One of Illinois’ Most Haunted Restaurants Has a Rich History of Ghosts and Gangsters

Great Escape Restaurant in Schiller Park, Illinois is a great place to enjoy a meal, drinks, and...paranormal experiences according to legends.

One of Illinois' Most Haunted Restaurants

I'm a firm believer that any really old building has a few ghost stories to share, and there is a restaurant in Schiller Park, Illinois that has several!

The building that houses The Great Escape Restaurant at 9540 W. Irving Park Road in Schiller Park, Illinois  has gone through several renovations and expansions, but the banquet room and bar are part of the orginial structure that was built in 1889.

The Great Escape's banquet room used to house a general store, milk depot, post office, gas station, barber shop, pool hall, and restaurant, and the building was even featured in a silent movie,  but that is not the most fascinating part of its history.

According to The Great Escape's website;

In the 1920’s, Al Capone sold the place booze and was spotted at the bar doing business with local gagsters. Witnesses say there were men seated on either side of him with shot guns watching the door.

Here's a picture of the original bar that still stands today inside The Great Escape that Al Capone used to frequent...

If former gangster activity isn't enough to convince you that The Great Escape has some interesting and spooky experiences to share, maybe this will...

The Great Escape Hauntings

From the 1950s until 1992, this restaurant went by the name "The Drift Inn" and it was during that time when employees starting reporting experienced paranormal activity.

The Great Escape's website says team members have reported seeing;

a man in a black suit carrying a clip board walk into a closet and disappears. Others have reported the feeling that someone is standing right next to them when there wasn’t. Others have noted walking through a very cold spot in a dark hallway, and the sounds of 1920′s music forming from the basement after hours. We have also experienced an antique radio playing without being touched and upon investigation it has been determined that there are no wires hooked up to it and the old tubes inside are burned out.

So many unusual and creepy things have been seen and experiences inside The Great Escape that the owners decided to bring in a team of paranormal investigators to check the place out. Here are some videos that prove The Great Escape is definitely haunted...

Seriously though, if you're not afraid of possibly sharing your meal with a ghost or two, The Great Escape is a great place to grab a meal and they have a lot of delicious options to choose from. Check out the menu here and start planning your escape to The Great Escape!

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