Writing a Horror Novel in Chicago, Illinois

The Windy City howls louder at night

A collection of prohibition ghosts representing Chicago, Illinois

Chicago, Illinois has always been a city shaped by its shadows. From the Great Fire to infamous crime sprees, its past clings to the streets and alleyways. During Prohibition, the city’s underground was alive with speakeasies and gangland violence, creating the perfect breeding ground for ghost stories.

Visitors can explore haunted spots like the Congress Plaza Hotel, known for cold spots, flickering lights, and mysterious figures. The Hull House, now a free museum open to the public, still holds fascinating artifacts from its past, along with lingering rumors of cursed relics and restless spirits.

5 Gritty and Ghostly Facts About Chicago, Illinois

The Congress Plaza Hotel is often called one of the most haunted places in the city. Guests have reported shadowy figures, disembodied voices, and cold spots in the hallways and ballroom.
Resurrection Mary is one of Chicago’s most famous urban legends. Dozens of drivers claim to have picked up a quiet young woman in white along Archer Avenue, only for her to vanish near Resurrection Cemetery.
The site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre still draws curious visitors. Though the warehouse was torn down, some say the sound of gunfire and screams can still be heard where the murders took place.
Graceland Cemetery is home to elaborate monuments and the grave of Inez Clarke, a child said to haunt the grounds during thunderstorms. Some have seen her statue disappear from its glass case.
The Hull House Museum welcomes visitors with free admission and preserved relics from its early 20th-century origins. Despite its historical significance, it remains tied to tales of paranormal activity and a mysterious "devil baby" legend.

Hull House in Chicago, Illinois, a great spot to get horror story ideas

Echoes of Tragedy and Shadows in Chicago

Chicago’s haunted past includes cursed cemeteries, fire-scarred alleys, and grand hotels filled with unexplained events.

Chicago Horror Writing Prompts

Inside Room 441 of the Congress Plaza Hotel, your character finds a cracked mirror that reflects their room perfectly, except the version in the mirror has someone sleeping in the second bed. When they look away and back again, the mirror shows both beds empty.
While exploring an overgrown path behind the Nederlander Theatre, your protagonist stumbles into Death Alley, where a cold wind rises from the pavement and whispers a single word in their ear: "Stay." The next morning, their skin is marked with ash and the outline of hands.
At Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, your character sees a woman in white sitting on a mossy gravestone, holding a photo of them as a child. When they approach, she dissolves into the fog, but the photo remains, dated with tomorrow’s date.
While attending a rooftop party in the West Loop, your character sees an airplane frozen mid-air above the city. Everyone else seems unaware, and as they try to leave, they realize the streets below are stuck too, trapped in a perfect snapshot where only they are still moving.
While commuting on the Red Line late at night, your protagonist notices that the train isn't stopping at any stations and all the windows show total darkness. The other passengers are wearing clothes from different eras, and none of them blink.
While attending a museum exhibit inside the Hull House, your protagonist finds an old wooden cradle tucked in a corner. That night, they hear a baby crying in their apartment and discover their hallway now ends in a brick wall, etched with the words “Devil Baby.”

Unveiling the Shadows of Chicago's Haunted History

Yes. The Congress Plaza Hotel is reputedly haunted, with reports of paranormal activity, including unexplained noises and apparitions.
Resurrection Mary is a well-known Chicago ghost story about a young woman who haunts Resurrection Cemetery, often seen hitchhiking along Archer Avenue.
Death Alley, located behind the Nederlander Theatre, was the site where bodies were placed after the 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire, leading to reports of ghostly occurrences.
Yes. Hull House is linked to the legend of the "Devil Baby" and is reputedly haunted, with reports of unexplained phenomena.
H.H. Holmes' "Murder Castle" was a building in Chicago where he committed numerous murders during the 1893 World's Fair. The site is now occupied by a post office.
Yes. The Chicago Water Tower is said to be haunted by a worker who died during the Great Chicago Fire, with reports of a shadowy figure seen in the tower's windows.
Yes. Graceland Cemetery is known for paranormal activity, including reports of ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena.
Yes. The Givins Beverly Castle is reputedly haunted, with reports of paranormal activity and ghostly sightings.

Writing a Horror Novel in Chicago, Illinois

The Windy City howls louder at night

5 Gritty and Ghostly Facts About Chicago, Illinois

Echoes of Tragedy and Shadows in Chicago

Chicago’s haunted past includes cursed cemeteries, fire-scarred alleys, and grand hotels filled with unexplained events.

Inside Room 441 of the Congress Plaza Hotel, your character finds a cracked mirror that reflects their room perfectly, except the version in the mirror has someone sleeping in the second bed. When they look away and back again, the mirror shows both beds empty.

While exploring an overgrown path behind the Nederlander Theatre, your protagonist stumbles into Death Alley, where a cold wind rises from the pavement and whispers a single word in their ear: "Stay." The next morning, their skin is marked with ash and the outline of hands.

At Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, your character sees a woman in white sitting on a mossy gravestone, holding a photo of them as a child. When they approach, she dissolves into the fog, but the photo remains, dated with tomorrow’s date.

While attending a rooftop party in the West Loop, your character sees an airplane frozen mid-air above the city. Everyone else seems unaware, and as they try to leave, they realize the streets below are stuck too, trapped in a perfect snapshot where only they are still moving.

While commuting on the Red Line late at night, your protagonist notices that the train isn't stopping at any stations and all the windows show total darkness. The other passengers are wearing clothes from different eras, and none of them blink.

While attending a museum exhibit inside the Hull House, your protagonist finds an old wooden cradle tucked in a corner. That night, they hear a baby crying in their apartment and discover their hallway now ends in a brick wall, etched with the words “Devil Baby.”

Unveiling the Shadows of Chicago's Haunted History

Smoke Still Rises from the City’s Dark Past

Slip beyond Chicago and uncover more chilling stops or enter The Horror Hub for storytelling fuel laced with ghosts and grit.

CONNECT

LEARN

READ

Writing a Horror Novel in Chicago, Illinois

The Windy City howls louder at night

5 Gritty and Ghostly Facts About Chicago, Illinois

Echoes of Tragedy and Shadows in Chicago

Chicago’s haunted past includes cursed cemeteries, fire-scarred alleys, and grand hotels filled with unexplained events.

Inside Room 441 of the Congress Plaza Hotel, your character finds a cracked mirror that reflects their room perfectly, except the version in the mirror has someone sleeping in the second bed. When they look away and back again, the mirror shows both beds empty.

While exploring an overgrown path behind the Nederlander Theatre, your protagonist stumbles into Death Alley, where a cold wind rises from the pavement and whispers a single word in their ear: "Stay." The next morning, their skin is marked with ash and the outline of hands.

At Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Midlothian, your character sees a woman in white sitting on a mossy gravestone, holding a photo of them as a child. When they approach, she dissolves into the fog, but the photo remains, dated with tomorrow’s date.

While attending a rooftop party in the West Loop, your character sees an airplane frozen mid-air above the city. Everyone else seems unaware, and as they try to leave, they realize the streets below are stuck too, trapped in a perfect snapshot where only they are still moving.

While commuting on the Red Line late at night, your protagonist notices that the train isn't stopping at any stations and all the windows show total darkness. The other passengers are wearing clothes from different eras, and none of them blink.

While attending a museum exhibit inside the Hull House, your protagonist finds an old wooden cradle tucked in a corner. That night, they hear a baby crying in their apartment and discover their hallway now ends in a brick wall, etched with the words “Devil Baby.”

Unveiling the Shadows of Chicago's Haunted History

Is the Congress Plaza Hotel considered haunted?

Who is Resurrection Mary?

What is the history behind Death Alley?

Is Hull House associated with any paranormal legends?

What is the story of H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle?

Is the Chicago Water Tower haunted?

Are there any haunted cemeteries in Chicago?

Is the Givins Beverly Castle haunted?

Smoke Still Rises from the City’s Dark Past

Slip beyond Chicago and uncover more chilling stops or enter The Horror Hub for storytelling fuel laced with ghosts and grit.

Savannah, Georgia

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

CONNECT

LEARN

READ