Chicago, Illinois is an exciting city with a diverse population. The lakeside city on Lake Michigan has a past that includes arson, violence, notorious gangsters and crooked politics, so it’s no wonder that Chicago looks like a dodgy city.
The Congress Plaza Hotel is considered to be the ghost hunters’ most frequented location in “The Windy City”. There are companies that do ghost tours and tell stories from Chicago’s haunted history.
The Congress Plaza Hotel was built specifically to accommodate tourists for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The hotel is built on the site of a skating rink. There were reports of noise coming from the hotel ballroom at night. When the security guards open the doors of the ballroom to see what is going on in the empty and quiet ballroom.
There were rumors of hauntings and ghosts in error. Classic poltergeist activity has been reported in the hotel, such as the helpers turning themselves in and out.
In a hotel that has hosted several famous guests, there are stories about different famous people who frequent the hotel. One of the more famous ghosts may be the gangster Al Capone, who owned the hotel for a while and used it as his headquarters.
History of Congress Plaza Hotel
The Congress Plaza Hotel was built in an era with the cobblestone streets of Chicago, equipped with gaslights and horse-drawn carriages. The hotel was originally called the Auditorium Annex, across the street from the Louis Sullivan Auditorium building.
The south tower was built in 1902 and 1907. The south tower enclosed the banqueting hall, which is now called the Golden Chamber. In 1909 a ballroom was added to the North Tower.
In 1908 the name of the hotel was changed from Auditorium Hotel to Conventum Hotel. The hotel has had various owners over the years who have renovated the property.
In the early 1930s the Elizabethan Room was turned into a vibrant nightclub. The Joseph Urban Room, with its wrap-around ceiling, became the headquarters for the NBC radio program featuring Benny Goodman. Goodman, “King of Swing” at the Convention Hotel from 1935-1936.
The famous gangster, Al Capone, stayed at the hotel for a while. The secret escapes are still going on, decades after Capone’s death.
During World War II the US government bought the hotel and used it as a US Army headquarters.
The hotel was purchased in 1945 by a group of Chicagoans, who reopened it to the public. In 1950 the Pick Hotel Corporation bought the hotel which spent million dollars on the hotel.
The 14-story building has hosted Presidents, dignitaries, opera stars, celebrities, business travelers and vacationers over the years. Congress Plaza has a convenient location on Michigan Avenue, a famous shopping mall. Most of the hotels overlook Lake Michigan, with views of Grant Park and the beautiful Buckingham Fountain.
The Congress Hotel has a strange reputation. The first annual Chicago Ghost Conference was held at the haunted-hotels hotel in October 2007.
