Chicago is a criminal offense tourism city: John Dillinger and Al Capone famously frolicked in and dominated town. However there’s additionally lots for horror followers to search out within the Windy Metropolis.
In fact, there are lots of ghost excursions, one in every of which even combines the gangster and ghost tourism draw for its aptly named Gangsters and Ghosts Tour. However right here, I would like to focus on some smaller spooky areas that curiosity these of us who need to make our personal excursions.
Chicago is crammed with impartial shops and small companies, and lots of cater splendidly to the numerous horror followers within the metropolis. From bookstores to vintage retailers and shops for all of your witchy wants, Chicago has many areas the place those that love the scary stuff can spend hours exploring.
1. The Brewed
Situated on the border of Logan Sq. and Avondale, The Brewed is a horror-themed espresso store with a reputation that is a pun on David Cronenberg’s The Brood from 1979. The Brewed presents a beautiful assortment of espresso, tea, and Italian sodas, in addition to quite a lot of tasty pastries with choices for all diets.
However the actual highlights are the horror accouterments. The rotating posters masking the partitions span many years and nations, with French posters for Italian movies from the Seventies and Japanese posters for American movies from the Nineties.
As well as, a glass assortment case homes toys, books, and quite a lot of different enjoyable gadgets from horror historical past. And to prime it off, there is a small however exceptionally curated collection of blu-rays and DVDs proper by the register.
2. Bric a Brac Data & Collectibles
Proper subsequent to and, in truth, immediately linked to The Brewed, is Bric a Brac Data and Collectibles. As you possibly can guess from the identify, the store is crammed with information and numerous collectible gadgets.
Whereas the collectibles in The Brewed aren’t on the market, Bric a Brac presents patrons the choice to purchase figures from franchises starting from Alien to Xena and different collectible gadgets like buying and selling playing cards.
Nonetheless, probably the most thrilling half for me as a burgeoning VHS collector is the again of the store, the place cabinets are lined with VHS tapes. The tapes embrace anime, horror, noir, and not less than three copies of the Arnold car Eraser always.
3. The Horror Home
A twenty-minute stroll (or five-minute automobile journey) from Bric a Brac and The Brewed and situated firmly in Avondale is The Horror Home. The most recent store on this listing, The Horror Home, solely opened earlier this yr, but it surely’s already made a splash as among the finest locations for horror followers to go to in Chicago.
The Horror Home has an excellent inventory of latest and outdated figures, the requisite DVDs and blu-rays, and a small VHS choice that provides some area of interest titles.
The place The Horror Home shines is its T-shirt and comics choices. The T-shirts embrace unique designs that splendidly combine horror and comedy, in addition to extra normal poster shirts. And the comics run the gamut from self-published impartial author/artist-driven titles to labels like DC and Marvel.
4. Bucket o Blood Books and Data
Bucket o Blood and The Horror Home aren’t fairly as near Bric a Brac and The Brewed, however Bucket o Blood is simply across the nook from The Horror Home. Bucket o Blood is probably the one place to go to on this listing in the event you do not see any others.
Bucket o Blood has information, motion pictures in nearly each format, comics, books, and extra. The choice for all gadgets varies from brand-new releases to used copies (in addition they take trade-ins and supply retailer credit score!).
The choice is unreal: there are independently produced and printed motion pictures and books which might be almost unattainable to search out elsewhere. And the shop caters to each taste of horror, from scary tales for teenagers to excessive horror that nobody below eighteen (or older) must be allowed close to.
What’s maybe probably the most enjoyable, although, is that as a result of the shop takes trade-ins, you will discover every kind of non-horror movies and comics as effectively; on my final go to, I purchased a VHS copy of 1960’s Pillow Speak and a Batman comedian. And in the event you’re ever overwhelmed by all of the choices, the workers is gorgeous and at all times prepared to assist.
5. Wormhole Espresso
Situated in Wicker Park, only a brief drive from Logan Sq. and Avondale, you will discover Wormhole Espresso.
Wormhole is much less particularly inquisitive about horror however extra devoted to the Nineteen Eighties than The Brewed. Posters line the partitions, together with unique Ghostbusters and Aliens posters and a beautiful portrait of the one and solely Winona Ryder from the late 80s, and to prime it off, the store homes a scale reproduction of Again to the Future‘s Delorean.
There are additionally outdated books, together with a quantity on Star Wars and Star Trek, and video games for patrons to take a look at. Whereas Wormhole Espresso might not be horror-centric, I am assured my fellow horror followers will adore its black partitions and the 80s aesthetic.
6. Myopic Books
A brief stroll down Milwaukee Ave. from Wormhole Espresso, you will discover this iconic Chicago bookstore. Like Wormhole Espresso, Myopic will not be a horror-centric institution however caters to each kind of guide lover, together with horror followers.
To make it even higher (or not less than spookier), the horror, suspense, and thriller sections are all situated within the retailer’s basement, and there is nothing like perusing horrifying tales underground.
However horror followers may additionally discover one thing of curiosity within the comics part on the bottom flooring, the large fiction part, or the occult part on the shop’s prime flooring. So irrespective of your temper, there’s positive to be one thing scary to search out within the retailer.
7. Malliway Bros. Spells, Charms, & Potions
Taking a flip from areas devoted to horror books, motion pictures, and collectibles, Malliway Bros. Spells, Charms, & Potions presents occult practitioners all the pieces they want. Whether or not you’ve got been a practising witch for many years or have by no means seen a film with a witch, Malliway Bros., situated within the northern neighborhood of Rogers Park, has one thing to supply.
The shop’s aesthetic is delightfully spooky, with taxidermied animals and quite a lot of skulls adorning the cabinets and exquisite rugs throughout the ground. The shop additionally has a small lounge space with a library of books not on the market however merely for studying and having fun with the ambiance.
The shop caters to all occult pursuits, together with new-age Wiccans, LaVeyan Satanists, and all styles of pagans. And in the event you’ve by no means heard of any of these issues, the workers are extraordinarily pleasant and at all times prepared to assist patrons study one thing new.
8. Woolly Mammoth Chicago Antiques and Oddities
Like Malliway Bros, Woolly Mammoth Chicago caters much less on to followers of horror books and flicks and extra on to these inquisitive about dying.
Situated within the coronary heart of Andersonville, the shop homes quite a lot of animal skulls, human bones, and taxidermied critters, all of which run the gamut from normal to genetically mutated. However, after all, together with these things are additionally the extra normal classic ephemera like outdated books and paintings.
Woolly Mammoth caters to horror followers who need to try a few of the issues they’ve seen on display in actual life in a secure and non-threatening context. It is a classic and oddities store that features nearly in addition to a museum because it does a classic retailer.
9. Music Field Theatre
A brief stroll from Wrigley Stadium, you will discover this historic film home (initially in-built 1929). The Music Field operates year-round and nearly at all times has not less than one horror movie taking part in in both common rotation as a brand new launch or as a part of a repertory program.
This yr, the theater started a “Music Field of Horror Presents” collection that permits horror followers to see a few of their favourite horror movies from the previous on the large display not less than as soon as per 30 days year-round.
And in October, issues actually kick into gear to point out how a lot the Music Field loves its horror-loving patrons: the “Music Field of Horrors” presents a twenty-four-hour marathon of movies starting from silents (with a reside rating!) to new releases and a collection of repertory screenings that imply nearly each night time of the month followers can see a basic on the large display.
Except for the implausible programming, the Music Field is a must-see place for all Chicago guests merely for its historic structure. And even with out the horror motion pictures, horror followers may be inquisitive about visiting the place as a result of it is haunted by (not less than one) pleasant ghost.
10. Haunted Trails
Haunted Trails is probably the most totally different from all the opposite locations on the listing for a couple of causes. Firstly, it is technically outdoors Chicago within the suburb of Burbank, however with a automobile, it is lower than an hour’s drive, even from the farthest finish of town. Secondly, it isn’t a small store or theater; it is a full-on amusement park.
Haunted Trails presents quite a lot of indoor and outside sights, together with a large arcade and go-karting, however the motive I’ve included it right here is the mini-golf.
Haunted Trails mini-golf makes issues extra enjoyable for horror lovers by adorning the 18 holes with nice horror-centric sculptures and obstacles that vary from unique creations to iconic horror film moments.
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Kyle Logan studied philosophy and now always overthinks music and flicks.
He’s a movie and tv critic and basic popular culture author who has written for Cultured Vultures, Chicago Movie Scene, Fortress of Chills, and Filmotomy. Kyle has coated digital movie festivals together with the inaugural Nightstream competition in 2020 and the 2021 Fantasia Movie Competition. Kyle is inquisitive about horror movies, animation, Star Wars, and Journey Time, in addition to older style movies written and directed by queer folks and girls, significantly these from the Seventies and 80s. Together with writing, Kyle organizes a Queer Movie Problem on Letterboxd.
