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8 Haunted Spots In Chicago (And Where To Eat And Drink After Visiting Them)

By  Kelly Bauer Linze Rice and Tanveer Ali | October 23, 2015 5:57am | Updated on October 15, 2017 4:30pm

CHICAGO — When it comes to ghost stories, Chicago is no Second City.

After all, you can head to Uptown if you want to catch sight of Al Capone's ghost, or drive down to Hyde Park if you want to meet up with the spirits of Confederate soldiers held at Camp Douglas. Want to experience all of that and more? DNAinfo has you covered.

Here are eight spooky spots to check out (and where you can eat and drink after visiting them):

"Eternal Silence," a monument at Graceland Cemetery, is said to show those who look into its eyes a vision of their death. [Wikimedia Commons]

Graceland Cemetery

What: The cemetery is famous for its connection to Chicago's history. Victims of the Iroquois Theater fire, which killed more than 600 people, are buried here, as is George Pullman (the guy behind the Pullman Palace Car Company), several mayors and influential politicians, and Bruce Graham, the architect behind the John Hancock Building and Willis Tower.

Plus, it's said that if you look into the eyes of a famous monument there, "Eternal Silence" (or the "Statue of Death"), you'll see a vision of your own death. That's more than a little scary.

Where: 4001 N. Clark St.

While you're there: You can walk over to Ten Cat Tavern, 3931 N. Ashland Ave., for a drink and a few rounds of pool. They've also got a fireplace and board games, which is probably just what you'll need to relax after, you know, seeing a vision of your death at Graceland Cemetery.

Thousands of Confederate prisoners of war died at Camp Douglas in Chicago. [Wikimedia Commons]

Camp Douglas

What: This is one for the Civil War buffs: Camp Douglas was a prisoner camp for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Its conditions were deplorable, and thousands of prisoners of war died from starvation, disease and the wet and cold. The area is now home to archeology digs and condos. Maybe you'll see a ghost peeking out of someone's window.

Where: The land from Cottage Grove Avenue to King Drive and 31st Street to 33rd Place

While you're there: Check out Yassa African, 3511 S. King Drive, for traditional Senegalese fare. It's BYOB, so don't forget to bring your favorite booze.

A monument at Rosehill Cemetery. [Flickr/Kerry Lannert]

Rosehill Cemetery

What: The final stop for dozens of Civil War soldiers, John G. Shedd, Oscar Mayer, Leo Burnett, Richard B. Ogilvie and more. Local legend has it that spirits from Rosehill Cemetery often drift into the nearby Fireside Restaurant and Lounge to play tricks on patrons intruding on their space.

If you stop by, make sure to listen for moaning and the rattling of chains from (long-deceased) resident Charles Hopkinson.

Where: 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave.

While you're there: Across from the city's largest burial place sits The Fireside Restaurant and Lounge. The tavern's original owners opened the building at 5739 N. Ravenswood Ave. in 1904 as a saloon, eatery and temporary resting place for those going to visit their deceased loved ones.

Al Capone, a patron of the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, is probably responsible for more than a few hauntings in Chicago. [Wikimedia Commons]

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge

What: The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge was co-owned by notorious gangster and Al Capone associate Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn, who is said to have played a major role in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The Green Mill itself served as a speakeasy and hideout for the gangsters, and it has the trap door to prove it.

If you stop by, don't forget to check out the joint's artwork, which shows how McGurn tried to do away with a highly paid singer who attempted to leave the Green Mill.

Where: 4802 N. Broadway Ave.

While you're there: Trying not to go too far from this haunt? You don't have to. The Green Mill is still open — and it's serving up the booze and jazz that made it infamous. There will be live jazz music 9 p.m.-1 a.m. on Halloween, so make sure you bring your dancing shoes.

Children — and perhaps the "Devil Baby"? — stand on a retaining wall outside Hull House. [Wikimedia Commons]

Hull House

What: Hull House was famous for helping immigrant families. But, as Halloween nears, it's remembered for something else: The stories say a "Devil Baby" with hooves, horns and scales was taken there after its family abandoned it and it was raised in the Hull House attic.

The story became so widespread that Hull House founder Jane Addams even tried to quash rumors of the Devil Baby, writing in a 1916 story for the The Atlantic that the baby's existence was a "legend."

But the story lives on. Maybe you'll hear its cries if you stop by the museum this year?

Where: 800 S. Halsted St.

While you're there: After you're done searching for the Devil Baby, you can walk to the Polk Street Pub, 548 W. Polk St., where you can nurse a drink and grab a burger.

The Eastland Disaster claimed more the lives of more than 800 people. [Wikimedia Commons]

Eastland Disaster site

What: More than 800 people died when the Eastland turned over in the Chicago River and filled with water a little more than 100 years ago. Twenty-two entire families were lost. Some say you can hear screaming, crying and splashing from the river, and if you look into the water you will see the faces of the victims peering out of the depths.

Where: Along the river between the Clark Street and LaSalle Street bridges

While you're there: You're in Downtown, so the world is your oyster. But if you're looking for something within walking distance, you can see what's open along the Riverwalk or get a drink at The Kitchen, 316 N. Clark St. It's stocked up with craft beers that will help you forget anything spooky you might have seen.

You might see a few of these faces if you stop by the Museum of Science and Industry.

Chicago World's Fair

What: The Museum of Science and Industry was built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Originally called the Palace of Fine Arts, the building is one of few structures that remain from the "White City" of the World's Fair.

Now it's said to be home to several ghosts, including those of people who died during the World's Fair. You can even stop by on Halloween, when the museum is open until 4 p.m. (And it's OK to be concerned if you bump into someone who's transparent and knows just a bit too much about the fair.)

Where: 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive.

While you're there: Turn on the jukebox at the Cove Lounge, 1750 E. 55th St.

Bonus: Can't make it to the museum for Halloween? Famed civil rights lawyer Clarence Darrow said that if he returned as a ghost then he'd show up at the bridge behind the museum on the anniversary of his death, March 13. It's not too early to plan a spring visit.

An illustration showing people escaping from the Iroquois Theater Fire. [Wikimedia Commons]

Oriental Theater

What: The Iroquois Theater was supposed to be "fireproof." But in 1903 a fire there killed more than 600 people. It remains the deadliest single-building fire in United States history, and though the Iroquois Theater was razed (it's now the spot of the Oriental Theatre) many report seeing odd, shadowy figures or capturing ghosts in photos while in the theater or in the nearby "Alley of Death."

Where: 24 W. Randolph St.

While you're there: Head down the street to the Randolph Tavern, 188 W. Randolph St., for a drink and some food. It's just what you'll need to end the night after a visit to the Alley of Death.