Haunted History in Chicago Walking Tour

Everywhere you go in Chicago, history grows through the cracks in the sidewalk, peeks out of the windows, and looks down from the rooftops. Ghost stories have been a part of Chicago culture since the days when half of the loop was still forests and prairies. The city has changed a lot since then, but the stories live on

Adam Selzer is the author of GHOSTS OF CHICAGO, HH HOLMES: THE TRUE HISTORY, MYSTERIOUS CHICAGO, and several other Chicago history books, and is a frequent talking head on shows like HAUNTED HISTORY, MYSTERIES AT THE MUSEUM, MURDEROUS HISTORY, and more. He's been running ghost tours in Chicago since 2005, from bus tours to walking tours to his hit virtual tours of 2020.

The stories told from tour to tour vary, but generally include bits about HH Holmes, the old city gallows, Resurrection Mary, "The Alley of Death and Mutilation," and a whole lot more, with visual aids. All for lower prices than the next leading brand!

This walking tour begins outside the LaSalle Wacker Building (121 W Wacker), then proceed through the Loop and River North, covering roughly 1.5 miles in total and ending near a haunted pub on Clark Street (about two blocks from the starting location). Appropriate for all ages (though some stories may be a bit too gruesome for small children). Tours typically last 75-90 minutes.

What to know:

- The tour runs rain or shine. It is all outdoors. Bathrooms are hard to come by.

- The walk covers roughly 1.5 miles over 75-90 minutes. It's not a bad walk, but wear decent walking shoes!

- We cannot guarantee that you'll see a ghost, and we're not the kind of tour that's going to try to convince you that every glare in your photos is a dead guy. That said, we've had plenty of weird things happen on tours over the years!

- Meet outside the LaSalle Wacker building at 121 W. Wacker; you'll see Adam checking people in. He'll have a headset microphone and white glasses.

- The start and end points are near several loop L stops (Clark and Lake being the closest) and bus lines. Parking is available in several garages and lots nearby.

- You won't need a paper ticket, just the name on your eventbrite order.

- Watch both ways when you cross the street, and try to eat some leafy greens every day! The tour is "at your own risk," but the biggest risk is usually tripping on a curb or something.

The loop and River North will likely be quieter for the 30th than they will be on Halloween night.