Want to stroll through a Haunted Neighborhood alongside some Beloved Storybook Characters? Check out US Ghost Adventures and our Haunted Tour of Chicago.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor to Chicago or a resident of this windy city, you’re probably already pretty familiar with tales of its vibrant culture and fascinating history. With its breathtaking architecture, Michelin-star restaurants, and high-end shops, it’s no wonder that this midwestern port city has earned its reputation as a major cultural hub.Â
However, what often gets overlooked is the dark, haunted history lying underneath Chicago’s glamorous image.Â
Located in the center of one of the city’s oldest districts, Oz Park is also the center of much of Chicago’s ghostlore.Â
Find out more about this park, the site of mass tragedy overlaid by whimsical wonder. US Ghost Adventures uncovers the side of Oz Park most tours wouldn’t show you in our stroll through haunted Chicago.Â
Oz Park is on the western outskirts of Lincoln Park, just a few blocks away from the devastating site of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.Â
Besides burning hundreds of structures, the blaze also burned through a massive city cemetery that once stood in the same vicinity.Â
Though all wooden grave markers perished in the flames, historians estimate roughly 12,000 bodies lie buried where Lincoln Park and its surrounding neighborhood stand today. Only the limestone Couch Memorial Crypt survived to remind passerby of the neighborhood’s gravesite origins.Â
Many of the spooky sightings may come from the restless souls whose remains lie underfoot of parkgoers. They cry out, reminding visitors of the tragedy that shadows Chicago’s history.
Aside from the thousands of ghosts that likely roam the streets around the park, Oz Park also has some whimsical attributes.Â
The park was built in 1976 and named for the famous children’s book The Wizard of Oz, written by Chicago-based reporter L. Frank Baum.Â
True to its namesake, Oz Park was designed with imagination in mind. Sculptures and fountains in the shape of characters like the Tin Man and the Scarecrow are scattered throughout the park, reminding visitors that another, more magical world is never too far away.Â
Your visit to the park could very well include either an encounter with Dorothy and Toto from a children’s storybook or a restless spirit from a burned-down cemetery. Either way, it’s bound to be unforgettable. Â
If you’d like to experience more of such ghost lore that could make even the bravest individual want to run for the hills, join US Ghost Adventures on a haunted tour of Chicago. Oz Park is just one in a selection of haunted spots that tell the tale of this historic city.Â
Since 2013, US Ghost Adventures has offered entertaining, historic, and authentic ghost tours of America’s most haunted cities. We deliver fun yet honest accounts of hauntings across the nation for curious people of all ages. Our ghost stories are based on historical research, but that doesn’t mean they won’t send a chill down your spine.
This video gives you a small taste of what you might experience on your ghost tour — subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more.
US Ghost Adventures also offers virtual tours, a self-guided mobile app, and an Alexa voice app.
