Shhh Listen closely. The Congress Plaza Hotel whispers secrets. It’s a grand dame of a hotel a majestic building standing tall on Michigan Avenue. Built in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition it was originally called the Auditorium Annex. It was connected to the Auditorium Building by a secret passage Peacock Alley.
The Congress Plaza Hotel more than just a hotel. It’s a living monument to Chicago’s history. Presidents stayed there. Grover Cleveland William McKinley Teddy Roosevelt and many more walked its halls. Imagine the conversations the hushed whispers the deals made within these walls.
The hotel’s history is rich with both glamour and tragedy. In 1939 a heartbreaking event occurred. Adele Langer a refugee from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia took her own life. She tragically took her two young sons with her. Their story remains one of the hotel’s most haunting legacies. Some say their spirits still wander the halls.
The Congress Plaza Hotel boasts opulent ballrooms. The Gold Room the Florentine Room the Elizabethan Room and the Pompeian Room hosted Chicago’s elite. These grand spaces hosted countless celebrations and gatherings. They were the stage for some of the city’s most unforgettable moments. Artists like Louis Grell contributed to the hotel’s beauty. His murals once adorned the walls adding a touch of Chicago history to the interior.
But the Congress Plaza Hotel also has a reputation. It’s known as one of the most haunted hotels in Chicago. Stories of ghostly apparitions abound. Some speak of Captain Louis Ostheim a Spanish-American War veteran. His ghost is said to be the shadowy figure that roams the hotel. Others mention a little boy Karel Langer. His spirit supposedly haunts the 12th floor. Peg-leg Johnny a mysterious vagrant also adds to the hotel’s spectral inhabitants.
From presidential visits to tragic events to ghostly encounters the Congress Plaza Hotel’s story is captivating. It’s a place where history and mystery intertwine. It’s a place you will never forget. So as you continue your journey keep the Congress Plaza Hotel’s stories in mind.