Skip to Main Content

Site of the Murder Castle.

Site of the Murder Castle

Field review by the editors.

Chicago, Illinois

The most infamous site associated with any World's Fair was the "Murder Castle" of H.H. Holmes. It stood three miles west of the 1893 Columbian Exposition fairgrounds in Chicago. Holmes promoted it as a hotel for fairgoers, and apparently some of them went in and never came out. Investigators found it riddled with secret passages and hidden rooms. Estimates of Holmes' final murder toll range from 9 to 200; he confessed to 27. He was hanged in 1896 and the building was torn down in 1938. No monument stands on the empty lot, but people still like to visit it.

Site of the Murder Castle

Address:
611 W. 63rd St., Chicago, IL
Directions:
In the Englewood neighborhood. The Castle stood on what is now an empty lot between a post office and some elevated train tracks, on the south side of W. 63rd St., at its intersection with S. Wallace Ave.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Fountain Of TimeFountain Of Time, Chicago, IL - 2 mi.
Atomic Chain Reaction MonumentAtomic Chain Reaction Monument, Chicago, IL - 2 mi.
Cadillac Encased in CementCadillac Encased in Cement, Chicago, IL - 2 mi.
In the region:
Big Heads on Pillars, Chicago, IL - 7 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Illinois

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Illinois.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Illinois Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Classical Gas Museum, Embudo, New Mexico (Apr 29-May 5, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings