Chicago Ghost Bus Tour: Hauntings & Mob History

What Really Happened at the Biograph Theater, and Who's Still There

You board a bus near downtown Chicago and spend three hours at eight specific sites tied to the city's most violent history: mob hits, massacres, disasters, and deaths. Your guide is a paranormal researcher who walks you through what happened and what people have reported seeing. The bus does the traveling. You step off at each stop to hear the story where it occurred. No long walks between locations, no arranging your own route.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Chicago History Museum10m
2. Lincoln Park Zoo10m
3. Biograph Theater10m

Explore Chicago's haunted landmarks

• Visit the Devil Baby story site
• See abandoned graves at old City Cemetery
• Explore eerie Chicago landmark graves
• Check ghost sightings near Abe Lincoln's bed
• View Chicago's famous suicide bridge
• Visit St. Valentine's Day Massacre site
• Discover ghosts at Lincoln Park Zoo
• See John Dillinger's demise site
• Learn about the tragic boat disaster
• Explore site of worst theater fire

The experience

What if the stories you've heard about Chicago's most violent moments aren't quite finished being told? The ghost bus tour runs three hours through neighborhoods where the city's darkest history didn't stay buried. It stayed put. You board near downtown and head straight into the kind of Chicago most visitors never see: the corners where the Fort Dearborn Massacre happened, where the St. Valentine's Day Massacre left blood on a garage wall, where the Eastland capsized and took hundreds down with it. The bus stops at eight specific locations, and at each one your guide (part of Ursula Bielski's team of paranormal researchers and historians) walks you through what happened and what people claim they've seen since.

The Biograph Theater is where John Dillinger died in a hail of FBI bullets, and the guide doesn't just tell you the date. They tell you what guests and staff have reported seeing there over the decades. You'll stand outside the Chicago History Museum and hear about the ghost around Lincoln's bed, then move on to Lincoln Park Zoo, which sits on top of an old city cemetery where ten thousand people were buried and then, somehow, moved. The guide explains the contradiction and what zoo workers have experienced in the dark corners. There's the "suicide bridge" that earned its name, the site of the worst theater fire in American history, and the lair of the Devil Baby of Hull House: a legend so persistent that crowds once mobbed the building demanding to see it. The bus takes you where walking tours can't reach. You're not hiking between stops or standing in the cold for hours.

Ursula Bielski founded this tour 23 years ago and built it on research, not just atmosphere. The team includes veteran paranormal investigators who've documented what people experience at these sites. The bus holds up to 50 passengers but the tour stays intimate because it's structured around the stories, not the crowd. You get a tour escort who knows the history cold and can answer questions as they come up. Kids sit on laps if they're infants. Older children need an adult with them, which makes sense given some of the content. This isn't a gentle ghost story, it's a hard look at how Chicago's violence echoes.

The whole thing takes three hours, with numerous stops where you step off the bus and stand at the actual locations. Some walking is involved, but nothing strenuous. The bus does the heavy lifting of getting you between neighborhoods. Public transit runs nearby if you need it before or after. Book it if you want to understand why Chicago earned its reputation, and why some people swear the city's ghosts never left.

What’s included

• Three-hour bus tour with eight stops at Chicago's most historically significant haunted sites.
• tour escort and paranormal historian guide.
• transportation between all locations.
• access to the Biograph Theater, Chicago History Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and other key stops tied to the city's violent history.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturdayDepartures at 19:00 and 20:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Under 8: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Chicago Hauntings

Is this one for you?Book this if you want Chicago's darkest history told by someone who's researched it, without spending three hours walking between neighborhoods or figuring out which stories are real: the bus and the guide handle both.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Chicago ghost bus tour?

Three hours, including eight stops and travel between them.

What are the main stops on the tour?

The Biograph Theater (John Dillinger's death), Chicago History Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre site, the "suicide bridge," the worst theater fire site, Hull House (Devil Baby legend), and the old City Cemetery location.

Who leads the tour?

A member of Ursula Bielski's team of paranormal researchers and historians. Bielski founded the tour 23 years ago and is known as the city's ghostlorist.

Is this tour suitable for children?

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Infants sit on an adult's lap. The content covers Chicago's violent history, so consider your child's age and comfort level.

How much walking is involved?

Some walking at each stop, but the bus handles most of the travel between locations. It's suitable for all fitness levels.

How many people go on the tour?

The bus holds up to 50 passengers.

What's included in the tour price?

Tour escort, bus transportation, and access to all eight stops.

Can I use public transportation to get to the tour?

Yes, public transit options are available near the tour starting point.