7 Chicago Urban Legends You'll Never Forget
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
An old city famous for its crime, Chicago is rife with urban legends. Talk to locals long enough, and tales of these strange occurrences will likely come up. Be warned, though, these creepy rumors are not for the faint of heart.
Unsolved murders, disturbing clowns, and more make Chicago one of the most frightening places in the country. If you’re not bothered by nightmares, go ahead and keep reading…
It is rumored that the charitable lady of the house in the 1890s, Jane Addams Hull, took in a child who was being given up by its mother. Many believed the child was that of Satan's, yet Hull cared for it in the attic until it passed. Visitors have reported seeing the face of the devil in the house, which now a museum.
Rumored to have been killed in a car crash with her boyfriend in 1934, Mary is a young, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who asks men for a ride home. Once they stop at Archer Avenue near Resurrection Cemetery, she disappears.
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This is one of the city's most timeless urban legends. In 1991, children were apparently lured into vans by a man dressed as a clown. Though Chicago's police department looked into the matter and ruled it nothing more than legend, locals still believe this man roams the city praying on children.
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In 1956, two young sisters, ages 13 and 15, were found dead on the side of this road after heading home from a movie. Locals believe their ghosts still haunt the street — trying to get home.
Many do not know about the Chicago serial killer who murdered all three of her husbands. The men would become mysteriously sick and die soon after. It has been reported that, with her last husband, even when he was feeling better, the woman bragged about the deal she got on a coffin. Klimek was convicted for her crimes, and her house still stands today. Locals report feeling strange when they are near the building.
A young woman was found with a knife in her chest inside a burning Lincoln Park apartment in 1977. Legend has it that a woman married to the deceased woman's co-worker went into trances and channeled Basa, revealing her murderer and uncovering stollen jewelry.
What was previously a graveyard became a public park in 1860. As many graves were unmarked, not all were excavated, leaving many plots to be built on top of. When the Chicago History Museum was built, digging for the foundation revealed heaps of bones.
Looking for more creepy attractions? Check out these seven Chicago cemeteries that will make your skin crawl.
What other urban legends do you like to share? Tell us your tales below!
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