're also known for their ghost stories

Image by hstiver/Depositphotos.com

(CHICAGO) In honor of Halloween, we thought we'd take a look at two buildings in Chicago with lots of spooky tales from the past.

The Congress Plaza and The Drake are elegant hotels known for their old-style charm. They are also famously known to be some of Chicago's most "haunted" locations.

Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention Center

Location: 520 S. Michigan Ave.

Congress Plaza HotelAdam Alexander Photography Courtesy of Choose Chicago

The Congress Plaza Hotel opened in 1893, just in time for the World's Fair. It also happens to be one of the highlights of a popular walking ghost tour. Tours kick off outside the hotel, where tourists can learn all about the lore of the building.

Travel + Leisure named the hotel the most haunted place in Illinois in 2017. And a travel writer, Frank Olito, from Insider once documented his three-night stay in the hotel, which he referred to as "just as terrifying as The Shining."

The Congress Plaza Hotel LobbyEric Allix Rogers/(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)/flickr.com

There are many spooky rumors about the Congress Hotel. It was allegedly a former headquarters for Al Capone, although there is no proof he ever stayed there, at least under his real name. Despite that, guests have reported seeing his ghost walking the halls.

Another tale is the rumor that Stephen King stayed at the hotel once, and his night spent in room 441 inspired his frightening short story, 1408, about a haunted hotel room.

The Drake Hotel

Location: 140 E. Walton Place

Chicago's Drake HotelCVB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Next on the list, the Drake Hotel is another historic, yet spooky Chicago location. The hotel's opening night was on New Year's Eve, 1920.

In 2016, the hotel was selected for membership in the Historic Hotels of America. "For almost a century, our hotel has boasted its prominence within Chicago’s history, becoming known as high-society’s first choice in opulence and luxury," said Damien McArdle, general manager of The Drake Hotel in a press release.

Aside from opulence and luxury, the hotel is also known for its ghost stories. One of the most famous is the story of the Women in Red. Her story dates back to the opening night New Year's Eve gala.

The tale goes, the woman caught her husband cheating on her. Distraught, she threw herself out of a 10th-floor window. And now her spirit is rumored to have been wandering the 10th floor ever since.

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