The haunted history of the Lincoln Park Zoo – Chicago Tribune

Good morning, Chicago.

A security guard at the Lincoln Park Zoo was making his rounds around 2 a.m. near the polar bear habitat when he saw a man sitting on a bench in a fedora, appearing distraught.

After asking if he was OK, the security guard told the man that the zoo closed hours ago. The man stood up, shrugged, then walked into the shadows. When the guard attempted to escort him out, the man had disappeared.

Another time, a woman approached an employee at the zoo’s visitor center, her soaking-wet son in tow. Apparently, she saw a hand come out of the lagoon and pull the boy in.

“What she thought member services could do about this I have no idea,” joked Adam Selzer.

These ghost stories are courtesy of Selzer, an author and historian who runs “Haunted History” tours at the zoo in October — past dark, of course. Observing animals isn’t the point of these hour-long tours. Rather, Selzer blends historical records and the occasional anecdote from a late-night employee for dozens to learn more about what may be one of the most haunted places in the city (allegedly). After all, it was partially built on top of a cemetery.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Rebecca Johnson.

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