Entry No. 102 — the Chicago file — filed under: haunted

Tao Chicago (former Chicago Historical Society Building)

This Richardsonian Romanesque landmark at 632 N Dearborn, designed by Henry Ives Cobb and completed in 1892 as the Chicago Historical Society's headquarters (replacing the building lost in the Great Fire), was reborn as a nightclub — the Limelight in the mid-1980s, then Excalibur from 1989 — a building long rumored to have cold spots and grand-staircase apparitions, now the Tao Asian bistro and nightclub.

The move: Book dinner in the vaulted main hall, then wander up the original grand staircase -- longtime staff still tell newcomers the building's original occupants haven't fully left.

📍 River North
💸 $$
⚡ Up for anything
🌗 Indoors

Where: 632 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL

Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.

#haunted #historic-building #landmark #nightclub #river-north

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Wikipedia · taogroup.com

last checked: 2026-07-19