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Tours/Chicago/The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour

The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour

4.5(17)Chicago3 hours
VIATOR4.3(10)TRIPADVISOR4.7(7)
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
+3 photos
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour

At a glance

Duration
3 hours
Price from
$45 / person
Rating
4.5 / 5 · 17 reviews
Group
Small group, up to 52
Cancellation
Free cancellation
Meeting point
The tour meets in the Congress Lounge bar at the Congress Plaza Hotel. The bus departs from the front of the Congress Plaza Hotel on South Michigan Avenue. Please be there early, the bus has to leave promptly to be able to reach every destination. We cannot guarantee participation for late arrivals.
Confirmation
Instant

Prices checked on Sep 11, 2026Things to do in Chicago

Description

We are Chicago's first and best Devil in the White City tour, offering the history, legends and lore surrounding H.H.Holmes, the World's Fair and Victorian Chicago. We visit Prairie Avenue, Chicago's Victorian "Easy Street" and site of the Fort Dearborn Massacre, travel to the World's Fairgrounds and the Midway Plaisance at the University of Chicago, and make the notorious trek to the site of Holmes' "Murder Castle."

Tour Options

The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour
  • Luxury Coach Bus

Itinerary

30 min

Historic Victorian district and site of Fort Dearborn Massacre

25 min

The site of the former Murder Castle, workers at this unassuming post office have gotten more than they bargained for with the spirits of H.H. Holmes' restless victims.

15 min

Perfect spot for pictures as you learn the ghost stories of Jackson Park and the 1893 World's Fair

30 min

The former World's Fairgrounds of 1893

10 min

A consequential place of late Nineteenth Century history, discover the historic place where Upton Sinclair based his groundbreaking work, "The Jungle".

15 min

Hear the ghost stories of the last remaining building from the 1893 World's Fair

Highlights

Restroom on board

What's included

Included
Restroom on board

Traveller Ratings

4.5
17 reviews
5
12
4
3
3
1
2
0
1
1

Important Information

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Frequently asked questions

How long does The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour take?

The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour lasts about 3 hours. The itinerary has 6 stops.

How much does The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour cost?

Prices start at $45 per person for this Chicago experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.

Can I cancel The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour for free?

Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is The tour meets in the Congress Lounge bar at the Congress Plaza Hotel. The bus departs from the front of the Congress Plaza Hotel on South Michigan Avenue. Please be there early, the bus has to leave promptly to be able to reach every destination. We cannot guarantee participation for late arrivals.. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.

Is this a private or a group tour?

It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 52 participants.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Will my booking be confirmed immediately?

Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.

Is The Devil in the White City: A Haunting History Tour worth it?

Travellers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 17 verified reviews; it is run by Chicago Hauntings. Most-mentioned highlights: Restroom on board.

Reviews(17)

L
Lee_F
May 18, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed the Devil and the White City tour!

This is a very comfortable tour with a little walking and so much Chicago history. Our your guide, Tony , was so funny and friendly and informative. It was a fascinating afternoon.

Operator response

Thanks for the awesome review! We're so happy you enjoyed the tour and had a great time with Tony he really knows how to make history come alive. Hope to see you on another one soon!

A
Amy_K
March 17, 2025
Wow

Tony was absolutely amazing and delightful. He was very knowledgeable. What a way to spend the day learning about the history of Chicago

Operator response

Thanks so much! We're thrilled you had a great time with Tony he's a pro at making Chicago history both fun and fascinating. Hope to see you again soon!

M
Maegan_N
October 27, 2024
If you want a tour about...

If you want a tour about the world’s fair of 1893, architecture, and a bunch of millionaires then this tour is for you. The only ‘haunting’ part is a brief mention of the ghosts haunting the congress plaza hotel and a five minute speech on the murders of H.H. Holmes when you visit the sketchy post office in englewood. Unless you consider some tidbits on Al Capone and a rushed cliff note on other serial killers “of Chicago” on the ride back to the hotel enough to make this a haunted tour then the $70 ticket is worth it. Otherwise, I highly suggest finding an actual haunted tour about the paranormal stories of the city. This tour does not grant you any kind of special access to the locations mentioned on the tour. You can visit all the sites regularly, for free. And the tour guide was knowledgeable, but left out pretty key parts regarding the whole theme of H.H. Holmes and instead overshadowed the whole point of the tour with the above mentioned topics. The two star drops to a one due to the bus. At least 3 seats were broken (aka were fallen all the way back and unable to be let up, effectively taking out the seat itself and the one behind it), multiple dirty seats with crumbs on them, and the audio barely worked half the time so the tour guide was either yelling which could barely be heard in the back or blasting scratchy audio that kept going in and out.

Operator response

Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations, both in terms of content and comfort. Our goal is always to deliver a tour that blends history and hauntings in a way that’s engaging, while also ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for everyone. We appreciate your comments and will keep them in mind as we continue improving our tours.

1
195mariq
October 16, 2024
HH Holmes and Columbian World's Fair of 1893 tour

Tony was very knowledgeable​ about the history of Chicago and the prominent people during the Columbian World's Fair of 1893. We explored some interesting neighborhoods we have never been to. Eg. Prairie Historic district. We had very good fall weather during our tour. What would have made it interesting is going to the haunted 12th floor of the Congress hotel. (Our meeting place). We wish there was more to see of the HH Holmes murder Castle. Unfortunately it's no longer there.

Operator response

Thanks for the thoughtful review! Tony loves sharing Chicago’s deep history, and we’re glad you enjoyed discovering new spots like the Prairie Historic District. We hear you on the haunted 12th floor and the Castle too bad those can’t be toured anymore. Hope to see you back for more chills and history soon!

J
Julia_A
October 13, 2024
Below average

Honestly the story telling wasn’t great, it was 2 hours longer than it probably had to be and the bus driver kept getting lost. We didn’t talk about the world fair or H.H. Holmes for an hr into the tour. I think I learned more on Google.

Operator response

Hi Julia, thanks for the feedback on our Devil In the White City haunted history bus tour. The tour starts at the Congress Plaza hotel which was very active during the era of the Columbian Exposition and has lots of ghost stories, so the tour not only covers the Worlds Fair and HH Holmes, but the history of Chicago during the era of the Worlds Fair. Some people are more into history and some people are more into the ghost stories, but we appreciate your input.

J
J5850AIkathyh
April 28, 2024
Devil In The White City Tour

The guide was very good and was able to work well with different personality types (we had one guest on our tour who wanted to let everyone know how knowledgeable he was) Guide gave of lots of fun facts. I think it’s a tour that you should read the book first

Operator response

Thanks for the honest feedback! Glad you enjoyed the guide’s stories and fun facts, and we love that the tour sparks interest to read the book. Hope to see you back for more Chicago history and chills!

K
Koty_M
June 25, 2023
Great tour!

Tony our guide was very knowledgeable and we git to see a good deal of chicago...more than we would have otherwise.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thanks for the great review! Tony’s all about showing those hidden Chicago gems. Glad you got to see so much hope to have you back for more soon!

C
Carrie_L
October 16, 2022
Great afternoon!

Tony our tour guide was fantastic! So knowledgeable. I would maybe bill this as more of a history tour with The Devil in the White City elements included. Still, I would definitely do this again. Also there was a little more walking involved than we were lead to believe. Not a problem for us but useful to know if you have mobility limitations. Also our particular bus did not have a washroom and there was no stop for same. I would definitely recommend this tour.

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

Thanks so much for the thoughtful review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour with Tony he’s a wealth of knowledge. We appreciate the notes on walking and restrooms, and we’ll work on making those details clearer. Thanks again for the recommendation, and we’d love to have you back anytime!

B
Beth_C
July 19, 2022
We had a great time...

We had a great time learning even more tidbits about the 1933 World's Fair and H.H. Holmes. We had a good time!

1 people found this helpful
Operator response

So glad you had a great time diving into the chilling history of the World's Fair and H.H. Holmes! Thanks for joining us on this haunting journey! 👻

M
Merle_H
July 17, 2022
This tour brings Chicago's history to life.

Tony the guide !!!! The guide knew his information so well. He spoke with meaning and belief. His ability to tell stories was fascinating. We saw things of Chicago we had never seen before.

Operator response

Tony truly brings Chicago’s past to life! So glad his storytelling wowed you and showed you a whole new side of the city. Thanks for exploring with us!

$45/ person
4.5(17)
Duration3 hours
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
Travellers1–15 pax
ConfirmationInstant
OperatorChicago Hauntings
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Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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