When you check in for a relaxing night at a hotel the last thing you expect to see are ghosts. However, due to the age of the buildings and sheer number of check-ins, there are bound to be a few guests who never leave. Chicago is home to some of the most haunted hotels in Illinois. Book your stay and experience the paranormal for yourself.
1. Congress Plaza Hotel
The Congress Plaza Hotel is no doubt the most haunted in Chicago. Constructed in 1893, the hotel has a long history with a few notable villains who stayed there. America’s first serial killer Dr. HH Holmes was a guest at the Plaza, as well as Al Capone. These and other spirits are believed to roam the halls and play creepy pranks.
2. Drake Hotel
Up on the tenth floor of the Drake Hotel you may have the opportunity to see the ‘Lady in Red.’ After leaping to her death from a window in the hotel in 1920, the woman’s spirit is believed to haunt those who dare to stop on her floor.
Other Haunted Hotels in Illinois
3. Ruebel Hotel
Located in Grafton, IL, the Ruebel Hotel is haunted by a young girl named Abigail. She is believed to be a girl who lived in the late 1800s when the brick hotel was first opened by the original owner Michael Ruebel. It wasn’t until 1997 when the hotel was reopened that the staff discovered the spirit.
4. Capital Hotel
Located in Colchester, IL, Capital Hotel was built in the late 1800s by an entrepreneur named Darius Hicks. The hotel was located near natural springs in a community known as Vishnu Springs. After the owner committed suicide in 1908, the resort sat empty Today, the hotel and its ghosts are the only things that remain of Vishnu Springs.
5. DeSoto House
In Galena, IL sits the DeSota House, one of the oldest operating hotels in the state. The hotel is where Abraham Lincoln spoke from a balcony in 1856, and had other notable guests like Ulysses S. Grant and Stephen A. Douglas. Hotel staff and guests have claimed to hear voices in the hallway and see glimpses of spirits in old fashioned garb.
6. Rose Hotel
Rose Hotel in Elizabethtown, IL is currently operates as a bed and breakfast. However, one of its permanent guests is a former servant named Tote who was identified by the Little Egypt Ghost Society in a photograph found in an old hotel scrapbook.
7. Hotel Baker
St. Charles is home to Hotel Barker which opened in June of 1928. Known back then as the “honeymoon hotel,” the getaway destination offered beautiful views of the river and garden. However, local legend suggests that a chambermaid haunts the sixth floor after drowning herself in the Fox River after her fiancé left her at the altar.
8. Kaskaskia Hotel
This LaSalle hotel is believed to be haunted by a woman who lived in the 1920s. The ghost is thought to be a woman who committed suicide in 1948. Hotel staff said they often hear footsteps in the hotel and the elevator would open on its own.
9. Original Springs Hotel
Original Springs Hotel in Okawville opened in 1893 and is still in operation today. Guests report to seeing a woman in white sitting on the balcony of the second floor. Her face is always hidden by her hat.
10. Mineral Springs Hotel
In Alton, IL, the Mineral Springs Hotel was famed for its swimming pool and mineral water. The building is known to be haunted by several ghosts, including an artist and a woman who leaves a jasmine scent in her presence. Today, the hotel has been transformed into an antique mall.
