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An Oasis of Art, Architecture, and Landscape Design since 1860.

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Tour Groups must register in advance for approval of their visits and must sign in at the Cemetery Office upon arrival. Tour buses and other large vehicles are not allowed to enter or to be driven into the Cemetery. 

Graceland Cemetery Tour Registration Form

  While Graceland does not conduct tours, other organizations do offer informational tours, for individual or group exploration, among them:

The Chicago Architecture Center The Foundation sponsors group tours of the Cemetery in the fall. For information, phone (312) 922-TOUR (922-8687), or click here – architecture.org.

The Chicago History Museum For more information on individual and group tours, phone (312) 642-4600 or click here. – chicagohistory.org .

Watch CBS News

The Best Haunted Graveyard Tours In Chicago

October 27, 2012 / 6:00 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

By Meredith Lyons

The Halloween Spirit is upon us and what is more ghostly than a visit to a cemetery? In the spirit of the season, take a step closer to the end and tour one of Chicagoland's famously haunted cemeteries.

Graceland Cemetery 4001 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 525-1105 Graceland Cemetery Tours

Graceland Cemetery is one of Chicago's oldest cemeteries, founded in 1860. The beautiful cemetery houses many famous grave sites, including George Pullman and Marshall Field among others. The cemetery itself is well maintained and is a very picturesque place for a peaceful walk. The walls all but shut out city noises and the grounds are vast, allowing for hours of walking time should you be so inclined. The cemetery staff itself does not host tours, although the staff does hand out free maps and are generally friendly and full of helpful suggestions. People may walk about on their own or create their own tour groups. Tour groups must register in advance and sign in upon arrival and buses and large vehicles are not allowed. There are rumors of ghosts that haunt certain areas of the grounds. A spectral dog has been seen guarding the grave of Ludwig Wolff, a young girl in outdated clothes has been reported near the statue of Inez Clark and it has even been reported that the statue itself disappears during thunderstorms, reappearing afterwards. Other visitors have reported seeing a girl reading a diary under a tree in broad daylight.

Related:  Best Historical Sites In Chicago

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery 143rd St. and Midlothian Turnpike Midlothian, IL 60445 www.bachelorsgrove.com

Although Bachelor's Grove is not a cemetery typically run with a grounds staff and tours, it is perfectly legal to visit and is reportedly one of the most haunted cemeteries in the United States. Any are welcome to visit, but be respectful as the cemetery has often been the target of vandals, which became reportedly worse when it closed in the 1960s. Visitors claim various consistent apparitions from a ghost dog at the entrance to a farm house on the trail that appears and then vanishes. Ghosts even haunt the Midlothian Turnpike and drivers have reported seeing an old man with a horse and plow cross the road and then vanish. Ghost vehicles have appeared and vanished also, even ghostly red orbs moving too quickly to identify have been reported.

Resurrection Cemetery 7200 Archer Road Justice, IL 60458 (708) 458-4770

Perhaps the most famous ghost in Chicago, Resurrection Mary has reportedly been seen quite often in various locations on Archer Road. She will accept a ride and then at some point, demand that the car to be stopped and disappear. There have been other reports of her even running out into the road and being struck by a vehicle before vanishing or being seen lying by the side of the road and vanishing before authorities can arrive. The grounds to the cemetery are well kept and you may even be surprised by the number of deer that make a home there.

Rosehill Cemetery 5800 N. Ravenswood Ave. Chicago, IL 60660 (773) 561-5940 www.rosehillcemetery.com

The largest of Chicago's cemeteries, Rosehill also holds its share of famous burials including 18 former Chicago mayors. Two such famous personages, Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Sears, were reportedly rivals while alive and the ghost of Sears has been seen walking toward Ward's tomb. Literal moaning and chain rattling have been heard from the mausoleum of Charles Hopkins on the anniversary of his death. Many more such hauntings are said to take place within Rosehill, click here for a more detailed description. Guided tours of the cemetery are offered on Saturdays. If you choose to explore on your own, be sure to visit the Dignity Memorial building to obtain a map and helpful suggestions. It is easy to get lost as the cemetery is very large.

Related:   Best Spots For A Picnic In Chicago

Meredith Lyons is an actor, competitive fighter and fitness instructor in Chicago who also owns an amazing cat named Jake. Meredith has been writing on Examiner as the Chicago Martial Arts Examiner since 2008. Her work can be found at Examiner.com .

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GRACELAND CEMETERY

Beautiful and serene, Graceland Cemetery is a treasured oasis in the center of our bustling city. Notables interred here are Chicago's movers and shakers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Daniel Burnham, Potter Palmer, Charles Wacker, George Pullman and many others.

Premier tour*

Graceland Cemetery boasts monuments that were designed by the famous sculptors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Daniel Chester French, Lorado Taft and architect Louis Sullivan. For two hours we stroll the winding paths, admire the scenery and recount fascinating stories of our famed, and not so famed, cemetery residents.

• Many tours sell out. To guarantee your space advance reservations are strongly recommended.
• Your safety is our priority. The itinerary of this tour may be altered in accordance with health and safety policies and considerations.
• Street parking is available on Clark St. and Irving Park Rd. Parking is not permitted inside the cemetery except on Cubs game days.
• Ticket price includes entrance to the Chicago Architecture Center within 7 days of your tour. View the CAC's hours .

*Premier tours are free for Deco members and above. Learn about our membership levels .

Photos From This Tour

Upcoming GRACELAND CEMETERY Tours

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• 1:30pm Buy Tickets

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Sunday jul 14, sunday aug 4, sunday sep 8, sunday sep 15, highlights of this tour.

Graceland Cemetery

4001 n. clark st..

As you pass through the stone and iron gates of Graceland Cemetery, you leave the city behind and enter…

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WALK CHICAGO TOURS

Private and Personalized Walking Tours of the City of Big Shoulders

Graceland Cemetery

Each grave marker in Graceland Cemetery turns a page in the narrative that is the saga of Chicago. Since 1860, its monuments have whispered to visitors to listen to the legends of Chicago's elite.  

Graceland is the final resting place of Chicago's industrial barons, its lords and ladies of art and architecture, and its shapers of culture and political thought. It is an 80 acre Victorian park designed using the ideals of the English Garden movement, a virtual arboretum where gravesites were once marketed as "landscape rooms"...its monuments and tomb stones grandly designed and opulently decorated.

Known as the cemetery of architects, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Willam Le Baron Jenney and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe all chose it as the place of their last repose. Cyrus McCormick, Allan Pinkerton, Marshall Field, Potter Palmer and Phillip Armour all rest in peace alongside fellow Chicago aristocracy. However, they entered Graceland's refuge not knowing that one day, the heroes of the common man would rest there also. Heroes such as baseball great Ernie Banks, and boxing's heavy weight champions, Jack Johnson and Bob Fitzsimmons attract as many visitors as any of their iconic neighbors.

Consider a tour of Graceland Cemetery to be the viewing of an open history book where the visitor can feel the presence of the spirits who enabled Chicago to raise itself from the ashes to become the great metropolis of the prairie. Every prominent name etched in granite or marble is an episode in an anthology that recounts the legacy of America's most American city. Literally, a Chicago biography at every turn.  

Schedule - March through November

Time - Call or email for your PRIVATE start time from those times available.

Meet - Graceland Cemetery main entrance, 4001 N. Clark Street (NE corner of Clark and Irving park Road)

Minimum Number - 4 person minimum required.

Cost - $30 per person...$120 minimum charge Groups larger than 8 will be discounted. Large custom groups will be discounted. School groups will receive special discount. See the FAQ page for policies regarding discounted costs for children under 14.

Lots of graves — but no ghosts — on Halloween Graceland Cemetery tour

Albert Walavich led a Chicago History Museum tour of Graceland Cemetery on Oct 31. | Taylor Hartz/Sun-Times

A two-hour tour of the Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum gave a group of ghost hunters and history buffs the chance to learn about some of Chicago’s most famous figures, while getting their dose of Halloween fright.

Weaving through the graves at Graceland under colorful fall foliage on Tuesday, Albert Walavich led a Chicago History Museum tour of the grounds, where tombstones date back to the early 1800s. Built in 1860, the Uptown cemetery is the final resting place of some of Chicago’s most prominent families, well-known architects and beloved sports figures.

High on a hilltop is an elaborate column structure housing the remains of businessman Potter Palmer and his wife, Bertha Palmer, to whom he gave the downtown Palmer House Hilton as a wedding gift. Across a footbridge and in a quiet clearing, are the graves of Daniel Burnham, architect behind the World’s Fair, and his family.

A bridge leads to the gravesite of architect Daniel Burnham and family. | Taylor Hartz/Sun-Times

Other large family plots hold the remains of relatives of Marshall Field, Henry B. Clarke and John Kinzie, while small stones mark the burial sites of some of the city’s first cremations.

Around nearly every corner, visitors can find a tombstone, mausoleum or temple for Chicago notables. “You’ll see names of many people who made history in Chicago who are lost in memory now,” Walavich said.

A family plot for Marshall Field and his relatives at Graceland Cemetery during a Halloween tour. | Taylor Hartz/Sun-Times

Other intriguing sights on the tour include a baseball-shaped memorial for William Hulbert, once owner of the Chicago Cubs; a hidden Star Trek reference on a small tombstone, and the grave sites of Cubs player Ernie Banks, dancer Ruth Page and heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson. A Chicago City Landmark is found at the resting place of Carrie Eliza Getty, in an ornate tomb designed by architect Louis Sullivan.

All around, the site is a wealth of Chicago history for tourists and locals alike.

A baseball shaped tombstone for former Cubs owner William Hulbert is in Graceland Cemetery. | Taylor Hartz/Sun-Times

“I thought it was very interesting. I’m a native Chicagoan so I really like learning about the history of the city,” said Nancy Newberger, who said she recognized a lot of the names pointed out in the tour.

Newberger said the Oct. 31 date didn’t influence her decision to attend the tour, and Walavich said the crowds grow bigger in October.

When asked about hauntings on Tuesday’s tour, Walavich said he knew he would get a question about ghosts on Halloween, but he doesn’t believe any haunt the grounds.

“Why would they haunt the cemetery they never knew? They would haunt the house they lived in or somewhere that had meaning to their life,” Walavich said. He said there may not be ghosts in Graceland, but he believes some of the statues are haunted.

The Chicago History Museum offers year-round tours led by Walavich, including nighttime flashlight tours of Bohemian Cemetery, and a “Crimes of the Past” guide around the city.

Masks required in Abakanowicz Research Center; optional for rest of Museum MORE

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Graceland Cemetery: Mysteries in the Eternal Silence

Happy Halloween! CHM museum specialist Jojo Galvan explores some of the notable markers in Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery.

Graceland Cemetery in the Uptown community area of Chicago is many things. It’s a certified arboretum and a masterclass example of the garden cemetery movement popularized across the United States in the 19th century. But most notably to Chicagoans, the hallowed grounds are the final resting place for an extensive list of Chicago elites and eccentrics. Among its more than 2,000 trees, Graceland’s residents include the builders of the Second City, with graves for individuals like Louis Henri Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, and perhaps most notable among them, Daniel H. Burnham, designer of the Chicago Plan and head of planning for 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. He is buried alongside his wife, Margaret, on their own private island inside the cemetery.

Beyond architects, visitors to Graceland can also find the opulent and mysterious graves of many of the city’s elite financiers and socialites. Popular stops among the hundreds of notable graves in the cemetery include department store magnate Marshall Field, businessman Charles Wacker, and luxury sleeping car tycoon George Mortimer Pullman. Pullman is notably buried in a grave reinforced with concrete and railroad ties all under a Corinthian column and exedra, because his descendants feared his body would be disinterred and held for ransom by disgruntled employees.

One of the most imposing (and certainly the largest) and perhaps eeriest, graves in the cemetery belongs to Potter and Bertha Honoré Palmer, who made their fortune in real estate and the hospitality industry. In line with the opulence of their hotel, the Palmer House on Wabash Avenue, the Palmers are buried in two sarcophagi under an imposing Greco-Roman mausoleum, forever canonized to horror film audiences in the burial scene of Damien: Omen II , which was released in theaters in 1978.

But beyond the graves of the well-known, the mythos of Graceland Cemetery has been elevated thanks to the folklore associated with a number of the statues adorning its gravesites, the most famous of which is undoubtedly Eternal Silence . The 10-foot-tall sculpture of a brooding, shrouded figure was designed by the renowned American sculptor and Illinois native Lorado Taft. The watchful monument guards the plot of the aptly named Graves family, descendants of Dexter Graves, one of the earliest settlers in Chicago, who arrived in the land that would come to be known as Chicago from Ohio.

The most widely shared story connected to Eternal Silence is a grim one. As the story goes, for those curious (and brave enough) to know how their life will come to an end, all they need to do is gaze directly at the cold, unbreaking gaze of the monument, and their fate will be revealed in a vision. Another popular monument with an eerie reputation is known as Inez Clarke. While there is some debate as to the monument’s origins and who is buried in the grave it marks, its story is a sad one. For years it’s been said that every time there’s a thunderstorm, the statue of the young girl disappears entirely from the glass vitrine covering it and returns once the skies clear because, in life, Inez was afraid of storms—a fear that carried over to other side.

Graceland, in all its mystery and beauty, is open to the public and regularly hosts tours of the grounds, both self-guided and in groups.

Additional Resources

• Visit Graceland Cemetery’s website
• Learn more about the sculptor of Eternal Silence and his other works across the city by reading the Encyclopedia of Chicago entry
• For those interested in genealogical research, the Abakanowicz Research Center (ARC) at the Museum is free and accessible to the public.

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Because life's too short to stay home …, halloween in chicago, during scary season, this fun-loving city pulls out all the stops..

© Beth Gauper

In high-spirited Chicago, Halloween is the most spirited weekend of the year.

We didn't know that before we arrived one Halloween weekend, but then a few thousand Smurfs, zombies and cowboys bicycled past us on the monthly Critical Mass ride through Lincoln Park.

A pirate skull was perched on the turnips the next morning at the farmers market, and we saw oversized ghouls and witches waving from the windows of mansions. Downtown, orange gushers rose from the fountain in Daley Plaza.

By Saturday afternoon, nearly everyone was in costume. On Rush Street, we chatted with Raggedy Ann and Andy, and we spent a jolly evening with Elvis and Darth Vader in a Lincoln Park bar.

We came dressed as Lame Tourists, but no one seemed to mind.

By 4:30 p.m. on Halloween Eve, costumed trick-or-treaters were mobbing the manors of the Gold Coast, which were passing out lavish boxes of candy by the hundreds.

We had no idea Halloween was that big in Chicago, but we were glad we'd stumbled into it.

"It's therapy time," said George Garcia, owner of Fantasy Costumes in the Portage Park neighborhood. "In this crazy world, people just want to have fun. They don't have to buy gifts for anyone, they can do it just for themselves."

Garcia's store, which he started out of his car more than 50 years ago, now occupies an entire city block and is open 24 hours a day in the 10 days leading up to Halloween.

"Halloween is big, it's huge here," he says.

Why Chicago? He didn't know.

It could have something to do with the city's history with gangsters and one especially unsavory serial killer, made famous by the best-seller "The Devil in the White City."

At least four companies offer ghost tours year-round, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers walking tours of three cemeteries and "Devil" bus tours of the White City, the nickname of the grounds built for the 1893 World's Fair.

But most of the fun is family-style. The park district opens a haunted beach house, and Lincoln Park Zoo offers a Spooky Zoo for kids.

We did know about the big city celebration, so that was on our schedule. First, we went on a Chicago Food Planet tour that took us into the neighborhoods north of downtown, where we were surprised to see so many houses sporting giant spiders, skeletons and carved pumpkins.

The stateliest and most historic houses had the most over-the-top decorations. On the Gold Coast, the yard of one mansion featured a two-story witch riding a broomstick amid hay bales.

In Mid-North, one of the few neighborhoods with houses that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, ghouls hung from the second-story windows of neighboring Victorians that were wrapped with cobwebs and police tape.

The yellow house, said our guide, Lauren McCabe, supposedly is haunted by people who didn't survive the fire. It's one of the many legends that fuels Halloween in Chicago.

"This is the biggest holiday next to Christmas," McCabe said. "I can't tell you how much candy gets sold. It's phenomenal."

By Saturday afternoon, the bars along Rush Street were filled with costumed revelers. We settled into Local Option, a craft-beer mecca in Lincoln Park that endeared us with the slogan painted on its walls, inspired by German cigarette-pack warnings: "Scheiss Bier kann tödlich sein," or, "Crappy beer can kill you."

The other patrons provided the entertainment. A bunch of roller-derby girls clattered by, and Popeye and Olive Oyl did the limbo next to the bar.

A man dressed as a baby came in, with sunglasses and a cigarette duct-taped to his mouth, and the staff obligingly found him a high chair. The Blues Brothers and Bert, Ernie, Big Bird and Oscar were there, too.

The next day, we headed downtown. We'd missed the costume contest, hay rides and trick-or-treating, but the party was going strong. Little kids in costume scurried around, a stilt walker roamed the crowd and a storyteller was telling Not So Scary stories.

The most fun was on stage. Robin and Tim Balster's Sheer Magic show was a series of classic illusions, including the cheerfully cheesy chestnut in which Robin was stuck in a box and sawed in half — not!

Then we got to watch the Midnight Circus, whose charismatic performers presented a fast-paced collection of acrobatics, pratfalls, unicycle tricks, juggling, jokes and exploding confetti bombs. We definitely would have felt we got our money's worth, except it was free.

We left before the Chicago Dance Institute started teaching Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance and the Pyrotechnic fire and dance theater started.

Trick or treating had started in the million-dollar rowhouses and mansions on the Gold Coast. At one, big rubber gloves filled with candy hung from the wrought-iron fence by colored satin ribbons.

Smoke bubbles wafted from the balcony, where a soft-sculpture witch danced to music.

In one yard, a party of costumed adults was sitting around a table full of bottles. Occasionally, the hostess got up for trick-or-treaters.

"We pass the stupid candy off on them, and we drink the wine," she said with a smile.

We wished we had a passel of cute kids to collect candy for us, but we didn't feel too bad, because we'd already bagged free treats at the high-end Hendrickx Belgian Bakery.

It was because we'd bought the last pistachio croissant, and it was the end of the day. But we noticed that many Gold Coast shops hand out treats, at least to those who ask nicely.

At Halloween, Chicago is a remarkably generous town. Next time, we'll bring costumes.

Trip Tips: Chicago for Halloween

Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade : The city now celebrates Halloween with a cultural festival and parade along State Street, with live music, dance, floats and giant puppets. In 2023, it's on Oct. 21.

In the Northalsted neighborhood, there's a parade and costume contest Oct. 31 on Halsted Street, between Belmont and Addison. Other events include a zombie bar crawl.

Halloween at Navy Pier : On Saturdays in October, there are costume contests, circus acts, strolling actors and movies.

Chicago History Museum : This Lincoln Park museum offers tours by foot, trolley and bus to cemeteries and infamous crime scenes, such as the Devil in the White City and Leopold and Loeb murders.

They sell out fast, so reserve as early as possible.

Chicago Park District: It holds many parties and haunted houses , plus scary movies with a campfire and roasted marshmallows on Northerly Island Park.

Day of the Dead: The National Museum of Mexican Art celebrates Day of the Dead Xicago * Oct. 28,* and there's a Dia de los Muertos celebration Oct. 29 at Maxwell Street Market .

Other events: Many museums and attractions offer special programs in October, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, which holds its Spooky Zoo Oct. 21 for kids.

Devil in the White City tours: The Chicago Architecture Center often offers a 3½-hour bus tour that explores the links between the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and serial murderer Henry H. Holmes.

Cemetery tours: The Chicago Architecture Center offers two-hour walking tours of Graceland Cemetery and occasional tours of Rosehill and Calvary cemeteries.

For more about Graceland, see Tales of the dead .

Ghost tours: Reserve early for weekends and Halloween. Here's Choose Chicago's list of Halloween events and tours .

Free Tours by Foot offers two-hour Ghost Tours ; reservation only.

Chicago Hauntings Tours offers ghost tours in Chicago neighborhoods, including Devil and the White City tours, and also in Naperville and Aurora.

Weird Chicago Ghost Tour offers Devil and the White City and other haunted history tours, by foot and by bus.

Planning a trip: Late October is the off season, so it shouldn't be too hard to find air fare and lodgings at a good price.

For more, see Where to stay in Chicago .

For tips on planning a budget trip, see Cheap Chicago .

For more about the city, see Chicago stories .

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Graceland Cemetery

This cemetery is a very large cemetery. It is historic as well. It is a rural cemetery that can be found on the north side area of Uptown. This is in Chicago. It was established in the 1860s. The main entrance can be found at the intersection of Irving Park Road and Clark Street. There are 121 acres of burial sites.

When the cemetery was first bought or founded, it was only three blocks from Wrigley Field. The very busy neighborhood that we see today was once almost all wilderness. Over the years, it took many different architects and designers to create this beautiful cemetery. The nephew of the owner was stunned by naturalism and that lead him to choose the architects he did.

Graceland Cemetery is a private cemetery and has been since the beginning. It was established by a man named Thomas Bryan in 1860. Thomas Bryan was a very successful lawyer with a very successful practice in Chicago. He had purchased the original 80 acres of land and had received a charter from Illinois in the year 1861. Soon after, he hired a landscape architect. He hired H.W.S. Cleveland to plan out the park and make it what it is today.

Because Thomas Bryan was very successful in everyday life and was president of this cemetery, many well-known people in Chicago had joined the board with him. This included the first mayor of Chicago and even an entrepreneur named William Ogden. There were many other Chicago members who had become part of the cemetery members. Many people purchased very large family lots. Some people had purchased landscape rooms. It is still an active cemetery today.

The southern boundary of the cemetery was about two miles outside of the city limits. Today this boundary is known as Irving Park Road. However, the boundary was formerly in a small town called Lake View. However, after a little bit of negotiation with the residents, the cemetery had expanded. It expanded northwest and east. This expansion brought it to the 119 acres that it is today.

Graceland Cemetery is known for being the Cemetery of the Architects. Graceland Cemetery was known for the design and natural beauty of two 19 th century artists.

The plan was designed by Cleveland. In the 1870s, Cleveland made sure that the paths, as well as plots, were sodded uniformly. He also ensured that he had curbed and fenced the boundaries of a plot. After this, a man named William Le Baron Jenney had entered the picture. William is a renowned architect; however, his work is less known in the cemetery. He is known for contributing a lot to the engineering aspect and design. William helped create the parks’ style as it is seen today. The park has a Victorian-style atmosphere. This design was enhanced when the park had expanded. It was Ossian Simonds who had done his work. Ossian Simonds had known innovative design. He was known for using native plants to help create the beautiful landscape that you see today. That is why it is known for being one of the most visited places in Chicago to this day.

Even though the cemetery is beautiful and has many different architectural designs, it is said that ghosts are roaming the grounds. However, people are trying to debunk these stories. Some stories have been passed down from generation to generation. However, despite people trying to debunk them, the stories are still here.

Ludwig Wolff was buried in the cemetery. His tomb is located right over the fence on Montrose Ave. The tomb is carved from a mound that has been built-up. There are stairs that lead down to an entrance. There is also a vent that you will find at the top of the mount. Legend states that Wolff’s biggest fear was being buried alive. This is why there is a ventilation system. Not to mention, there are bells and whistles to help guard against it happening. There are apartment buildings on this avenue as well. People of this apartment complex state that when there is a full moon, it will illuminate the cemetery. It is on a full moon that you may see a phantom. This figure is of the wolf hound that Wolff once had. The hound is said to pace in front of the entrance of the tomb. You will notice that the fur will shine and the eyes will glow green. Many people state that it is simply coyotes with light reflecting off their eyes, however, most people are quick to rule out coyotes.

People who are strolling through the cemetery have told other stories as well. One story that was told is about a somber figure. This figure will stand on the veranda. This is the topper of the tomb of the Goodman family. The figure will graze across the man-made lake that is part of the cemetery.

One of the most surprising paranormal activities reported is that of the Burnham family. On the way to the lake is a bridge that has recently been refurbished. These leads to the burial site of the Burnham family. Daniel Burnham, an architect is buried here. It was said that the ghost of Daniel was reported frequently after he had passed. Many people had seen the ghost before but did not know what or who it was until The Devil in the White City had been published. People state that the man stands there on the bank of the island, with his hands in his pockets. He has been seen at the fairgrounds, and even in the old offices in which he worked. Many people are convinced it is his ghost but are not sure because it may be Clarence Darrow’s because his ghost has also been seen.

A monument called The Eternal Silence is a large bronze statue. It depicts a person who is hooded. Many people claim that this is unphotographable. It is over the grave of Dexter Graves. However, with that being said, this is one of the most fascinating and most photographed areas. However, many people state that if you look into the eyes of this statue, it will provide you with a view into your afterlife. This is why it is called the statue of death.

There have been many reports of the statues in the cemetery going missing. People would become worked up about this and then search for them. When the people would go to bed and wake up the next morning, the statues would appear back in place. The statues and art would look as if they had not been moved or broken. Many people have been a part of the search for statues that never seem to be gone and cannot explain it.

The Graceland Cemetery is a very popular cemetery. You can find many famous people buried there. However, do not forget that it is a cemetery even though it is full of beautiful art. This cemetery has been around for quite some time and that also leaves time for spirits to arise. There are many strange occurrences that happen in this cemetery. Some of them have tried to be explained with science or rational means but they simply cannot come up with an explanation.

You can visit the cemetery today and walk through it to view the beautiful art, however, do not be too concerned if you see a figure off in the distance or feel the touch of a hand on your shoulder. These things are all common when visiting the cemetery. We can tell you the history and stories that people have told, however, it is up to you to figure out if the place is truly haunted. You can go see for yourself if you do not believe the stories that are being told.

https://chicagohauntings.com/2019/04/09/the-mystifying-silence-and-the-ghosts-of-graceland-cemetery/

https://www.gracelandcemetery.org/the-story-of-graceland/

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Ghosts of graceland: chicago cemetery filled with haunting tales, the famed uptown graveyard continues to fascinate residents with ghostly stories that have become legendary since it opened in 1860..

Eric DeGrechie , Patch Staff

CHICAGO — After being closed for a month following a summer storm that brought down hundreds of trees, some graves and monuments, Chicago's famed Graceland Cemetery reopened Sept. 9. In all, nearly $250,000 in damage was done during the derecho storm that included 130 mph wind gusts.

A popular destination since it opened in 1860, the graveyard in the Uptown neighborhood has seen even more visitors in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Management told the Chicago Tribune that daily visits have gone from 40-50 per day to 200-300 since March.

There are numerous reasons why Graceland Cemetery has been a must-see for the past 160 years. Many enjoy the countless trees, especially during the fall months as the pretty colors at the certified arboretum pop. A reflecting lake, along with unique art, architecture and landscaping, are also highlights throughout the cemetery's 121 acres.

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Of course, being that it is a cemetery, the biggest draw is probably the many famous burial sites. Though filled with its fair share of deceased residents that were well-known during their lifetimes, there is also a number of buried people that have become more legendary in death at Graceland Cemetery. Let's look at some of the graveyard's best urban legends and ghost stories.

'THE ETERNAL SILENCE' OF DEXTER GRAVES (1789-1844)

It has a number of different names — "The Eternal Silence," "Dexter Graves Monument," "Statue of Death." Whatever you call it, if you see the bronze sculpture with a black granite backdrop at Graceland Cemetery, you will never forget it. Created by American sculptor Lorado Taft in 1909, the statue stands at the tomb of Dexter Graves (1789-1844).

According to Graceland Cemetery , Graves was one of the first settlers who, as an inscription on the back of the slab reads, "brought the first colony to Chicago, consisting of 13 families, arriving here July 15, 1831 from Ashtabula, Ohio, on the schooner Telegraph." As Graves died 75 years before the statue was created and 16 years before the cemetery open, his body was relocated from its original resting place at the old City Cemetery, which is the present site of Lincoln Park. There's a lot more information out there regarding Graves' son, his will, a horse sculpture that was supposed to accompany the statue, etc. The folks at Mysterious Chicago Tours delve into all of that here .

What makes this one of the most popular sites in the cemetery are some of the folktales. According to one, if you look into the eyes of the statue's hooded figure, you will see a vision of your own death. Another states that the statue cannot be photographed, but hundreds of photos on the internet, and one accompanying this story, would say otherwise. The way the figure partially hides his face with one arm also spooks people out.

THE HAUNTED TOMB OF LUDWIG WOLFF (1836-1911)

During his lifetime, Ludwig Wolff was rumored to be afraid he would be buried alive. According to Ursula Bielski, who gives "History and Haunting" walking tours of Graceland Cemetery , a vent that sits atop a built-up mound above his tomb includes a ventilation system with actual bells and whistles intended to prevent it from happening.

It has also been said that residents of the apartment buildings on Montrose Avenue, located directly across from the Wolff tomb, have seen the ghost of Wolff's wolf hound pacing in front of the entrance, especially on nights with a full moon. As Graceland Cemetery has been a popular destination of coyotes for many decades, it might be easier for the doubters to explain this phenomenon.

SCI-FI TRIBUTE TO ARCHITECT BRUCE GOFF (1904-1982)

There might not be anything supernatural about the marker for Bruce Goff's remains at Graceland, but it still gets a lot of foot traffic and attention. Goff, who died in 1982, was mentored by Frank Lloyd Wright, became a noted architect in his own right with projects like the Ruth Ford house in Aurora and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Pavilion for Japanese Art, while teaching at the University of Oklahoma.

A former student designed the marker that incorporates a glass cullet fragment salvaged from the ruins of the Joe D. Price House and Studio. It's been described as "sci-fi" and "futuristic."

FOOTBRIDGE TO THE BURNHAM FAMILY ISLAND

The popular book, "The Devil in the White City," by Erik Larson, shined a lot of light on the many happenings during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The book, based on real characters and events, includes the viewpoint of Daniel Burnham, credited as one of the fair's designers, combined with the story of H.H. Holmes, the first modern serial killer.

At the lake in Graceland Cemetery is a footbridge, which is a popular destination for families as many fish, ducks and other wildlife live in its waters, often begging for bread and food. Across from the footbridge is an "island" that houses the remains of the Burnham family. The folks at Windy City Ghosts state that the ghost of Daniel Burnham has been seen frequently over the years. According to the legend, a man stands there on the bank of the island, with his hands in his pockets. He has been seen at the fairgrounds in Jackson Park and at his old offices at the Rookery Building on LaSalle Street, where he designed the World's Columbian Exposition.

THE 'GREEK TEMPLE' AT THE PALMER MAUSOLEUM

If the fact that a scene in a supernatural horror film was shot at Graceland doesn't spook one out, then maybe none of these stories will do the trick. "Damien: Omen II," a 1978 film that was the second installment of the "Omen" series, used a grand Greek temple mausoleum with twin sarcophagi to shoot the scene. The remains of the wealthy couple, Potter (1826-1902) and Bertha Palmer (1849-1918) are located here.

According to Graceland Cemetery, "Potter Palmer pioneered customer satisfaction in his dry goods store, with money-back guarantees, merchandise on approval, and attractive store displays. He sold his successful business to Marshall Field and Levi Leiter, and became successful in real estate. (You’ve heard of the Palmer House, no doubt)."

The temple was designed by McKim, Mead & White of New York, as well as Bertha’s parents' French Gothic tomb across the road.

Many visitors over the years have reported that standing in the mausoleum fears them with dread. The folks at The Lineup describe it as being "eerily quiet and even colder than the rest of the cemetery."

THE 'CRUSADER' SCULPTURE FOR VICTOR LAWSON (1850-1925)

Lorado Taft, who created the aforementioned sculpture, "The Eternal Silence," also built another amazing work at the cemetery. "Crusader" stands guard over the grave of newspaper publisher Victor Lawson (1850-1925), whose Chicago Daily News pioneered in sending reporters throughout the world for news. Lawson contributed anonymously to many of Chicago’s charitable causes, and even his grave is unmarked, except for the statue and the phrase, "Above all things truth beareth away the victory." According to Graceland Cemetery , it refers to a story in the Book of Esdras, King James Bible Apocrypha, about a discussion of what is strongest.

The "Crusader" is a medieval knight who seems ready to come to life at any moment, and is used to symbolize the character of Lawson. Standing more than 13 feet tall, it was carved out of a solid block of dark granite.

THE GETTY TOMB

Designated at Chicago landmark in 1971, the Getty Tomb is another famous grave at Graceland Cemetery. It is " considered the pièce de résistance of all the fine monuments in Graceland ," and was commissioned by lumber merchant Henry Harrison Getty for his wife, Carrie Eliza. Designed by Louis Sullivan, who is also buried at Graceland.

What strikes visitors about the Getty Tomb the most, in addition to the famed architecture, is that the gates outside the tomb seem to lead to nothing but a black emptiness.

THE GIRL IN GLASS — INEZ CLARKE (1873-1880)

It shouldn't be a surprise that in a cemetery filled with mysteries that one of its most famous burial sites is rumored to be its most haunted. Inez Clarke (1873-1880) is memorialized with a glass-enclosed statue where her remains are reported to be located. Among the issues, though, is that there was no one living in Chicago in 1880 by that name. Based on extensive research done over the course of decades, it is now believed that the girl is Inez Briggs, the daughter of Mary C. Clarke from a previous marriage.

The ghost stories revolving around Inez are numerous. One story , as told by Find A Grave, is that she died when struck by lightning during a picnic or when she was locked outside during a thunderstorm. Because of this, some have said her statue disappers during thunderstorms because Inez is afraid of lightning. Another story says that Inez died of tuberculosis and that the statue has been seen crying. It has also been rumored that her spirit wanders the cemetery and is only seen by other children.

While some of these stories have been debunked by historians, it hasn't stopped people from reporting weird occurrences when visiting Inez. They often leave toys, stuffed animals or coins on the monument.

Want more spooky stories and urban legends from Illinois? Find them here.

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Graceland Cemetery Audio Tour by Exhumus

The Graceland Audio Tour by Exhumus is an immersive individual experience at one of the most visited and influential collections of human graves in the world. Travel to stunning architectural wonders, enjoy the peace and serenity of the outdoors, and learn about the history of Chicago; the greatest city in the world.

The audio tour is approximately 1 hour in length but is designed to be experienced at your own pace. The tour is formatted in a scavenger hunt style, where stops are found using directions on the audio tracks. There is also a map that guests might find useful in navigating the large cemetery.

The guided tour gives a broad overview of the cemetery, providing information on a variety of topics including ghosts, nature, famous graves, and impressive monument designs. While it is not your one-stop shop for all notable sights at Graceland Cemetery, it is a supplement to other tours and information you can find at the cemetery visitors’ center.

Remember to wear appropriate footwear for hiking on and off pavement. The tour distance is approximately 1.5 miles (2.6 kilometers). Check the weather before departing to dress appropriately. Bathrooms can be found at the visitor's center. Free public parking is located on the right behind the visitors' center near the entrance to the cemetery at the intersection of Clark St & Irving Park Rd. The tour will start at the cemetery entrance. The cemetery is generally open for visitors 365 days out of the year from 8am – 4pm. Consult the cemetery website for additional details: https://www.gracelandcemetery.org/

The Graceland Cemetery Audio Tour is free to enjoy, though $5 donations are encouraged. Headphones are also encouraged. Enjoy!

Venmo: @Mitchell-Ward-5

Paypal: [email protected]

Discover more at Exhumus.com

Photo by Madi Delk, 2021. Published with permission. 

• Graceland Cemetery Entrance LISTEN
• Directions! LISTEN
• Horace P. Dewey LISTEN
• Eternal Silence LISTEN
• Haunted Prairie LISTEN
• Jack Johnson LISTEN
• Columbarium & Chapel LISTEN
• Massive Monuments LISTEN
• Lake Willowmere LISTEN
• Bruce Goff LISTEN
• Carter H. Harrison LISTEN

Monday, September 7, 2009

Graceland tours at halloween.

8 comments:

Just curious...does anyone know if there are ex-Cubs buried in Graceland, Wunder's or the Jewish cemetery out of a desire to be near the old "hunting ground (bunting ground)?"

Ahh, Gayle, a reason for you to go on the tour! Google "William Hulbert" for an appetizer.

One day when I am laid to rest in the plots I bought there I would hope you come to visit me too.......

I'll visit your grave Barry. Here's a joke for ya.... Mick and Sean had been drinking partners for many years. After having a couple of beers in a pub, Mick says to Sean, "We've been buddies for years and if I should die before you, could you do me a favor? Get a bottle of good whiskey and pour it over my grave, and let it soak into the soil I'm buried under." Sean replied, "I would be glad to do that for you my oldest friend. Would it be OK if I passed it through my bladder first?"

IP you never cease to amaze.

P, your screen name seems appropriate for what I posted. By the way, I am a legend in my own mind. I see myself as the local version of the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. Perhaps with an added twist of Monty Python.

I highly recommend touring Graceland, on Halloween or otherwise--great history, great landscape, great walk.

I.P. - Friggin Brilliant!! I hope one day you'll pop into my local watering hole, & I can buy you a Jameson and have you tell me a few more jokes. One's coming your way on me... Train

News | Honor the dead: Chicago tour guides suggest…

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News | Honor the dead: Chicago tour guides suggest visiting these graves

Halloween wasn’t always about candy. Ancient Halloween tradition was built to honor the dead and in different ways of bridging between worlds. You could do your part by seeing where many well-known people are buried around Chicago . Or you could go more obscure. The Tribune asked six Chicago tour guides who frequent local cemeteries to share their favorite grave site. Here they explain in their own words.

Suggested by Troy Taylor:

Julia buccola petta, mount carmel cemetery, hillside.

If I have to pick only one monument, it’s that of a young woman named Julia Buccola Petta, who only became semi-famous after her death, not in life.

She is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside — the same resting place as Al Capone and Dean O’Banion — and her monument can be found along the Wold Road side.

Julia is best-known today as the “Italian Bride,” and her grave site is marked by a life-sized statue of her in her wedding dress, a marble reproduction of the photograph of Julia in the same dress that is mounted on the monument.

The story goes that Julia Buccola grew up on the West Side of Chicago, married and died in childbirth with her infant in 1921. She was buried in her wedding dress, with her stillborn child in her arms. Oddly, after Julia’s death, her mother, Filomena Buccola, began to have eerie dreams about her daughter every night. In the dreams, Julia claimed that she had been buried alive and needed her mother to free her. For the next six years, the dreams plagued Filomena and she began trying, without success, to have her daughter’s grave opened and her body exhumed. She was unable to explain why she needed to do this, she only knew that she should. Finally, through sheer persistence, her request was granted and a sympathetic judge passed down an order for Julia’s exhumation.

In 1927, six years after Julia’s death, the casket was removed from the grave. When it was opened, Julia’s body was found not to have decayed at all. In fact, it was said that her flesh was still as soft as it had been when she was alive. A photograph was taken at the time of the exhumation and shows Julia’s “incorruptible” body in the casket. Her mother, and other admirers, placed the photo on the front of her grave monument, which was constructed after her reburial. The photograph shows a body that appears to be fresh, with no discoloration of the skin, even after six years. The rotted and decayed appearance of the coffin in the photo however, bears witness to the fact that it had been underground for some time. Julia appears to be merely sleeping. Her family took the fact that she was found to be so well preserved as a sign from God and so after collecting money from other family members and neighbors, they created the impressive monument that stands over her grave today.

Or so the story goes.

Troy Taylor is the author of 120 books about ghosts, crime, and the unexplained in America. He founded American Hauntings in 1994 and offers ghost tours, books, events and excursions across America. He is also the owner of Weird Chicago Tours . He was born and raised in the Midwest and currently lives in Illinois.

Suggested by Dale Kaczmarek:

… and more on buccola petta.

Julia’s story goes much further than just the body in the ground.

Students of Proviso West High School — just east of the cemetery on Wolf Road — have reported seeing a girl walking through the cemetery by night. In fact, rumors that Julia was walking through the cemetery emptied a school dance near Halloween in 1976.

A carload of people driving down Harrison Street were startled to see a girl walking through the tombstones. They saw this girl and stopped the car to have a better look. They assumed it was someone playing a prank for Halloween. As they watched, they became very frightened because they realized that it was pouring rain outside and although it was very wet, the girl that they could see only 25 to 30 feet away walking through the cemetery was perfectly dry. Her hair and dress untouched by the fall weather. They left the area in a hurry!

Interviews from the Hillside Police Department have yielded strange things out there like odd white shapes floating around. This has been seen by a number of the police department. These are apparently different from the Julia sightings, as there are multiple sightings.

Julia is most often seen around the small administration building just inside the Harrison Street entrance to the cemetery. And the most recent paranormal occurrence out near her grave is the psychic smell of roses especially in the colder months when fresh flowers would all be dead!

Dale Kaczmarek is president of the Ghost Research Society and director of Excursions Into The Unknown . The author of six books, including “Windy City Ghosts” and “A Field Guide to Spirit Photography,” Kaczmarek has been investigating ghosts, hauntings and poltergeist phenomena since 1975.

Suggested by Sylvia Dunbeck:

Daniel burnham, graceland cemetery, chicago.

As in cities, locations in cemeteries are important, and none is more fitting to Daniel Burnham than his very own island at Graceland, on Chicago’s North Side.

Burnham was the architect and author of our renowned 1909 Plan of Chicago and organizer of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. His spirit was a guiding force for Chicago and is so deserving of this most idyllic spot. His city plan gave us parks and recreational areas, paths and open spaces for games and picnics along the lake.

Today, more than 100 years later, we still thank him for our beautiful lakefront. He and his family rest alone in Graceland on this island on Lake Willowmere, which can be reached by bridge from the most northerly pathway. It is here one can contemplate his famous words “Make no small plans, they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” His plans for our city were truly visionary, and their accomplishment is his legacy.

Sylvia Dunbeck , Chicago Architecture Foundation docent class of 1987

Suggested by Adam Selzer:

Barton edsall.

At Graceland is a tiny stone that merely gives the name and dates for Barton Edsall, who was famous the day they buried him, then forgotten a few hours later.

When Edsall, a wealthy, wholesale druggist, was found dead of a gunshot wound in the entryway of his Gold Coast mansion, all Chicago argued about whether it was a murder, a suicide or an accident.

On the third day, Oct. 8, 1871, he was buried in his business partner’s family plot. That night, the Great Chicago Fire wrecked the city and people forgot all about him!

It’s a small stone in the Hulburt family plot — just take a left inside the gates.

Sometimes you look up the people whose names are on elaborate crypts and it turns out to be a brewer who never did anything interesting enough to make the news, and sometimes there’s a great mystery behind the most unassuming headstones.

Adam Selzer is the author of several books, including the new “Mysterious Chicago” , an upcoming book about HH Holmes, and “Just Kill Me” , a novel about a Chicago ghost tour guide who makes places more haunted by killing people at them. See mysteriouschicago.com for his ghost and cemetery tours.

Suggested by Ursula Bielski:

Marci may fulton “infant daughter”, bachelors grove cemetery, bremen township.

After a lot of thought, I would say that my favorite burial site is that of little Marci May Fulton at Bachelors Grove Cemetery, in the forest preserves of Bremen Township.

Of course, Bachelors Grove is now known as one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world, but the one-acre burying ground was first a settlers’ cemetery, established by some of the strong and courageous men and women who set out for the American West in the earliest days of settlement. The cemetery tells their tales, but only if you have the patience and love to look for them, because very few headstones still remain here, having been lost to time and vandals.

One that does remain is a headstone reading, “Infant Daughter,” which marks the grave of Marci May, who died in infancy in 1914. The daughter of Bert Fulton and Katherine Vogt, she was the great granddaughter of John Fulton, patriarch of one of the most enduring families in the Southland. Upon her death, Marci May was interred at her grandparents’ plot (that of John Fulton, Jr. and Hulda Turney). Though few remember the dramatic life of the earliest Fultons — their incredible triumphs and devastating losses — and though fewer know even the name of the child under the “Infant Daughter” stone, hundreds if not thousands of visitors each year leave coins, stones, candies, toys, jewelry and other tokens of affection at her grave.

For me, Marci May’s grave — adorned with gifts of the heart in all seasons from strangers of every age and background — is a symbol of the pure and unquestioning respect of the living for the dead. Names unknown, tales untold. In this age of cremation and “private” mourning, it demonstrates that each person belongs to all of us, in life and in death, and that we all deserve a place and a memorial among the dead of history. That it matters to others that we have one.

Ursula Bielski is a 35-year veteran paranormal researcher and historian. She has authored 10 books on the haunted history of Chicago and Chicago cemetery history, including “Haunted Bachelors Grove.” She also owns Chicago Hauntings Tours , and hosts the annual Chicago Ghost Conference . Her tours, events and lectures may be found at chicagohauntings.com .

Suggested by Jeff Mercer:

Bruce graham.

My (relatively new – installed in 2011) favorite monument is a modest one that commemorates Bruce Graham, the architect from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), who designed the Willis (nee Sears) Tower and the John Hancock Building.

Graham’s remains are buried in Florida, where he died in his family home, so this monument is called a “cenotaph,” one that memorializes someone who is buried elsewhere. The monument — designed by Craig Hartman, a colleague at SOM — consists of a rectangular block of Absolute Black granite, carved to form a shallow basin. Graham’s name stretches across the middle of the basin in nickel-bronze letters using crisp Helvetica font.

When it rains, the basin fills and the polished tops of the letters remain just above the surface of the water.

Adding to the poignancy, the monument is located alongside the grave of Fazlur Kahn, the project engineer who was Graham’s collaborator on the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building. The monument is located near the southwest edge of Lake Willowmere, on Lake Avenue. Nearby on the opposite side of the road, nearer the lake, is the new temporary monument to Ernie Banks.

Jeff Mercer , Chicago Architecture Foundation docent class of 1992, Graceland Cemetery Tour Director

Sources: the tour guides, Chicago Architecture Foundation

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Haunted History Tours

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7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.

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Join Adam Selzer, author, podcaster, and host of Mysterious Chicago Tours, for spine-tingling walkabouts that dig into the zoo’s cemetery roots and locations from throughout its allegedly haunted history. These popular tours will sell out quickly, so scare up some tickets for yourself before they disappear!

More Information

Tours take place four Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October with two daily options:

• Tuesdays | October 3, 10, 17, 24
• Wednesdays | October 4, 11, 18, 25
• 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. | Tours are approximately 75 minutes
• Ages 16 and older
• $35 (10% off for Lincoln Park Zoo members)

Haunted History tours take place in and around Lincoln Park Zoo. There will be no zoo food or beverage locations open for this event.

About Our Tour Guide: Adam Selzer is the host of Mysterious Chicago tours, and the author of such books as Graceland Cemetery: Chicago Stories, Symbols and Secrets; The Ghosts of Chicago: The Windy City’s Most Famous Haunts; Mysterious Chicago: History at Its Coolest, and H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil. He appears regularly on the History Channel, Travel Channel, and a huge variety of podcasts and radio shows. Look for his ghost tours, cemetery tours, and other historical tours year-round!

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Friday, September 29th

Fri Sept 29, 2:30pm – Dark Art of the Art Institute w/Mandy Crypt

Tired of the same old highlights you’ve seen at the Art Institute? Wanting to see something to creep a little chill down your spine or inspire some awe? Well then this tour is for you! Come take a walk through the Art Institute with Mandy Crypt as we visit stories from mythology, discuss allegory, see human remains, and so much more!

Fri Sept 29, 3:00-7:00pm – Registration Check In & Meet & Greet in the Congress Lobby

Check in for the weekend with the Mystericon planners, pickup your nametag, & grab a drink at the hotel bar with your friends (and maybe the Effing ladies!). If you cannot make Friday night registration, you can register in the meeting room on Saturday all day long.

Fri Sept 29, 6:00pm – Dead in Chicago w/Leyla Royale

 It’s spooky season! Not for the faint of heart, this downtown walking tour is all about the strange stories of deaths, accidents, murder, & just plain weirdness that you find after digging through Chicago’s old newspaper archives. For the first time since 2021, Leyla is excited to offer her signature walking tour where you’ll learn all about the strange fates that befell Chicagoans back in the day. Thrills! Chills! Murder! Outhouses!? NOTE : this event time has been updated from 7:15 PM to 6:00 PM.

Fri Sept 29, 6:30pm – the Curious Cruise Boat Tour w/Adam Selzer

Mysterious Chicago presents a very special twist on Chicago’s beloved architecture boat tours, revealing the unknown tales hidden inside the city’s most famous landmarks and locations. You’ll join Mysterious Chicago (and co!) aboard the good ship Summer of George for an introduction to Chicago’s architecture and stories of the Windy City that you won’t find on any other boat tour!

Fri Sept 29, 8:30pm – the Curious Cruise Boat Tour w/Adam Selzer

Saturday, September 30th

Free talks (with suggested donations & Mystericon registrations) will be given in the Congress Meeting Room of the Congress Hotel between 10AM and 7:30PM. All talks are first come, first serve for seating. Each talk will be around an hour long, with time for Q&A afterwards.

Walking tours are ticketed events & cost between $22-$60 .

Schedule of Events

Sunday, October 1st

Ticketed walking tours with Adam Selzer, Mandy Crypt, Leyla Royale, & Patti Swanson