Windy City Screams: Chicago's Horror Movie History

Find out what makes the Second City America's #1 macabre metropolis

Many of cinema's scariest scenes have been filmed in Chicago. Film buffs know the list--Child's Play, Candyman, Poltergeist III, and Flatliners. But that's just a smattering of the blood-drenched spine-tinglers that have made Chicagoans double-check shadows in alleyways for decades. Now it's time to steady those nerves for a tour of the shriek-inducing locales we've seen on the big screen. Those terrifying scenes that haunt your dreams, that have looped across your mind's eye during unsettling moments--head into the city to see where the frightening cinematic magic came to life.

From the haunted high-rises of the Gold Coast to the ghostly echoes of Cabrini-Green, author and connoisseur macabre Bill Reick examines how Chicago's streets, landmarks, and neighborhoods contributed to the terrifying atmosphere in the iconic films that kept you up at night--and still do.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: History Press
Published: 07/21/2026
ISBN: 9781467171212
Pages: 144