Haunted Illinois: House of Blues in Chicago

 

House of Blues in Chicago - Photo from Facebook

The House of Blues is a great place to grab a drink and catch a show if you find yourself in Chicago, Illinois. You may want to keep an eye out though as it's also very haunted.

While many locals and tourists visit every year, many do not know the history. In 1959, Bertrand Goldberg designed plans for a mixed-use space. Construction began in 1961 and ended seven years later. While the entire project cost more than $36 million, the new Marina City Complex was an almost instant success. The two towers offer apartments for locals. Retail spaces, a hotel, and multiple restaurants are also inside. This is the location the founders chose for the Chicago branch of the House of Blues.

Owned by Jim Belushi and Dan Akroyd, the House of Blues is where you expect to listen to some music, make new friends, and have a great time. It's not the type of place you tend to see kids. That's what makes this haunting so odd. The ghost in the House of Blues is a young girl.

According to the story, she lived on the spot where the complex now stands. After a short illness, she passed away, which left her parents heartbroken. Some claim they buried her on the ground below where the venue sits, too. The girl now likes to pop up and play with the guests. Some visitors even claim to see her playing with toys.

I also came across some confusing stories about her. Many sites claim she leaves hand prints or an outline behind in bed sheets. The sites further talk about a woman staying with her son who allegedly saw the ghost. When he spotted the almost invisible child playing with his toys, she smiled and asked if he wanted to play. When the screamed, she disappeared. These stories may relate to the old House of Blues Hotel nearby, which now has a different name, but most sites still claim the stories are from the House of Blues itself.

A more tragic story and one rooted in reality is one not mentioned much on the web. During the 1970s, the Marina Cinemas operated out of the complex. Its closing in 1979 created an opening the House of Blues would later fill. The murder of Gloria Kirkpatrick occurred on the site in 1972 and remains unsolved today.

Gloria Kirkpatrick - Photo from City Within a City

Born in 1946, Kirkpatrick was a Pennsylvania native who went to business school and took classes at the University of South Carolina before moving with her family to a suburb about 90 minutes from Chicago. Hoping to strike it on her own, she moved to Chicago and became a secretary at the same firm that designed the Marina City Complex. In 1970, she accepted a manager job at the new Marina Cinemas.

Kirkpatrick loved that she could walk from her apartment in the complex to her new job. Friends claimed she was fun and feisty. She loved her boyfriend and was a friendly face to moviegoers. On May 5, 1972, Kirkpatrick was just thirty minutes into work when her coworkers spotted her talking to a man they described as being younger than fifty with dark hair in a dark suit.

Minutes later, they heard a scream coming from her office. Kirkpatrick made it through the building and into the lobby where she collapsed. Within twenty minutes of her encounter with the unknown man, Kirkpatrick was in an ambulance racing to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, Kirkpatrick would die from the nine stab wounds inflicted by her attacker.

Gloria Kirkpatrick was both a resident and employee of the complex. She lived on the 39^th floor and worked in the cinemas where the House of Blues now sits. Some believe she haunts both her former apartment and the nightclub. Visitors claim to see a woman hanging out in the lobby and walking through the venue who disappears when approached.

Some of the ghostly activity may stem from the multiple other deaths around the complex, too. Three construction workers allegedly died during the construction of the complex. At least three people committed suicide while living here as well. It's clear you never know what ghosts you might see in the House of Blues.

Check out the calendar of events and book a trip to Chicago's House of Blues today. The House of Blues is at 329 N. Dearborn St. in Chicago, Illinois.