You Can Celebrate Halloween Inside One of Chicago’s Most Famously Haunted Hotels

CHICAGO— If a normal Halloween party does not feel spooky enough, Chicago has another option: spend the night inside a 133-year-old Michigan Avenue hotel surrounded by decades of ghost stories.

The annual Haunted Halloween Ball returns to the Congress Plaza Hotel on Saturday, October 31, transforming the historic property into a massive 21+ costume party from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Expect multiple DJs, dancing, elaborate Halloween décor, costumed performers and a contest awarding $2,000 in cash and prizes. Costumes are required for entry.

What Happens at the Haunted Halloween Ball?

Organizers turn roughly 20,000 square feet of hotel ballroom space into an abandoned-hotel-themed party populated by zombie cocktail servers, vampire bellmen and other performers.

The 2026 DJ lineup includes Nick Rockwell, DJ JEK and DJ LG, with different entertainment spread throughout the event. Drinks are available for purchase at multiple bars.

Then there is the costume competition.

Guests who want to enter have their photo taken at the official event photo shoot before midnight. The top three winners receive part of $2,000 in cash and prizes.

The Hotel Is Nearly as Interesting as the Party

The Congress Plaza Hotel opened in 1893 as the Auditorium Annex, built to accommodate visitors arriving for the World’s Columbian Exposition.

Its original North Tower was designed by Clinton Warren, while the South Tower was completed in 1907 by Holabird & Roche. The Chicago Architecture Center describes the hotel’s architecture as Beaux-Arts, with ornate ballrooms, gilded plasterwork, crystal chandeliers and a prominent position along the historic Michigan Avenue streetwall.

One of its most distinctive early features was Peacock Alley, an underground marble passage connecting the hotel to the Auditorium Hotel across the street. Its Gold Room was also the first hotel ballroom in America to use air conditioning.

In other words, even without Halloween decorations, the building already has plenty of atmosphere.

And Then There Are the Ghost Stories

The Congress Plaza has accumulated a long list of paranormal legends.

Stories commonly associated with the hotel include “Peg Leg Johnny,” unexplained sounds and moving objects, apparitions on upper floors and reports involving Room 441. Choose Chicago and the Chicago

Architecture Center both document the hotel’s reputation for ghost lore.

But there is an important distinction.

The building’s 1893 origins, architecture and long hotel history are documented facts.

The ghosts are folklore, guest stories and reported paranormal experiences. They should not be treated as verified historical events.

That separation arguably makes the hotel more interesting. You do not need to believe the stories to understand why a century-old ballroom and long hotel corridor feel especially appropriate on Halloween night.

Know Before You Go

The Haunted Halloween Ball takes place Saturday, October 31, 2026, at the Congress Plaza Hotel, 520 S. Michigan Ave.

Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Age: 21+ with valid ID
Dress code: Costume required
Tickets: Currently advertised by the organizer starting at $20, with prices increasing as lower-priced tiers sell out
Costume contest: $2,000 in cash and prizes
Drinks: Available for purchase

Time Out also lists the event among Chicago’s major Halloween-night celebrations.

Why the Setting Makes This More Than Another Halloween Party

The Congress Plaza sits directly across from Grant Park on Michigan Avenue, surrounded by some of Downtown Chicago’s best-known architecture, museums and transit.

That is part of the appeal of living around the South Loop and Downtown. Historic buildings, cultural institutions, lakefront parks and major events can all sit within walking distance of residential towers and condos.

A Halloween ball will last one night.

The architecture and history surrounding it are there year-round.

Exploring Downtown or the South Loop?

The Cory Tanzer Group at Option Premier helps buyers and relocation clients compare South Loop, Downtown Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods, including housing, transit, walkability, nearby development and everyday amenities.

Because sometimes understanding a neighborhood means looking beyond the condo itself and paying attention to the buildings, history and experiences just outside the front door.

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