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.
However, what often gets overlooked is the dark, haunted history lying underneath Chicago’s glamorous image.
Located in the center of one of the city’s oldest districts, Oz Park is also the center of much of Chicago’s ghostlore.
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.
Fire, Tragedy, and Burial Grounds for the Restless
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.
Besides burning hundreds of structures, the blaze also burned through a massive city cemetery that once stood in the same vicinity.
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.
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.