murder castle tour

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Serial Killer H.H. Holmes' Infamous Hotel Met A Mysterious End

History's new documentary series American Ripper dives into the bloody history of H.H. Holmes. The Chicago serial killer is infamous not just for the multiple murders he confessed to committing (the actual total is probably higher), but the resources he dedicated to conning and then killing his victims. The tricked-out hotel he had built for the purpose of more easily satiating his urges probably saw more mayhem and murder than any other travel accommodations, but could the morbidly curious still spend a night at the "murder castle"? If you dared, could you visit H.H. Holmes' hotel and see the site of an undetermined number of deaths?

Those interested in taking a haunted tour of the base of Chicago's most infamous serial killer will be disappointed to learn that Holmes' hotel is no longer standing. According to The Chicagoist, an aspiring entrepreneur purchased the building after Holmes was hanged for murder, intending to make it into a tourist attraction. "On Aug. 19 [1896] at 12:13 a.m., a railroad night watchman spotted flames coming through the Castle's roof," the piece reads. "Seconds later, explosions blew out the first-floor windows, and the fire was out of control by the time help arrived. 90 minutes after the fire was reported, the roof had collapsed and most of the building demolished ." The source of the fire was not determined, though it's possible that some neighbors may have rather seen the building destroyed than turned into a circus.

While the building where Holmes committed his most atrocious crimes has fallen, a new building has been erected in its spot. If you choose to walk onto these possibly haunted grounds, you'll be able to do so during regular business hours. You can even buy stamps while you're there.

That's right – The only building that still exists on the land where H.H. Holmes built his modern dungeon is the Englewood Post Office . While most of the area formerly occupied by the Murder Castle is now overtaken by grass and foliage, the post office erected on its land serves as the closest thing to a H. H. Holmes landmark. What was once a place of isolation and death is now the home of helpful USPS staff members, P.O. boxes, and medium-sized wait lines.

Despite the unassuming nature of the post office, its loose affiliation with the Holmes "murder castle" has turned it into a makeshift tourist attraction. While the ground it sits on is probably considered by some to be a prime location for multiple hauntings, it seems that this establishment provides more services than scares. The post office's Yelp page provides far more insight into the quality of the post office itself (free street parking!) than reports of hauntings or relics from Holmes' time on the site.

While the post office has absolutely no affiliation with Holmes and features no official acknowledgement of the site's bloody history, the address itself is still a popular destination for everything from Chicago walking tours to investigators of the morbid and paranormal . While Holmes likely never intended for his "murder castle" to become a government building, there is one detail about the site that reveals something about the building that used to stand there.

While the Englewood post office only takes up part of it, the castle itself took up the entire block and was also three stories high. So if you visit, you can compare the building that currently stands there to the comparatively massive scope of Holmes' hotel. It just so happens that you can also send a package while you're there.

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The 9 best crime tours of Chicago

Explore the seedy underbelly of Chicago on these fascinating crime tours

Chicago is well known for its towering architecture, amazing restaurants  and beautiful beaches , but the city also has a notorious history of Prohibition-era organized crime and violence. Some of Chicago’s most beautiful streets have dark pasts, and you can explore the oftentimes grisly history on a Chicago crime tour. Guides unearth the city’s darkest stories, and some of them even make stops at local restaurants and bars to help set the scene. While the tours may be a bit eerie, some can be experienced on your own schedule, whether in-person or virtually. Experience Chicago's history hidden in plain sight on the best Chicago crime tours.

RECOMMENDED: Check out the full guide to the best Chicago tours

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Best Chicago crime tours

1.  Chicago crime and mob tour

Follow in the footsteps of infamous gangsters like charming bank robber John Dillinger and Polish mobster Hymie Weiss on this bus tour. You’ll hear stories about the who’s who of Chicago organized crime, drive by a few murder locations and spot the historic courthouse where many criminals were thrown in the clink. 

Time Out tip:  Brush up on your crime knowledge for the post-tour quiz. 

2.  Untouchable Tours' original gangster tour

For more than 30 years, Untouchable Tours has been driving tourists back and forth across the city to see Chicago's more unconventional sights, including the staircase in front of a church that’s covering up bullet holes, and the empty lot where the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre took place. The two-hour tour features guides that take on the persona (and snappy garb) of ’20s gangsters. Guides tell the tales of prohibition-era Chicago and what it was like when gangsters like Al Capone, Bugs Moran and Hymie Weiss walked the streets.

Time Out tip:  One to book in advance for. 

3.  Gangsters and ghosts tour in Chicago

The towering skyscrapers and shining facade of Cloud Gate might make the Loop seem glitzy and glamorous, but it was once a hotspot for vice. In the ’20s and ’30s, this nabe was the epicenter of bootlegging and gangbanging in Chicago. Take a walking tour through the area to spy speakeasies, secret underground tunnels and maybe even a ghost or two.

Time Out tip: The meeting point is just outside the Wyndham Hotel – take that as our accommodation suggestion. 

4.  Vice, crime and gangsters in Chicago: A self-guided audio tour

There are endless upsides to taking tours of a city, but there are downsides as well—most notably, not being able to explore at your own pace. That’s not the case with the self-guided Vice, Crime and Gangsters in Chicago tour. The 31-stop audio tour starts at the Dusable Bridge and winds its way through notorious locations in the Loop and River North, including Chicago’s first vice district and the site of the Lager Beer Riot. It’s narrated by professor, urban historian and former journalist Richard Junger.

Time Out tip:  If you want to get familiar with your guide before the tour, have a skim-read of the books he's written on Chicago history. 

5.  Chicago night crimes tour

See the sites of grisly killings under the dark of night on this evening bus tour. You’ll visit the Biograph Theater where Dillinger met his end, the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and other infamous locations. The bus even stops at a few historic watering holes like Harry Caray's so you can raise a glass to the city's dearly departed criminals.

Time Out tip: Don't worry about trying to snap pics from the window of the bus – photo stops will be granted. 

6.  Lincoln Park hauntings ghost investigation tour

On the surface, ghost tours and crime tours are two separate entities. But how does one become a ghost? Death. And how does someone’s death become notable enough to end up on a tour? It’s got to have some sort of criminal element, right? This ghost investigation tour is led by a paranormal investigator who takes guests through some of the eeriest locales in Lincoln Park, including the site of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. It also offers an opportunity to use paranormal activity-detecting equipment to help you determine if you just saw a ghost or a very exhausted DePaul student.

Time Out tip:  Keep your eyes peeled for the Victorian woman in white at Lincoln Park Zoo. 

7.  Private Al Capone gangster tour

Al Capone’s trademark look – thick eyebrows, jaunty hat, heavy overcoat and a cigar hanging from his lips – became the basis of the stereotype of the mafia man. Capone got his start in New York as a member of the Five Points Gang before founding the Chicago Outfit and wreaking havoc on the Midwestern city. Follow in his nefarious footsteps on this tour around the city in a private town car – in true mafioso style.

Time Out tip: Get a team of five together to get the best value group ticket. 

8.  Private Chicago Mafia and Blues Evening Tour

After a long night of making dirty deals and plotting the downfall of their enemies, Chicago mobsters used to unwind with some booze and live music at a mafia-friendly bar. You’ll do the same on this private guided tour that hits several historic landmarks before stopping for a drink at a bar formerly owned by Capone himself.

Time Out tip:  Plan this tour around a big night out, as it's a great way to get the party started before hitting the town when everyone's parted ways. 

9.  The Devil in the White City Tour

In addition to a thriving mob community, Chicago was also home to one of the country’s first known serial killers: H. H. Holmes. The insurance scammer and con man lured hundreds of people to the three-story hotel that would later be known as the Murder Castle: a labyrinth of trap doors, peepholes, dead-end stairways, gas chambers and crematorium that he used to murder his victims and dispose of their remains. To this day, authorities still don’t know how many people he might have killed. Learn the disturbing facts of the case on a Weird Chicago walking and bus tour.

Time Out tip: There's a restroom on board – always a win. 

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Chicago Hauntings: The Story Of H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle, And Sightings In The Basement Of The Englewood Post Office Standing In Its Place

By Adam Harrington , Blake Tyson

October 30, 2021 / 8:00 PM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you go to the corner of 63rd and Wallace streets in the Englewood community today, you will find a U.S. Post Office.

The Post Office is a modest, somewhat institutional yellow brick building – one of many built during the New Deal era under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Chicago Transit Authority Green Line runs on an elevated trestle just behind the Post Office, while a weathered concrete freight train embankment runs just to the east. An eagle carved in stone hangs over the front doors of the Post Office, while a sign with three yellow triangles in a once-black, now faded blue circle next to the doors evokes a past time of menacing uncertainty – denoting a fallout shelter in the building.

We'll get back to the Englewood Post Office. This story is mainly about the building that stood there before the Post Office was built.

The Post Office does not stand perfectly on the footprint of that earlier building. Tony Szabelski of Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tours says it would have encompassed the eastern part of the present-day Post Office footprint, and the grassy knoll that separates the Post Office from the freight train embankment.

That earlier building is most infamously known as the Murder Castle. We don't know exactly how many people H.H. Holmes – one of America's first serial killers – murdered in the building around the time of the World's Columbian Exposition a few miles to the east in Jackson Park in 1893. But its horrors are the stuff of legend, albeit subject to a challenging task of separating fact from myth.

The Crime Museum tells us H.H. Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett in New Hampshire. He graduated from high school early and attended medical school at the University of Michigan – where the Crime Museum says the story is he stole cadavers from the school's laboratory, disfigured or burned them, and then planted the bodies to suggest they'd been killed in accidents – while taking out insurance policies on the deceased people in question and collecting the money.

Holmes moved to Chicago around 1885 after finishing medical school, and began working at a pharmacy under the name Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, the Crime Museum tells us. The pharmacy appears to have been located on the northwest corner of 63rd and Wallace streets, where an Aldi store with a vast parking lot can now be found.

The commonly-heard story goes that the drugstore was owned by an elderly man with terminal cancer named Dr. E.S. Holton, whose wife took over the store when he died. Holmes went on to buy the store from Dr. Holton's wife, the legend claims. Mrs. Holton disappeared, and Holmes claimed to everyone that she'd moved to California – and she was never heard from again, the story goes. The implication is that most believed Holmes probably killed her.

But in a 2013 article, Adam Selzer of Mysterious Chicago reports some aspects of this tale are not accurate. He reported it turns out that Dr. E.S. Holton was not Mr. Holton, but Mrs. Holton – the initials stood for Elizabeth Sarah. Dr. Holton and her husband, William, also actually outlived Holmes by several years and were still living in Chicago after Holmes was executed – the old pharmacist dying of cancer was a myth that was apparently spread by Holmes himself, Selzer reports.

What is known is that Holmes did take over the pharmacy, and had the building that became known as the Murder Castle constructed across the street between 1889 and 1891. The Crime Museum reports Holmes hired and fired numerous crews during the construction period so they wouldn't be able to figure out what he was really up to with the building.

The building was originally two stories high – with storefronts including a drugstore on the ground floor, and apartments above. Holmes went on to add a third story.

Once the building was completed, the story goes that Holmes began placing classified ads for jobs for young women, as well as advertising the hotel as a place to stay. The story goes that hotel employees and guests were also required to have life insurance policies, and Holmes himself paid the premiums provided that they list him as the beneficiary, according to the Crime Museum account.

Soon afterward, many women started disappearing, the story goes.

When the World's Fair came to Chicago – drawing tourists from around the world – the story goes that Holmes' Castle was billed as the World's Fair Hotel.

Inside Holmes' castle, the story goes that the rooms could not be locked from the inside of the room – only outside. Meanwhile, everything back in those days was lit with gas lamps, and the story goes the connections to the gas lamps were outside the room – set up such that Holmes could turn on the gas and asphyxiate people at will.

Szabelski notes that there were reports that the building also had a lot of strange oddities to it when it was built. There were doors and stairwells that led to nowhere, and hidden and closed rooms throughout the building. Stories claim that parts of the walls moved, and there were chutes that led down to the basement. In a December 1943 article for Harper's Magazine , writer John Bartlow Martin used most gruesome terms to describe that basement:

"The cellar was perhaps the most remarkable section of the building. It was fitted with operating tables, a crematory, pits containing quicklime and acids, surgical instruments, and various pieces of apparatus which, resembling mediaeval torture racks, never were satisfactorily explained. (Some thought Holmes used these appliances to wring from his victims the whereabouts of their wealth; others said he used them in experiments which he hoped would prove his pet theory that the human body could be stretched indefinitely, a treatment that, ultimately, would produce a race of giants.) Holmes sometimes destroyed the bodies of his victims completely; sometimes, aided by a needy skeleton articulator who answered his advertisement in the paper, he stripped the flesh from their bones and sold the skeletons to medical institutions."

However, Selzer reports in his book, "H.H. Holmes, The True Story of the White City Devil" , that some of these stories amount to so much mythology. While reports say Holmes told investors he planned to use the building as a hotel for World's Fair guests, Selzer writes the castle never actually went into operation as a fully-functioning hotel at all. Selzer also writes the secret chambers in the building really served the purpose of hiding stolen furniture rather than disposing of bodies.

Selzer also reports that only one of Holmes' victims was known to be a tourist visiting the World's Fair. And as to those elaborate torture chambers and other architectural horrors, Harold Schecter, author of the book "Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H.H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago," chalks them up in a History.com article to the sensational yellow journalism of the era in which details were sometimes concocted.

There are claims that Holmes killed as many as 200 people - though Selzer told History.com that this claim is a "throwaway line" that does not have a basis in fact. Holmes confessed to 27 murders, but even that figure is dubious, inasmuch as some of the people he claimed to have murdered were actually still alive, Selzer told History.com.

Szabelski notes the story goes were at least nine or 10 people who we know would have been last seen with Holmes in the so-called Murder Castle, and who were never seen again.

Holmes later left Chicago and found his way to Texas and then to St. Louis, where he was arrested and jailed for a swindling operation involving the sale of stolen horses, the story goes. While in jail, the story goes that Holmes engaged his cellmate – Wild West outlaw Marion Hedgepath – to set up an insurance scam where Holmes would take out a $10,000 policy on his own life and then fake his own death.

Holmes tried to take out the policy after being released on bail, but the insurance company became suspicious – so Holmes instead went to Philadelphia and concocted a similar scheme in which his longtime business partner, Benjamin Pitezel, would be the one to fake his own death, the story goes. But Holmes actually killed Pitezel, and went on to kill Pitezel's three children. The bodies of daughters Alice and Nellie were found buried in Toronto, and the body of son Howard in Indianapolis, multiple accounts say.

Holmes was tried and convicted of Ben Pitezel's murder, and was hanged in a public execution at Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia on May 7, 1896.

So of course, you wanted to know about ghost stories. Many people say the basement of the Post Office that now occupies the Murder Castle site can be very creepy, Szabelski tells us. They report hearing sounds or seeing shadow figures.

There is a portion of the basement of the current building that crosses over to a section that would be underneath the grassy area to the east. That section of the basement reportedly looks much older, and many people believe it would have been part of the original basement for Holmes' murder castle.

Finally, there's the question of what became of the murder castle after Holmes left it behind. Most reports say after a police investigation was completed at the building, someone named A.M. Clark took it over with plans to turn it into a macabre museum. Many reports say soon after that – in 1895, sometime before Holmes was executed – the building burned to the ground.

The second part is not true. Selzer points out in his book that while there was a fire that damaged the building at that time, the upper two floors were rebuilt afterward – and the building remained until it was finally torn down in the 1930s to make way for the Post Office.

The story of Holmes and the Murder Castle reentered the popular conscience in 2003, when Erik Larson's book, "The Devil in the White City," became a bestseller.

Video produced by Blake Tyson. Written story by Adam Harrington.

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Adam Harrington is a web producer at CBS Chicago, where he first arrived in January 2006.

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Hotel of Horrors: The Murder Castle of Dr. H.H. Holmes

"I was born with the devil in me."

The man known as H.H. Holmes killed at least nine people, confessed to as many as 30 murders, and may have been responsible for up to 200, according to some estimates. Yet it wasn’t just the number of victims that earned Holmes his place in serial killer history—it was the way the deeds were done.

Born Herman Webster Mudgett, H.H. Holmes was already a consummate con man, grifter, and bigamist prior to his arrival in Chicago in 1886. He changed his name to Henry Howard Holmes to skirt punishment from his previous scams—one particularly ghoulish scheme had Holmes stealing cadavers from the University of Michigan’s Department of Medicine and Surgery, mutilating them, then claiming the bodies were victims of accidents to collect insurance money.

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• Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Upon his arrival in the Windy City, Holmes set himself up as a pharmacist. He then began work on what we now know as the “Murder Castle.” Dubbed the World’s Fair Hotel, this sprawling structure of hallways and rooms was three stories tall and a full block long. Holmes advertised it as a lodging space for visitors to the upcoming Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition.

Of course, the not-so-good doctor had far more sinister intentions.

Holmes repeatedly swapped out workers during the construction process. He claimed their efforts simply did not meet his standards. In truth, Holmes replaced staff to ensure no one figured out his demented design.

And what a demented design it was. If reports are to be believed, Holmes’ Murder Castle was a veritable maze of murder. Stairwells ended abruptly; doors opened onto walls or were outfitted with perplexing locks that would seal a person inside. Bedrooms were soundproofed. Alarm mechanisms monitored the movement of guests.

It was into this maze that Holmes lured his victims. He asphyxiated, hanged, gassed, and starved his targets. Upon death, bodies were placed in a dummy elevator or dropped down a shaft that led to the basement.

Related:   Unsung Horrors: 10 Underrated True Crime Books

Downstairs, Holmes would then dissect his victims’ bodies, using his connections with the medical community to sell their bones and organs. Giant furnaces, lime pits, and acid baths were installed in the lower level and used to dispose of remains.

Benjamin Pitezel.

When the World’s Fair ended, Holmes left Chicago and his Murder Castle behind, engaging in another insurance scheme that led to the murder of an associate named Benjamin Pitezel (pictured above) and his three children. Holmes was arrested in Boston in 1894, at which point authorities traced back his trail to Chicago and entered the Murder Castle.

There they found his maze of torture chambers, secret shafts, and subterranean dissection facilities. Given Holmes’ methods, authorities found no complete human remains. However, authorities did uncover a pile of bones. Much of the remains were animal in origin, but the mound did include the bones of a child, aged 6-8 years old. Also recovered from the Murder Castle was a gold chain and a woman’s shoe, a bloodied heap of women’s clothing, and a dissection table spattered with dried blood.

Related:  30 Disturbing Serial Killers Who Will Terrify You

Police were able to positively connect H.H. Holmes to nine murders. The suspect confessed to many more, though some of the people he named later turned out to be alive.

Tried for the murder of Pitezel and found guilty, Holmes was hanged on May 7, 1896. His neck didn’t snap when the trap was sprung, and it took 20 minutes for him to be pronounced dead. Though he didn’t seem to fear the gallows, he asked for his coffin to be encased in cement and buried 10 feet deep so that his body might avoid dissection.

• Photo Credit: Chicago History Museum / Getty Images

In 1914, Pat Quinlan, the former caretaker of Holmes’ World’s Fair Hotel, committed suicide by ingesting strychnine. His body was found along with a note that read, “I couldn’t sleep.” Quinlan had been questioned by the police in the course of their investigation, but was never charged. His first-hand knowledge of the Murder Castle and the horrors that happened within its walls followed him to his grave.

Related:  Terrifyingly Real: 8 Award-Winning True Crime Books

As for the Murder Castle itself, much of it was destroyed by a mysterious fire in 1895. Two men were reportedly seen fleeing the structure shortly before burst into flames. Some believe these two were destroying evidence, while others believe the people who set the blaze were Chicagoans who wished to stop the site from becoming a morbid tourist attraction. Portions of the structure remained in use until 1938, when it was torn down completely. A post office currently occupies the plot.

Holmes’ history as a con man and liar makes it nearly impossible to verify the total number of victims he may have killed. Many people came to Chicago during the World’s Fair and never returned home, and some estimates have placed the number of Holmes’ potential victims as high as 200. Holmes himself has famously been quoted as saying, “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”

Featured photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Enduring Mystery of H.H. Holmes, America’s ‘First’ Serial Killer

The infamous “devil in the White City” remains mired in myth 125 years after his execution

Meilan Solly

Associate Editor, History

Four days before H.H. Holmes ’ execution on May 7, 1896, the Chicago Chronicle published a lengthy diatribe condemning the “multimurderer, bigamist, seducer, resurrectionist, forger, thief and general swindler” as a man “without parallel in the annals of crime.” Among his many misdeeds, the newspaper reported, were suffocating victims in a vault, boiling a man in oil and poisoning wealthy women in order to seize their fortunes.

Holmes claimed to have killed at least 27 people , most of whom he’d lured into a purpose-built “ Murder Castle ” replete with secret passageways, trapdoors and soundproof torture rooms. According to the Crime Museum , an intricate system of chutes and elevators enabled Holmes to transport his victims’ bodies to the Chicago building’s basement, which was purportedly equipped with a dissecting table, stretching rack and crematory. In the killer’s own words , “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing.”

More than a century after his death, Holmes—widely considered the United States’ first known serial killer—continues to loom large in the imagination. Erik Larson’s narrative nonfiction best seller The Devil in the White City introduced him to many Americans in 2003, and a planned adaptation of the book spearheaded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese is poised to heighten Holmes’ notoriety even further.

But the true story of Holmes’ crimes, “while horrifying, may not be quite as sordid” as popular narratives suggest, wrote Becky Little for History.com last year. Mired in myth and misconception , the killer’s life has evolved into “a new American tall tale,” argues tour guide and author Adam Selzer in H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil . “[A]nd, like all the best tall tales, it sprang from a kernel of truth.”

The facts are these, says Selzer: Though sensationalized reports suggest that Holmes killed upward of 200 people , Selzer could only confirm nine actual victims. Far from being strangers drawn into a house of horrors, the deceased were actually individuals Holmes befriended (or romanced) before murdering them as part of his money-making schemes. And, while historical and contemporary accounts alike tend to characterize the so-called Murder Castle as a hotel, its first and second floors actually housed shops and long-term rentals, respectively.

“When he added a third floor onto his building in 1892, he told people it was going to be a hotel space, but it was never finished or furnished or open to the public,” Selzer added. “The whole idea was just a vehicle to swindle suppliers and investors and insurers.”

As Frank Burgos of PhillyVoice noted in 2017, Holmes was not just a serial killer, but a “serial liar [eager] to encrust his story with legend and lore.” While awaiting execution, Holmes penned an autobiography from prison filled with falsehoods (including declarations of innocence) and exaggerations; newspapers operating at the height of yellow journalism latched onto these claims, embellishing Holmes’ story and setting the stage for decades of obfuscation.

Born Herman Webster Mudgett in May 1861, the future Henry Howard Holmes—a name chosen in honor of detective Sherlock Holmes, according to Janet Maslin of the New York Times —grew up in a wealthy New England family. Verifiable information on his childhood is sparse, but records suggest that he married his first wife, Clara Lovering , at age 17 and enrolled in medical school soon thereafter.

Holmes’ proclivity for criminal activity became readily apparent during his college years. He robbed graves and morgues, stealing cadavers to sell to other medical schools or use in complicated life insurance scams. After graduating from the University of Michigan in 1884, he worked various odd jobs before abandoning his wife and young son to start anew in Chicago.

Now operating under the name H.H. Holmes, the con artist wed a second woman, Myrta Belknap , and purchased a pharmacy in the city’s Englewood district. Across the street, he constructed the three-story building that would later factor so prominently in tales of his atrocities. Work concluded in time for the May 1893 opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition , a supposed celebration of human ingenuity with distinct colonialist undertones . The fair drew more than 27 million visitors over its six-month run.

To furnish his enormous “castle,” Holmes bought items on credit and hid them whenever creditors came calling. On one occasion , workers from a local furniture company arrived to repossess its property, only to find the building empty.

“The castle had swallowed the furniture as, later, it would swallow human beings,” wrote John Bartlow Martin for Harper’s magazine in 1943. (A janitor bribed by the company eventually revealed that Holmes had moved all of his furnishings into a single room and walled up its door to avoid detection.)

Debonair and preternaturally charismatic, Holmes nevertheless elicited lingering unease among many he encountered. Still, his charm was substantial, enabling him to pull off financial schemes and, for a time, get away with murder. (“Almost without exception, [his victims appeared] to have had two things in common: beauty and money,” according to Harper ’s. “They lost both.”) Holmes even wed for a third time, marrying Georgiana Yoke in 1894 without attracting undue suspicion.

As employee C.E. Davis later recalled , “Holmes used to tell me he had a lawyer paid to keep him out of trouble, but it always seemed to me that it was the courteous, audacious rascality of the fellow that pulled him through. … He was the only man in the United States that could do what he did.”

Holmes’ probable first victims were Julia Conner , the wife of a man who worked in his drugstore, and her daughter, Pearl, who were last seen alive just before Christmas 1891. Around that time, according to Larson’s Devil in the White City , Holmes paid a local man to remove the skin from the corpse of an unusually tall woman (Julia stood nearly six feet tall) and articulate her skeleton for sale to a medical school. No visible clues to the deceased’s identity remained.

Larson recounts Julia’s final moments in vivid detail—but as historian Patrick T. Reardon pointed out for the Chicago Tribune in 2007, the book’s “Notes and Sources” section admits that this novelistic account is simply a “plausible” version of the story woven out of “threads of known detail.”

Other moments in Devil in the White City , like a visit by Holmes and two of his later victims, sisters Minnie and Anna Williams , to Chicago’s meatpacking district, are similarly speculative: Watching the slaughter, writes Larson, “Holmes was unmoved; Minnie and Anna were horrified but also strangely thrilled by the efficiency of the carnage.” The book’s endnotes, however, acknowledge that no record of such a trip exists. Instead, the author says, “It seems likely that Holmes would have brought Minnie and Nannie there.”

These examples are illustrative of the difficulties of cataloguing Holmes’ life and crimes. Writing for Time Out in 2015, Selzer noted that much of the lore associated with the killer stems from 19th-century tabloids, 20th-century pulp novels and Holmes’ memoir, none of which are wholly reliable sources.

That being said, the author pointed out in a 2012 blog post , Holmes was “certainly both … a criminal mastermind [and] a murderous monster.” But, he added, “anyone who wants to study the case should be prepared to learn that much of the story as it’s commonly told is a work of fiction.”

Holmes’ crime spree came to an end in November 1894, when he was arrested in Boston on suspicion of fraud . Authorities initially thought he was simply a “prolific and gifted swindler,” per Stephan Benzkofer of the Chicago Tribune , but they soon uncovered evidence linking Holmes to the murder of a long-time business associate, Benjamin Pitezel , in Philadelphia.

Chillingly, investigators realized that Holmes had also targeted three of Pitezel’s children, keeping them just out of reach of their mother in what was essentially a game of cat and mouse. On a number of occasions, Holmes actually stashed the two in separate lodgings located just a few streets away from each other.

“It was a game for Holmes,” writes Larson. “... He possessed them all and reveled in his possession.”

In July 1895, Philadelphia police detective Frank Geyer found the bodies of two of the girls buried beneath a cellar in Toronto. Given the absence of visible injuries, the coroner theorized that Holmes had locked the sisters in an unusually large trunk and filled it with gas from a lamp valve. Authorities later unearthed the charred remains of a third Pitezel sibling at an Indianapolis cottage once rented by Holmes.

A Philadelphia grand jury found Holmes guilty of Benjamin’s murder on September 12, 1895; just under eight months later, he was executed in front of a crowd at the city’s Moyamensing Prison. At the killer’s request (he was reportedly worried about grave robbers), he was buried ten feet below ground in a cement-filled pine coffin.

The larger-than-life sense of mystery surrounding Holmes persisted long after his execution . Despite strong evidence to the contrary, rumors of his survival circulated until 2017, when, at the request of his descendants, archaeologists exhumed the remains buried in his grave and confirmed their identity through dental records, as NewsWorks reported at the time.

“It’s my belief that probably all those stories about all these visitors to the World’s Fair who were murdered in his quote-unquote ‘Castle’ were just complete sensationalistic fabrication by the yellow press,” Harold Schecter , author of Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H. H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago , told History.com in 2020. “By the time I reached the end of my book, I kind of realized even a lot of the stuff that I had written was probably exaggerated.”

Holmes for his part, described himself in his memoir as “but a very ordinary man, even below the average in physical strength and mental ability.”

He added, “[T]o have planned and executed the stupendous amount of wrongdoing that has been attributed to me would have been wholly beyond my power.”

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Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history.

The Murder Castle – Today! (or, Good Grief – MORE H.H. Holmes)

NOTE: this post has been replaced by a much bigger, more detailed one that I wrote after a trip into the basement of the post office with the History Channel in June, 2012. CLICK HERE for the new, updated one ! (or just scroll down, as most of the info has been appended to here)

The murder castle of H.H. Holmes was torn down in 1938. There were rumors that it was haunted while it was still standing, and a few stories now circulate about the basement of the current building on the grounds.

The government bought it in order to put up a post office on the site. This one, to be specific:

Here’s a diagram showing what overlap there was, based on overlaying three versions of the Sanborn fire insurance maps. The “Castle” is in blue:

As you can see, there’s SOME overlap, but not a lot. The mysterious gas tank said to be used for cremations was well away from the post office itself. But I always say that if someone can come back from the dead, surely they can walk down a hall, too, right?

I DID just have a woman on the tour who lived near the castle when she was young – when it was still standing. She said remembered feeling spooked by the place – enough so that she’d cross the street so as not to walk by the site – but didn’t know why until decades later.

(due to the popularity of this page, I’ve appended the later post from June 2012 right here):

THE MURDER CASTLE: TODAY (Continued)

Down below, there’s a point where you can climb a step-ladder into a hole in the wall that leads to a sort of tunnel/crawlspace. The ceiling is about 5.5 feet off the ground in the tunnel, and there’s one line of bricks:

According to the post office, this was an escape hatch from the “castle.” Now, I’ve never actually seen any account of there being a tunnel down there, and no such thing was mentioned during the investigation in 1895. But these were the same investigators who found a large tank filled with gas and emitting a noxious odor, and decided to light a match to get a better look.

It’s a bit west of the castle site; it’s possible the 1895 investigators could have found it if they knocked out a western wall.  I sent some close-ups of the bricks to Punk Rock James, our official archaeologist, who said that the bricks look right for being from the 1890s; the lower couple of rows were probably underground foundation lays, and the upper ones show some fire damage (which is just what you want to hear if you want to imagine that these are from the castle).  This portion of the tunnel is west, and probably a bit south, of the foundation, so I’d say they’re more likely from a building next door, if it’s not actually an escape hatch.

But at the end of the tunnel it takes a left hand turn to the north, and this part certainly goes RIGHT into the castle footprint:

So, this brings us to the big question: is the place haunted?

Some people call spooky audio recordings like this “E.V.P. (electronic voice phenomenon).” On TV, the “EVP” guys are usually the ones saying “are there any spirits here who have a message for me?” I keep hoping there’ll one day be an episode where a ghost says “Yes! Your wife said she wanted you to pick up milk on the way home!”

Most of the time, when someone plays me an “EVP” file, I have to use a lot of imagination to hear what they’re talking about. But now and then we do get something I can’t help but think is pretty cool – like this thing from the basement.

So I don’t make grand claims stating that this is ghostly girl who has come back to life or never crossed over or what have you, especially given that it sounds to me as though she’s saying “Sorry Beefalow,” which doesn’t mean anything. It sounds like the worst Chef Boyardee product ever to me. One suggestion is that the voice is trying  to say “buried deep below.”  But I’ve no idea what that voice could REALLY be, and any claims I made would just be me talking out of my ass.      Here’s a recipe for sorry beefalow!

I’m even skeptical about about the castle itself – I would only say with confidence that three people were killed there. Six to eight tops, including a couple of who died off-site after being given poison there.   Holmes probably only burned a couple of bodies in the castle before deciding that destroying a body in a crowded building was too much trouble and shipping them off-site to one of his “glass bending” facilities (he had a weird pre-occupation with bending glass; people eventually guessed that he was probably really using the massive furnaces he built for that purpose to get rid of bodies. He sure as hell never used them to bend any glass).

I tend to think of Holmes as a swindler, first and foremost, who happened to kill people now and then, not as a regular serial killer. His suspected number of victims stood at 10-12 in his lifetime, and didn’t start inflating until about the 1940s. Nowadays it seems to go up by a hundred or so every Halloween. But as far as hauntings go, the story still checks out – a few murders are more than enough, and as long as ANY of the current building overlaps, I think it’s fair game to look for ghosts there. If you can come back from the dead, you ought to be able to make it down the hall.

For more photos and videos (and much of this same info), see our Murder Castle Audio/Video page.

So, I’ll have more info for you guys eventually. In the mean time, consider one of Chicago Unbelievable’s line of Holmes-lore ebooks!

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16 thoughts on “ The Murder Castle – Today! (or, Good Grief – MORE H.H. Holmes) ”

The evp sounds like it's saying "starts in the middle"

He was convicted of one. The prosecution tried to bring the other three in, but the judge tossed it out, as they happened outside of the commonwealth and didn't pertain to the murder of Benjamin. The other 5-6 he was suspected of at the time weren't a part of the trial at all.

He was convicted of 4 first degree and 6 attempted murders.

No, he was convicted of one. Police suspected him of 8 or 9 more, though he was only ever on trial for the murder of Ben Pietzel and the judge made them throw out anything to do with the three Pietzel kids. Only a couple were in 1893; the ones we know of were spread out between about 1891-4. The versions they're telling people on TV and in most of the books is based more on the tabloid and pulp retellings than on what actually happened. The 200 figure came around in the 1930s, pretty much out of nowhere. Elsewhere on this site is a master list of known and suspected victims which, if he killed all of them, might take it as far as three dozen.

Not a serial killer? 10 – 12? He buold the castle specifically to kill multiple people in it, why else go through so much trouble. He had a type, but clearly felt an urge to kill or simply observe suffering as he did'nt always stick to it, and his murders "every now and then" they were mostly in the same year in fact. He his suspected of almost 200 murders, confessed to 27, and was convicted of 9. Maby of the salvaged corpses werr so decomposed they couldn't tell one from the other so his total body count is unknown. He most certainly was a serial killer, no doubt about it. He was even suspected in the Jack the Ripper cases. Serial killer… to the core.

The castle was taller and more imposing than the post office, but certainly not larger. It was about 50 feet wide; the fire insurance drawings do make it look narrower than it seems to have been, though. Lining them up isn't an exact science. See also: http://www.chicagounbelievable.com/2012/06/murder-castle-today-or-good-grief-more.html

From the drawing, why does the castle outline look so small compared to the post office. When you look at the pictures and people walking in front, it's clear that the castle is very large. Larger than the post office. Is that part of the castle drawn on the plans?

Yeah you don't wanna go near that office. Bad part of town. and there are definitely other buildings in town that do look strikingly similar, almost exact dimensions, just different color brick, etc. holmes must have been inspired by other buildings downtown that have similar stylings.

A lot of people have speculated that some of the foundations wouldn't have been removed (this is common around here), but it's tough to confirm. Often, the reason that basements aren't removed is that it could mess with the nearby structures (for instance, the one original wall of the Iroquois theatre was shared with the building next door). in this case, there ARE no nearby structures, so there'd be nothing to stop them from tearing out the foundations in the 1930s, but it's anyone's guess. Certainly there's nothign visible around the grounds today to suggest the castle was there; it's all been fully landscaped. There ARE some bricks that appear to be foundations of Holmes' "sobieski street factory" on the North Side, though all that can be totally confirmed is that the bricks seem to date from the 1890s (and the tree that grew over one of them is certainly not new).

I wouldn't be surprised if there might be some structure left, but I don't imagine the post office is very keen on letting people into the basement (and only part of it occupies the same footprint to begin with). It's also in perhaps the most notoriously bad neighborhood in town, which has probably dissuaded some investigating in recent years.

I have heard rumors that at least part of the original basement existed after the 1938 demolition : Has anyone actually seen or heard of this? Has anyone gone checked out that fallout shelter, access from the Post Office? Who did the "finish out" of the shelter, and where are the plans? hmmm damn I wish I lived in chicago.

There's one fairly good shot of it going around – it looks sort of unfinished, and surprisingly bright, compared to the pics from the 30s (the darkness was blamed on soot and age at the time). There's a small version of it at http://www.themediadrome.com/Images/history/holmes_castle.gif I've also seen a shot of the furnace inside of the sign shop from the 30s. I'm not 100% sure of the accuracy of either shot (I've never found an original source on the castle pic from the 1890s, but it DOES match newspaper drawings of the day). The earliest photos I have that I can source date to 1905 (though they were probably taken before then and kept on file). By then, it looked about like it would in the later pictures.

There was a guy who owned the place as of 1895, by which time Holmes had abandoned it (though he and his wives appear to have swung by from time to time). It was actually condemned at the time, even BEFORE the fire, as having been cheaply built and falling apart. Sources that mention the fire (it didn't warrant much attention at the time) seem to differ as to how much damage it did. I'd guess there must have been a big renovation in 1896 or so, but 1895 wasn't the only time it caught fire – there were a couple more in the building in 1905 and 1907 (and probably a few more)

I didn't know that the Castle ever had a pointed turret roof (I've never seen the photo you speak of). I would guess it was added after the 1895 fire, though, possibly to give the building an updated or different look. (What a mess it must have been to establish title to the property after Holmes was gone.) Obviously the pointed turret roof was removed sometime before the 1938 demolition. Are there any good, clear photos of the Castle as it looked in Holmes' time? I wonder if other architectural details were altered after the fire as well. It's funny: most books of today describe the Castle as a strange, grotesque, out-of-the-ordinary structure; yet, architecturally, it's similar to so many commercial buildings of the era that had apartments above. I've seen a few 1880s-1890s buildings around Chicago that could almost pass as twins for the Castle… yet, I've seen none as large (wasn't it 150 feet deep?) as the Castle was. Maybe that's what made it unique.

That sounds about right, S.R. On the tours I take to the site, I usually tell people the castle itself would have occupied roughly half of the footprint, owing to the fact that Wallace was a through street at the time (it still runs right up to 63rd on the North side of the street.

Do you happen to know when the pointed turret was added? We've got pictures of the thing with a pointed turret (circa 1905) that I haven't seen in other shots.

It's great that someone else has finally figured out that the Castle survived the 1895 fire and wasn't demo'd until the 1930s. It's obvious from some of the pics, which show '20s era automobiles and the name "Campbell" chipped off at the top of the corner turret (it once read "Campbell Block"). However, Wallace originally ran where the railroad tracks are now (in the 1890s, the tracks ran right in the street, "at grade"… old drawings show this). Wallace's right-of-way on the north side of 63rd was relocated a bit to the west, I believe. On the south side of 63rd, next to where the Castle stood, Wallace was vacated as the tracks were elevated. Therefore, the current post office's footprint is mostly west of where the Castle stood (there is some overlap, though). The grassy area east of the post office, right next to the "alley" (originally Wallace), would have been the location of the entrance to Holmes' drug store, right under the turret.

There was a fire there while he was still in jail that destroyed most of the evidence – but it didn’t burn to the ground (many books have mistakenly said it did, though). The building was still there until the city bought it to tear down in 38; most of the pictures of it are from that era, in fact.

According to what I’ve read the “castle” burned down while HHH was still in jail…not torn down or demolished as you suggest in 1938.

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Murder Castle

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Amidst Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, Dr. H.H. Holmes constructs a hotel as a facade for his Murder Castle - a labyrinth of horrors with deadly rooms and traps to lure unsuspecting guests to a... Read all Amidst Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, Dr. H.H. Holmes constructs a hotel as a facade for his Murder Castle - a labyrinth of horrors with deadly rooms and traps to lure unsuspecting guests to a grisly fate. Amidst Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, Dr. H.H. Holmes constructs a hotel as a facade for his Murder Castle - a labyrinth of horrors with deadly rooms and traps to lure unsuspecting guests to a grisly fate.

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The most infamous site associated with any World's Fair was the "Murder Castle" of H.H. Holmes. It stood three miles west of the 1893 Columbian Exposition fairgrounds in Chicago. Holmes promoted it as a hotel for fairgoers, and apparently some of them went in and never came out. Investigators found it riddled with secret passages and hidden rooms. Estimates of Holmes' final murder toll range from 9 to 200; he confessed to 27. He was hanged in 1896 and the building was torn down in 1938. No monument stands on the empty lot, but people still like to visit it.

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Did Serial Killer H.H. Holmes Really Build a ‘Murder Castle’?

By: Becky Little

Updated: May 8, 2023 | Original: January 23, 2020

H.H. Holmes is notoriously known as one of America's first serial killers who lured victims into his hotel dubbed the “ Murder Castle ” during the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. According to some claims, he killed up to 200 people inside his macabre hotel that was outfitted with trapdoors, gas chambers and a basement crematorium. But the actual story, while horrifying, may not be quite as sordid.

“There’s a total of about nine [people] that we can say with some confidence he probably killed,” says Adam Selzer , author of H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil . “He confessed to 27 at one point, but several of them were still alive at the time.”

The inflated numbers of up to 200 victims likely started, Selzer says, with a pulp book published in 1940, called Gem of the Prairie by Herbert Asbury.

“It had kind of a throwaway line that some people suggested it may have been as many as 200 people,” Selzer says. “Nobody had actually suggested that, in fact. But thereafter everybody else who [retold] the story threw in that same line until people started deciding that that was a real estimate or a real possibility.”

There’s also no evidence Holmes trapped strangers inside his hotel in an attempt to kill them. The nine people he likely killed were all people he already knew, and the building he owned wasn’t a hotel. The first floor consisted of storefronts, and the second floor had apartments for long-term rental.

“When he added a third floor onto his building in 1892, he told people it was going to be a hotel space, but it was never finished or furnished or open to the public,” Selzer says. “The whole idea was just a vehicle to swindle suppliers and investors and insurers.”

Fraud, Affairs and Cover-Ups

Holmes was involved in a variety of fraud schemes, and it was actually his involvement in a horse swindle in Texas that led police to arrest him in Boston in 1894. Investigators soon began to suspect him of murdering his scammer associate Benjamin Pitezel in an insurance scheme, then murdering three of Pitezel’s children—who were roughly seven to 14 years old—in an attempt to cover it up.

After Holmes’ arrest, newspapers began printing lurid stories about his alleged Chicago “Murder Castle,” claiming he’d outfitted it with trap doors and secret rooms to torture and kill guests. According to Harold Schechter , author of Depraved: The Definitive True Story of H. H. Holmes, Whose Grotesque Crimes Shattered Turn-of-the-Century Chicago , these sensational details can be attributed to yellow journalism, the practice of exaggerating or simply making up news stories that flourished in the 1890s .

“It’s my belief that probably all those stories about all these visitors to the World’s Fair who were murdered in his quote-unquote ‘Castle’ were just complete sensationalistic fabrication by the yellow press,” he says. “By the time I reached the end of my book, I kind of realized even a lot of the stuff that I had written was probably exaggerated.” (His book was originally published in 1994 as Depraved: The Shocking True Story of America's First Serial Killer .)

Without any evidence, newspapers claimed Holmes used his building’s chute to transport bodies to the basement (the fact that he had a chute was not unusual, since many buildings had laundry chutes connected to the basement). These stories turned Holmes’ building into an elaborate torture dungeon outfitted with gas pipes to asphyxiate victims and soundproof rooms to hide their screams.

“All these myths—which to some extent I myself, I think, helped perpetuate a little bit—grew up around Holmes,” Schechter says.

The Real, Likely Victims of H.H. Holmes

These myths can obscure the stories of Holmes’ actual likely victims. Two of the earliest were Julia Connor and her six-year-old daughter, Pearl. They disappeared around Christmas of 1891 after Holmes had an affair with Julia and involved her in his business schemes. During his life, Holmes alternatively denied killing Julia and confessed to accidentally killing her while performing an abortion. It’s still unclear what happened to her and Pearl.

Over the next two years, Holmes may have murdered Emeline Cigrand, Minnie Williams and her sister Nannie Williams. Both Emeline and Minnie appear to have had personal and business relationships with Holmes when they disappeared. But as with Julia and Pearl, it’s difficult to say for sure what happened to Emeline, Minnie and Nannie.

The evidence for Holmes’ murders of Ben Pitezel and his young children Howard, Nellie and Alice in 1894 is more solid. Even so, investigators only tried and convicted him for Ben’s murder. Holmes received the death sentence in 1896 and died by hanging in Philadelphia, about a week before his 35th birthday.

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London's new Hollow Hotel is based off "Murder Castle," a hotel built by American serial killer H. H. Holmes in the late 1800s.

This New ‘Horror Hotel’ Was Inspired by an American Serial Killer

The London attraction is based off a "murder hotel" built by H. H. Holmes, a real-life American serial killer.

If you step off the tube at Bermondsey station in London and walk seven minutes south, you can travel decades back in time and thousands of miles away to an American hotel that was the site of many murders.

Built at the Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey, the Hollow Hotel is like an escape room , and visitors don’t stay the night. The premise is that after an unexpected closure, visitors have been invited to the hotel’s grand reopening. They are greeted at the bar and reception area but quickly whisked away to their private rooms—and that’s where the real story starts.

In a psychological horror experience that can last up to an hour and a half, visitors can pick how their nights play out. There are seven scenarios for the show, which vary depending on how visitors interact with different objects and characters . Each scenario is filled with twists and jump scares, and even if visitors are “killed off,” their stories can continue.

The Hollow Hotel was designed by the immersive theatre group differenceEngine . The group previously organized Heist , a similar interactive experience that was meant to last three weeks but ended up running for nine months because of its addictive popularity. Non-refundable tickets start at about $65 and guests can reserve suites for two to six people . The production is for people ages 18 and up, and it runs April 17 through June 17.

Based on a True Story

The hotel is based off one used by H. H. Holmes, one of America’s first documented serial killers. Holmes confessed to at least 28 murders —but could have committed as many as 200—before he was hanged in 1896.

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Shortly before the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, Holmes moved to the city and built a 3-story hotel in Englewood. Locals in the neighborhood began calling the structure “ the Castle ,” and after its completion, Holmes began running newspaper ads to attract young women workers and patrons to it.

The upper levels of the hotel contained Holmes’ office and more than 100 living quarters. Some of the rooms were soundproof and equipped with gas lines. Trap doors, peepholes, and stairways leading to nowhere riddled the hotel, making it a real-life horror house. Hidden chutes leading to the basement would dump bodies into Holmes’ laboratory. There, the serial killer would dissect them, boil them in vats of acid, or otherwise dispose of the corpses.

After the economic slump that plagued Chicago following the World’s Fair, Holmes abandoned the Castle and turned his life to insurance scams and random murders before police eventually caught up with him. Shortly after the police investigation, the Castle was bought up and rebranded as the “Holmes Horror Castle” tourist attraction . The remaining first floor was eventually torn down and today, the U.S. Post Office inhabits the lot at 63 rd and Wallace streets.

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Top Castles to Visit While in London

Updated : June 04, 2024

Michelle Palmer

Table of contents.

• Blenheim Palace
• Buckingham Palace
• Dover Castle
• Hampton Court Palace
• Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey)
• Kensington Palace
• Tower of London
• Windsor Castle

If you are planning a trip to London, you are almost certainly considering visiting some castles and palaces during your stay. But, what are the top castles in London and which ones should you consider? London's location and importance means there's a lot castles and palaces to choose from, and your list will vary depending on your interests. If you enjoy learning about Henry VIII and his wives, Hampton Court Palace should be at the top of your list. If you keep up with all the news about the modern royal family, book tickets to see Buckingham Palace and Windsor Palace. World War II history buff? You should head to Blenheim Palace, birthplace of the Sir Winston Churchill, and Dover Castle. And of course, if pop culture is more your speed, Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey, is a must-see.

Keep reading to learn about the best castles to visit while staying in London. Some of these will be day trips. Most can be visited either on your own or on a bus tour, so you can customize your vacation to fit your needs and travel preferences. So why wait; dive into some royal history and start planning your London trip!

1. Blenheim Palace

Location: Woodstock, Oxfordshire

Tickets: Tickets must be purchased online ahead of your visit. Basic tickets allow access to the State Rooms and grounds, and upgraded tickets to see parts of the palace like private living quarters also are available.

Suggested activity: Blenheim Palace Tour and The Cotswolds Day Trip from London

Queen Anne gave Blenheim Palace to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, in the 18th century, and in the next century, the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife welcomed their son, Winston Churchill, into the world. On a tour of the castle, you can visit an exhibit about Sir Winston Churchill detailing his life at the palace and legacy.

You’ll also have the opportunity to see the elaborate State Rooms that feature a large mural on the ceiling and are decorated with columns, statues and tapestries. You can see the formal gardens, and for an extra fee, you can take a buggy ride through them. If you are visiting with kids, don’t miss the playground on-site, and try your hand at solving the Marlborough Maze, a two-mile-long hedge maze.

If you are interested in TV show and movie sites, follow the “Lights! Camera! Action! Trail” map to see filming locations for shows like “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” and movies, including “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation.” The audio guide included with your ticket also provides additional information about the palace and the grounds.

2. Buckingham Palace

Location: London

Tickets: Purchase your tickets ahead of time to ensure entry. Regular tours are offered during the summer months.

If Buckingham Palace is on your list of top things to do in London, book your tickets in advance to ensure entry. Tours of the palace occur in the summer. (Occasionally some guided tours are offered at other times of year, but slots are limited.) If you want to snag one of these tours, you'll have to keep a watch on the Royal Collections Trust's announcements for tours and events.

George IV became king in 1820 and had Buckingham House demolished and spent a fortune to build Buckingham Palace. The elaborate royal residence was not completed in his lifetime, and no monarch lived here until Queen Victoria opted to make it her residence. She had the East Wing constructed including the now iconic balcony where the royal family greets the public on special occasions.

On a tour of Buckingham Palace, you'll get to see the state rooms where the King Charles III entertains during ceremonial and official occasions. You can also opt for tours that include admission to the Royal Mews, the royal stables and where the Royal Carriages are kept, as well as the King's Gallery with changing exhibits featuring paintings, photographs and decorative arts from the king's collection. Guided tours of the palace gardens are also available.

3. Dover Castle

Location: Dover, Kent

Tickets: If visiting the castle on your own or part of a tour that doesn't include admission, purchase your ticket ahead of time to save compared to the ticket prices at the door.

Suggested activity: Rochester, Dover Castle and the White Cliffs

Dover Castle is one of the best castles to visit for World War II history buffs. About 2 hours outside of London on the coast in County Kent, you can tour the castle and see the White Cliffs of Dover. Dover Castle’s history dates back to the 11 th century and William the Conqueror, though the castle has since been renovated, expanded and fortified. The castle has seen wars and sieges, and in World War II, the tunnels under the castle were used as headquarters for the armed services. It's where military leaders planned the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 that took place on the other side of the Strait of Dover in France.

Dover Castle is made of gray stone brick that forms a square castle with square towers and is surrounded by defensive walls of the same color. It overlooks the White Cliffs of Dover and onto the strait. From the top of the castle, you get views of the surrounding area and on clear days, it’s possible to see across the Strait of Dover all the way to the shores of France. On your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to tour and learn more about the lighthouse built by the Romans, and see the Great Tower that has been restored to look like it may have in the 12 th century during the reign of Henry II. You can also go into the tunnels to see exhibits about how they were used by the British military during World War II.

4. Hampton Court Palace

Location: East Molesey, Surry

Tickets: Book your tickets ahead of time to save money. If you are traveling on your own and plan to visit several castles, consider purchasing an annual membership to save on ticket prices. Membership to Historic Royal Palaces includes entry to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.

Suggested activity: Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace Tour

Hampton Court Palace was built in the 16 th century and quickly became a favorite locale for Henry VIII; he lived here with all six of his wives. Another notable monarch was King William III (aka William of Orange), who wanted a baroque palace, though much of the Tudor style portion of the palace was left alone while architects and builders made Fountain Court and created an updated palace for the new king.

Hampton Court Palace is large and lavish. On a tour, you’ll get to see both the Tudor and baroque portions of the palace from the grand staircases, ornate paintings on the walls and ceilings, and detailed tapestries. You can see the King’s apartments and the Chapel Royal, an ornate chapel where Henry VIII attended religious services.

At Henry VIII’s Kitchens, you’ll get a glimpse into the day-to-day life of workers at the palace and how many people were required to keep the palace functioning. Some 200 people were employed in the kitchens, made of several buildings, and they made 800 meals per day to feed the royal family, servants, staff and guards.

Don’t skip the Hampton Court Gardens. The formal gardens are well-manicured and perfect for a stroll. For a bit of whimsy, try your hand at the hedge maze, said to be the oldest in the United Kingdom.

5. Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey)

Location: Newbury, Berkshire

Tickets: Purchase tickets ahead of your visit to save money compared to the price at the door and to ensure entry.

Suggested activity: Downton Abbey and Oxford Tour from London Including Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle is on the bucket list of many a "Downton Abbey" fan and a top castle to visit on a London vacation. The popular show and movie of the same name put Highclere on the map for many tourists. The grand castle, as we see it today, was built in 1679 and was greatly transformed by Sir Charles Barry, the man who designed the Houses of Parliament, adding many elements to the castle that adhered to Victorian ideals of architecture and design.

Today visitors of the castle can tour rooms like the library that are so familiar to Downtown Abbey fans and see the beautiful wallpaper that shimmers in the sunlight, the paintings and photographs, and get an up-close look at detailed architectural elements. Tours of Highclere are self-guided; however, guides are stationed in the rooms to answer questions and provide information. You can learn about the filming of "Downton Abbey" as well as the history of the real-life castle. If you happen to be visiting London in December and celebrating Christmas, a tour of the castle would be a special treat with elaborate decorations and festively decorated trees throughout the castle.

6. Kensington Palace

Tickets: Book your tickets ahead of time to save money. If you are traveling on your own and plan to visit several castles, consider purchasing an annual membership to save on ticket prices. A membership to Historic Royal Palaces includes entry to the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.

In the 17th century, William III and Mary II chose to make Nottingham House their home, and subsequent monarchs expanded what became Kensington Palace. It served as the residence of English monarchs until 1837 when Victoria was crowned queen and opted to leave her childhood home in favor of Buckingham Palace.

Today, the house is the residence of William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, but historic areas of the palace remain open to the public for tours. On a visit to the house, you can expect to see the King's State Apartments, which despite its name was not where the king and the family spent their daily lives, but rather a place where monarchs held meetings and conducted official duties. Part of this area is the King's Staircase, where a mural by William Kent adorns the walls and ceilings. Even the banisters feature lavish details with metal formed into a curving and swirling pattern.

7. Tower of London

Suggested activity:   Tower of London: Entry Ticket, Crown Jewels and Beefeater Tour

The Tower of London is a top thing to do in London not least of all because it is where the crown jewels are on display. If you want to see the exhibit, be sure to allot enough time during your day. Unless you visit in the off-season, wait times to get into the exhibit can be a half hour or longer. Crowds also tend to be smaller during shoulder season . Once inside, you can view displays of crowns, rings, robes and other official garb. For the best chance to avoid wait times, arrive early in the day near opening time.

Don't skip the rest of the castle though. It's been a part of London for hundreds of years and is full of history. Your entry ticket includes a guided tour by a Yeoman Warder, aka a Beefeater. You can also opt to purchase an audio guide. When I visited, it was December, so it wasn't very busy, and I loved the tour. The Yeoman Warder told us some of the history of the castle, interesting details about the fortifications, and stories of people who lived there, visited and were imprisoned there. He also shared a little about himself and his military career, and I very much enjoyed how he enhanced the experience and brought the history of the Tower of London to life.

The Tower of London is like a microcity with buildings that have served as living quarters, a church and royal residences. It's been there since the Middle Ages and has seen the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer, been a prison to many famous figures like Princess Elizabeth before she became Queen Elizabeth I, as well as more notorious figures like Guy Fawkes. And the Tower Green has served as the execution site of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's second and fifth wives respectively.

8. Windsor Castle

Location: Windsor, Berkshire

Tickets: Book tickets ahead of time to save money compared to the in-person price and to ensure entry on the day of your visit.

One of the official residences of the king, the Royal Collection Trust says this castle is the "oldest and largest castle in the world." Windsor Castle 's construction began in 1070 at the behest of William the Conqueror, and during its hundreds of years, British Monarchs have added to the castle, modifying many elements to suit the styles of the times. While the castle's original intent was more fortification than luxurious palace, that too has changed. The castle has seen gothic, baroque, regency and neoclassical updates throughout the years.

Though the castle remains one of the official residences of the king, it is open to the public. During your visit, you can see the State Apartments and Semi-State Rooms. These areas are used to host heads of state, important ceremonies and official entertainment. These rooms are opulent with glistening gilded elements and luxuriously crimson furnishings. Rooms are decorated with painted portraits, dark woods, chandeliers and other lavish features. You'll also see rooms with elaborate murals on the ceiling and detailed carvings.

Tours of Windsor Castle are self-guided. Grab an audio guide for information and historical context for the many sights on your tour.

Michelle Palmer is a development editor who has over 10 years of experience in the travel publishing industry. She loves telling the stories, histories and culture of places that inspire others to go and experience new destinations. When not traveling, she participates in circus arts, goes to live shows and is a “Murder, She Wrote” aficionado.

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Quoth the Raven

Homicide in the Hills – Sept 6th & 7th!

It has only been a few weeks since we wrapped the final murder mystery of the 2023-2024 season, but the Ravenwood Detective Agency doesn’t stay idle for long. We’ve been hard at work putting together the lineup for the upcoming 2024-2025 Murder Mystery season, and I have to say it’s looking like a great series of events! Our detectives will be tackling several perennial favorites, we’ll see the return of some settings which debuted last season, and you can be sure we have a new theme or two up our sleeves as well!

This week I am excited to announce the first mystery in the 2024-2025 season. Join Chief Detectives Michelle and Ryan as they lead our detectives in a classically themed mystery, Homicide in the Hills…

The tranquil hills surrounding Ravenwood Castle, known for their breathtaking vistas and serene hiking trails, have long been a haven for nature enthusiasts. But a shadow has fallen over this idyllic landscape. In recent days, a series of gruesome murders have shattered the peace, leaving castle staff and guests in shock and fear. Hikers now tread the paths with trepidation, glancing over their shoulders at every rustle in the underbrush. As the body count rises, whispers of a cunning killer stalking the trails grow louder.

The once peaceful castle, perched atop a foggy hill, seems to watch over the unfolding drama. Could one of the castle’s nature-loving guests have an ulterior motive for their time amongst the trees? Or might one of the familiar faces of Ravenwood’s staff harbor dark intentions? What sinister secrets lie within the hills and hollows beyond the castle’s walls?

The Ravenwood Detective Agency is calling all agents, novice and veteran alike, to answer these questions and more. Join us September 6 th & 7 th for Homicide in the Hills!

Tickets for Homicide in the Hills are $100. As with all of our mysteries, the event starts after dinner on Friday. Late arrivals will be accommodated as best as possible, but to enjoy the full experience please attempt to arrive early Friday evening.

And stay tuned for more announcements about our exciting 2024-2025 event season!

If you haven’t been to one of our mystery weekends and are wondering what they are all about, check out our Anatomy of a Murder Mystery  page for all of the details. And stay tuned here at Quoth the Raven to hear about the rest of the great mysteries we have planned for this season!

Jim Reed is a lifelong gamer who started with the original red box Dungeons & Dragons. After spending 20 years in the corporate world, he decided it was high time that work be fun and struck out on his own. Jim now owns and operates Ravenwood Castle, and spends his days ensuring his guests have as much fun as he does.

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• Category: Next Week on Xbox

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for June 3 to 7

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature highlights all the games arriving soon on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass. Discover more about these forthcoming titles below and explore their profiles for additional information (note that release dates may be subject to change). Let’s dive in!

Destiny 2: The Final Shape + Annual Pass

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Destiny 2 – The Final Shape – June 4

The Final Shape looms. A nightmarish calcification of reality into the Witness’s twisted design. Embark on a perilous journey into the heart of the Traveler, rally the Vanguard, and end the War of Light and Darkness. For the first time ever, Prismatic empowers you to combine Arc, Solar, Void, Stasis, and Strand into a custom subclass of your design. Light and Darkness have no quarrel within you, Guardian.

Downward: Enhanced Edition

Plug In Digital

Downward: Enhanced Edition – June 4 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Downward will let you set off on humanity’s final adventure, to seek out an explanation for the apocalypse that changed the Earth as we know it. Taking advantage of parkour techniques and of the mysterious power you are given, you will traverse astonishing and dangerous ruins of past civilizations, all to find the legendary artifacts meant to control the deadly calamities that came to this world.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game

IllFonic Publishing

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game – June 4 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror based on the iconic ‘80s film. In the battle between Killer Klowns and citizens of Crescent Cove, team up and use your wits to harvest humans or save them from the alien invasion!

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends

Humble Games

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends – June 4 Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass! Serve up sushi as a robot chef in Rolling Hills, a life sim about running your own restaurant in a cozy village. Make new friends, purchase ingredients, enhance your shop, and improve the lives of your neighbors as you perfect your craft! Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.

Democracy 4: Console Edition

Auroch Digital

Democracy 4: Console Edition – June 5

Take the role of President or Prime Minister in one of ten countries. You will then govern the country as you see fit, while trying to retain enough popularity to get re-elected. Democracy 4: Console Edition is the ultimate sandbox for testing out your political ideas. We all think that we could do a better job ourselves in running a country compared to politicians, but is that really true

Dig or Die: Console Edition

Dig or Die – June 5 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

You’re a representative of Craft & Co selling automated fabrication tools across the galaxy when your spacecraft crashes into a hostile planet. Now you’ll have to build the strongest defenses if you wish to escape from it. Use the tools you sell and the local resources to build up all of what you’ll need to survive and eventually be able to escape the planet.

Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo

Eastasiasoft Limited

Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo – June 5 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

What is a recklessly adventurous kid to do when he ends up stuck between life and death? In Ghost Teen Escape from Limbo , you’ll have to exploit your ghost form to solve a multitude of tricky platforming puzzles if there’s any hope of returning to your home amongst the living. Explore 50 single-screen puzzles in black-and-white 2D pixel art style.

Run & Jump Guy

Run & Jump Guy – June 5

Embark on an epic pixelated adventure in Run & Jump Guy , a classic platformer featuring three unique locations: Island, Snowy Forest, and Castle. Face diverse enemies and conquer challenging obstacles as you journey through each level. Prepare for an epic showdown against a formidable boss waiting at the end.

Dash and Roll

EpiXR Games

Dash and Roll – June 6 Xbox One X Enhanced

Jump, dash, dodge, and discover the secret behind this magical marvelous marble adventure.

Grappin – June 6 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Experience the thrill of adventure and put to the test your climbing and platforming skills in Grappin, the first-person adventure game that takes you to new heights. After a mysterious awakening, you discover the Grip, an artifact that serves as your grappling hook. Your mission is clear: return the Grip to the Grip Shrine, located at the summit of the highest mountain.

Tour de France 2024

Tour de France 2024 – June 6 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Race against players from all over the world in the new Criterium multiplayer mode. Take part in online races with up to 6 players and execute your strategy to win the race. Create a team of 2 riders from over 900 professional cyclists available and choose your rider outfit.

The Hong Kong Massacre

Untold Tales S.A.

The Hong Kong Massacre – June 7 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Inspired by classic action movies, The Hong Kong Massacre places you at the center of a hard-boiled revenge story, filled with brutal, cinematic shootouts and vivid underworld locations. Take on the role of a former police detective bent on exacting vengeance for his partner’s murder and use of a mixture of raw firepower, slow-motion and dive/dodge mechanics to tear your way through the criminal ranks.

POMBERO: The Lord of the Night

Waraní Studios

Pombero: The Lord of the Night – June 7

Footage style first-person game where you’re a journalist who returns to his country in search of answers about the death of his mother. This investigation will lead him to discover his origin in a place far from the world where terror lurks.

Rider's Spirits

Ratalaika Games S.L.

Rider’s Spirits – June 7 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

The original Rider’s Spirits was first released in 1994 exclusively in Japan. Now this timeless racing classic is finally available worldwide for the first time! Choose from an array of wacky racers, each with their own unique attributes, and show off your riding skills. And if things get ugly, use all kind of crazy items in order to get advantage and be the first one to cross the finishing line!

Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra

Lucky Raccoon Games

Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra – June 7 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S /Smart Delivery

A hidden object game with musical elements. Each hidden character found unlocks a new musical instrument inside each game’s level. Thus, you’ll be able to create your own songs as you find cute little dogs hidden by beautiful 2D cartoon backgrounds.