From abandoned hospitals to ghostly hotels, the Midwest has more chills than a Lake Superior breeze. Iowa’s Villisca Ax Murder House still hosts overnight stays for anyone brave enough to sleep where a century-old mystery lingers. Chicago’s Congress Plaza Hotel has earned the title of most haunted in Illinois, allegedly home to Al Capone’s ghost and a few uninvited long-term guests. Over in Michigan’s Mackinac Island, visitors swear they hear phantom footsteps in the halls of the Grand Hotel. And if you’re up for a true road trip of terror, Ohio’s Ohio State Reformatory (aka the Shawshank prison) runs ghost hunts all October long.

Of course, not all haunts are truly haunted—some just have great drink specials and sticky floors. In Bloomington, it’s Nick’s English Hut where students and alumni will be piling in this weekend as IU looks to maintain it’s winning record. Madison students migrate to Wando’s for fishbowls to jump around, while Michigan State fans swear by Crunchy’s. Over in Columbia, Harpo’s remains a Mizzou legend, and in Champaign, KAMS is the unofficial headquarters for those wearing orange and blue. Everyone’s got their haunt—and a few Midwestern spots topped the list this year. Every Midwesterner has their own neighborhood haunt: the dive bar that never changes, the late-night diner that somehow still takes cash, that one Culver’s where they know your order by heart or the pothole that has eaten a couple hundred tires since April. Whether you’re chasing ghosts or just last call, the Midwest knows how to keep its haunts lively.

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your favorite Midwest haunt? Send us an email: [email protected]

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