Opened in 1893, the Congress Hotel, (originally named the Auditorium Annex), was intended to be an annex to the Auditorium Building across the street. It was built by the famous hotelier R.H. Southgate, opening in time to welcome those attending the 1893 World’s Fair.
The first section—the North Tower—was designed by Clinton Warren, while the second section—the South tower—was completed in 1907 by Holabird and Roche. The Beaux-Arts façade, with its sculpted friezes and detailed cornices, was a popular architectural style at the time. Featured in the new hotel was “Peacock Ally”, an underground marble passageway connecting the Congress Hotel with the Auditorium Hotel.
The hotel's interior was equally impressive, with lavish ballrooms and ornate detailing throughout. The Gold Room features gilded plasterwork and crystal chandeliers and was the first hotel ballroom in America to use air-conditioning. Additional ballrooms, including the Florentine room, the Elizabethan Room, and the Pompeian Room regularly hosted Chicago’s elite social events.
By 1908, the hotel officially became the Congress Hotel and boasted more than 1,000 guest rooms. The 1920’s brought modern electrical and plumbing, elevating the Hotel’s status. By the early 1930’s, the Congress Hotel became a nighttime hot spot when the Elizabethan Room was transformed into a trendy nightclub featuring a revolving bandstand. From 1935-1936, it was the headquarters for an NBC radio show hosted by Benny Goodman.
After the outbreak of World War II, the U.S. government purchased the hotel, using it as army headquarters. By 1945, a group of Chicagoans purchased the hotel to save the structure from further neglect. Over the next few decades, millions of dollars were put towards extensive remodeling and modernization.
The Congress Hotel has hosted many notable figures and has been nicknamed the “Home of Presidents” for holding events for Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt.
The Congress Hotel is also known to be home to spectral beings as well. From “Peg Leg Johnny” whose ghostly appearance is said to haunt the hotel, to mysterious sounds, eerie apparitions and unexplained phenomenon, supernatural tales have lured paranormal enthusiasts to the Congress Hotel, seeking to uncover the secrets hidden within its walls.
