The corner of 63rd and Wallace Streets in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood looks unremarkable today—a post office occupies the space, serving the community with no outward indication of the horror that once occurred there. But beneath this mundane exterior lies one of the darkest chapters in American criminal history. This is the site where H.H. Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, built his 'Murder Castle'—a three-story hotel specifically designed for torture and murder. Holmes constructed the building to coincide with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, when millions of visitors flooded Chicago. Many of those visitors, particularly young women, checked into Holmes' hotel and were never seen again. The building was a nightmare made real—featuring soundproof rooms, secret passages, gas jets for asphyxiation, acid vats, a dissecting table, and a crematorium. Though the original structure was destroyed by fire shortly after Holmes' capture, the land itself is said to remain cursed, haunted by the spirits of those who suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of America's first serial killer.
Did you know?
- H.H. Holmes confessed to 27 murders, but some historians believe the actual number could be over 200 victims.
- Holmes designed the building himself, constantly changing contractors so no one would understand the full scope of his murderous design.
- The 'Castle' featured a maze of over 100 windowless rooms, secret passages, trapdoors, soundproof chambers, and doors that opened to brick walls.
- Some rooms were fitted with gas jets that Holmes controlled from his bedroom, allowing him to asphyxiate victims while they slept.
- Holmes sold the skeletons of some victims to medical schools and stripped flesh from bodies using acid vats in the basement.
- The building mysteriously burned down in August 1895 while Holmes awaited trial, leading to speculation that he had accomplices who destroyed evidence.
- Holmes was hanged on May 7, 1896, but the location of many of his victims' remains unknown to this day.
- Despite multiple businesses operating on the site over the past century, tenants consistently report paranormal activity and many don't stay long.
Paranormal Activity at the H.H. Holmes Site
The Screaming Spirits
The most frequently reported paranormal phenomenon at the site is the sound of screaming—desperate, terrified screams that seem to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Employees working in the post office that now occupies the space report hearing these screams, particularly in the basement area. The screams are described as feminine, filled with terror and pain, and they're often accompanied by the sounds of banging or pounding, as if someone is trying to escape from a confined space. These sounds match the historical accounts of Holmes' crimes—he would trap victims in soundproof rooms and gas chambers, where they would die in agony with no one to hear their cries. Some witnesses report that the screams are so realistic and disturbing that they've fled the building in terror.
The Shadow of Holmes
Multiple witnesses have reported seeing the figure of a tall, well-dressed man with a dark beard—matching historical descriptions of H.H. Holmes himself. The apparition appears in the building and sometimes outside on the street corner, often staring at passersby with what witnesses describe as a predatory gaze. Some report feeling watched by unseen eyes, followed by the appearance of this shadowy figure. A few witnesses claim to have made eye contact with the apparition, describing a feeling of pure evil and malevolence that left them shaken for days. The figure typically vanishes when approached or when the witness looks away and back. Some paranormal investigators believe this is a residual haunting—the psychic imprint of Holmes' evil permanently seared into the land where he committed such atrocities.
The Phantom Victims
Over the years, numerous people have reported seeing apparitions of women in late 19th-century clothing in and around the site. These spirits appear distressed, confused, or actively fleeing from something. Some witnesses report seeing a young woman in a blue dress who appears to be searching for something or someone, calling out names that can't quite be understood. Others have seen multiple female spirits together, as if trapped in a moment of collective terror. Historical research has identified many of Holmes' victims as young women who came to Chicago for the World's Fair—seeking work, adventure, or new beginnings—only to encounter Holmes and meet a horrific end. These apparitions are believed to be the spirits of his victims, still trapped in the trauma of their final moments or searching for a way home they'll never find.
The Cursed Ground
Beyond specific apparitions, the site itself seems to be cursed. Businesses that operate on the location report unusual difficulties—equipment malfunctions, electrical problems, plumbing issues, and an atmosphere that employees describe as oppressive or malevolent. Workers report feeling watched, experiencing sudden cold spots, and sensing a pervasive sadness or fear that seems to emanate from the ground itself. Some employees report physical symptoms when working in certain areas—headaches, nausea, dizziness, and difficulty breathing—that vanish when they leave the site. Plants and flowers placed on or near the property often wither and die quickly. Even passersby on the street report feeling uneasy when near the location, describing a sense of dread or the feeling that something terrible happened there. Paranormal investigators who have studied the site believe that the intense evil and suffering that occurred there has permanently contaminated the land itself, creating what they call a 'thin place' where the barrier between the living and the dead is weak.
The Basement Horror
The basement area of the current building—which sits approximately where Holmes' torture chamber and crematorium once stood—is known for particularly intense paranormal activity. Workers describe an overwhelming feeling of dread when entering the basement, and some refuse to go down there alone. The air is described as thick and heavy, and many report difficulty breathing. Strange odors are sometimes detected—burning flesh, chemicals, and decay—that have no physical source. Equipment stored in the basement malfunctions frequently, and security cameras regularly experience glitches and interference. Some workers have reported being touched or shoved by unseen hands in the basement, and a few claim to have seen the apparition of bodies hanging from hooks or lying on tables—visions that match the historical reality of Holmes' disposal methods. The basement seems to function as a portal or focal point for the building's paranormal activity, as if the horror that occurred there created a permanent wound in reality itself.
The Dark History of the Murder Castle
Herman Webster Mudgett, who later adopted the alias Dr. H.H. Holmes, arrived in Chicago in 1886. Charismatic, intelligent, and utterly without conscience, Holmes quickly established himself in the Englewood neighborhood, taking a job at a pharmacy. Through manipulation and possible murder, he eventually took ownership of the pharmacy.
In 1890, Holmes purchased a vacant lot across the street from the pharmacy at the corner of 63rd and Wallace Streets. What he built there would become known as one of the most diabolical structures in American history. Holmes designed the building himself—a three-story structure that appeared from the outside to be a normal commercial building with retail space on the first floor and a hotel above. But the reality was far more sinister.
Holmes purposely hired and fired multiple contractors during construction, ensuring that no single person understood the building's full layout or purpose. The result was a labyrinth of horror: over 100 rooms, many without windows; doorways that opened onto brick walls; stairways that led to nowhere; soundproof chambers; secret passages; doors that could only be locked from the outside; chutes that led to the basement; gas jets that could flood rooms with poisonous fumes; and a complete dissection facility in the basement, along with acid vats for dissolving bodies and a crematorium for final disposal.
The building opened for business in 1891, advertised as a hotel—perfect timing for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition that would bring millions of visitors to Chicago. Holmes specifically targeted young women who had come to Chicago for the fair, often alone and without family connections. He was charming and persuasive, offering employment in his pharmacy or affordable rooms in his hotel.
What happened to those who accepted his offers was nightmarish. Holmes would trap victims in the sealed rooms, sometimes suffocating them with gas, sometimes starving them to death, sometimes torturing them for his own sadistic pleasure. He dissected bodies to study anatomy and sold skeletons to medical schools. He destroyed remains in his crematorium or dissolved them in acid. The exact number of his victims may never be known—Holmes confessed to 27 murders but is suspected of many more. Some estimates place the true number over 200.
Holmes' downfall came not through his murders but through insurance fraud. After he was arrested in Boston in 1894, police in Chicago began investigating his building. What they found horrified even hardened detectives—the torture chambers, dissection equipment, remains of victims, and the full scope of Holmes' monstrous design.
In August 1895, while Holmes was in custody, the building mysteriously caught fire and burned down. Some believed Holmes had accomplices who destroyed evidence; others thought the building was so cursed that it destroyed itself.
Holmes was tried, convicted, and hanged on May 7, 1896, in Philadelphia. According to witnesses, his execution was botched—it took him 15 minutes to die, his neck not breaking cleanly. Some saw this as divine justice for the slow, agonizing deaths he had inflicted on so many victims.
After the fire, various businesses occupied the site over the decades. None seemed to last long. Workers consistently reported strange occurrences, oppressive atmospheres, and an inexplicable sense of dread. In 1938, the U.S. Post Office built on the site, and it continues to operate there today—though employees still report unusual phenomena.
The story of H.H. Holmes and his Murder Castle has become legend, inspiring countless books, films, and television shows. But for those who have experienced the paranormal activity at the site, it's clear that the horror Holmes unleashed didn't end with his death or the destruction of his building. The land itself seems to remember, and the spirits of his victims continue to cry out, trapped forever in the nightmare that was the Murder Castle.
Visitor Information
The site of H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle is now occupied by the Englewood Post Office. While the building is a functioning post office open to the public during business hours, visitors should be respectful that it is an active workplace and not a tourist attraction.
The post office does not offer tours or officially acknowledge the site's dark history. However, the exterior of the building can be viewed from the public sidewalk, and the location has become a stop on various Chicago ghost tours and crime history tours.
Visitors interested in learning more about H.H. Holmes and the Murder Castle should research the extensive historical documentation available through Chicago historical societies and true crime archives.
Location
63rd and Wallace Streets (Northeast Corner) Englewood Neighborhood Chicago, IL 60621
The current address is approximately 601-635 W 63rd Street.
The infamous Murder Castle before it burned in 1895
The post office that now stands on the cursed ground
