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Why Congress Plaza Hotel is a Perfect Spot for a Halloween Party

Saturday, October 31st, 2026 Congress Plaza Hotel, Chicago 9 PM - 2 AM  •  21+
Costumed guests at the Haunted Halloween Ball party at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago

Why Congress Plaza Hotel is a Perfect Spot for a Halloween Party

The Congress Plaza Hotel has a rich history that dates back to 1893. For more than a century, the hotel has played host to U.S. celebrities, foreign dignitaries, international celebrities, and elite travelers from across the globe. Congress Plaza Hotel can be found near Grant Park on Michigan Ave and offers incredible views of Lake Michigan. From its size and appearance to its amenities and prime location, everything about the Congress Plaza Hotel makes it the perfect spot for a Halloween party.

A Look at the Congress Plaza Hotel’s History

Halloween party at the historic Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago

Originally, the Congress Plaza Hotel looked much different than it does today. It once was surrounded by gaslights, cobbled streets, and horse-drawn carriages. It also went by a different name – the Auditorium Annex.

The Auditorium Annex was built by famous hotel designer R.H. Southgate, while the north tower was designed by Clinton Warren. The new annex was connected with the Auditorium Hotel by an underground marble passageway and was given the name “Peacock Alley.” The south tower, which was constructed between 1902 and 1907, was created by renowned architectural firm Holabird and Roche.

The construction of the hotel’s south tower included a magnificent banquet hall, known today as the ‘Gold Room’. The Gold Room would later become the first hotel ballroom in the U.S. to use air conditioning. In 1909, another ballroom known as the Florentine Room was added to the north tower. These two spaces, along with the Pompeian Room and the Elizabethan Room, host some of the city’s most elite social events.

Haunted Halloween Ball at the Congress Plaza Hotel

Creative Halloween costume ideas at Chicago's Congress Plaza Hotel

With its incredible history and spacious public rooms, the Congress Plaza Hotel is the ideal spot for a Halloween party. HauntedHalloweenBall.com and Surreal Nightlife have come together to bring the public an event of epic proportions at the Congress Plaza Hotel, known as one of the most haunted hotels in the world by USA Today.

The Haunted Halloween Ball combines a luxury hotel gala experience with a lavish VIP nightclub and lounge setting. Of course, attendees will also enjoy the chills and terror of a massive 20,000 square foot ballroom that has been transformed into an abandoned hotel overrun by zombies. Each year, hundreds of party-goers in creative costumes head to the Congress Plaza Hotel to enjoy the scares, theatrical performances by costumed go-go dancers, and world renowned DJs and other recording artists. Other entertainment encounters include vampire bellmen and zombie cocktail servers.

Attendees can have even more fun by taking part in the Halloween costume contest. The Haunted Halloween Ball will offer a $2,000 cash prize, as well as other prizes, for the most bizarre, outrageous, and risqué Halloween costumes. The event is open to all adults age 21 and older and proper identification is required to get through the door. The Ball runs from 9PM to 3AM and VIP tables, hotel rooms, and group discounts are available.

The Haunted Halloween Ball at the Congress Plaza Hotel is considered an upscale event, meaning tasteful costumes are required. A block of discounted rooms have been reserved at the hotel, and parking is available in the lot near the hotel, including in the garage directly behind the hotel.

If you’re looking for the perfect spot to celebrate Halloween this year, the legendary Congress Plaza Hotel delivers history, atmosphere, and unforgettable scares all under one roof.

Ready to experience it for yourself? Grab your tickets for the Haunted Halloween Ball before they sell out.

A Night Unlike Any Other

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