I’m a big fan of Halloween and the TV show Ghost Adventures… and it was in that “spirit” that I was inspired to create this map of haunted sites around the Windy City. Chicago has a dark history of death, destruction and disaster. I challenged myself to use a limited color palette to create a nighttime/spooky mood. I’ve always loved the artwork of Edward Gorey (1925-2000) and added a few touches as an homage to his unique style. The horizontal format is a bit unorthodox but it suits the content pretty well; it also matches the required dimensions for the site They Draw and Travel.
The research required to accurately arrange this map took more hours than planned, and also led me down some interesting rabbit holes. For example, I never really knew about the tragedy of the S.S. Eastland (844 passengers were killed, more than on the Titanic!) or about the horrific fire at the Iroquois Theatre (more than 600 people perished). I also didn’t know that Room 441 of the Congress Plaza Hotel was the inspiration behind Stephen King’s short story, 1408. There are way more reportedly haunted locations in Chicago than I could include on this map, but I think I represented some of the most well-known ones.
In an effort to organize all the information here, I opted to include a legend to help guide the reader in their quest to experience paranormal hotspots throughout the city. Even if you don’t believe in such otherworldly phenomenon, perhaps my map will lure you into discovering something new about Chicago’s spellbinding history!