4 Famous Ghost Stories From The Most Haunted Hotel In Illinois

CHICAGO, IL — The iconic landmark Congress Plaza Hotel is considered the most haunted spot in Illinois. Located on South Michigan Avenue, the hotel has been around for more than a century and harbors some bone-chilling ghost stories. The hotel was built during the World's Fair in 1893, and retains much of its original style—from its grandiose old-world lobby to its swanky bar and narrow, marble-lined corridors.

Here are the hotel's four most famous ghost stories:

1.) Al Capone

For decades, the ghost of Al Capone has been reported in the hotel's bar and lobby. The hotel was a known hangout for the notorious gangster, who held his 'business meetings' there. Several of Capone's business associates and friends—also known as the most dangerous criminals in the city's history—lived in the hotel throughout the 1920s and '30s. It's reported that the corridors beneath the hotel were used for smuggling, among other dark deeds.

2.) Peg-Leg Johnny

Named after his peg leg, the ghost's true identity remains a mystery. Sightings of him have been reported in many rooms throughout the Congress Hotel, including the lobby, dining room and on many floors. It's believed that Peg-Leg Johnny was a homeless man who lived, and was murdered, in the alley behind the hotel before it was built. His ghost is the most reported apparition in the hotel, and he's known for turning on and off lights and appliances.

3.) Mother and Sons

For decades, the ghost of a six-year-old boy has been reportedly running around in the hotel. It's believed that during WWI, a young mother came to stay in the hotel with her two sons. She was supposed to wait for her husband to arrive so they could all start a new life in Chicago. But, as the story goes, her husband never arrived, and the distraught mother threw herself and her sons out of a hotel window to their deaths. It's reported that one of the bodies didn't make it to the city morgue: that of the little spirit boy who has spent decades chasing guests. No sightings of the mother have been reported.

4.) Room 441

Guests staying in this room make more calls to security and the front desk than those staying in any other room in the hotel. People staying in room 441 report seeing the dark figure of a woman who kicks them awake. Guests also report seeing objects moving and hearing terrifying noises. The room inspired Stephen King to write his famous story 1408, about a hotel room that is notorious for causing suicides. No suicides in the real room 441 however have been reported.

The Congress Plaza Hotel celebrates its haunted history every year with its Haunted Halloween Ball.

Originally published in 2017