Chicago, IL - Ressurection Mary

It’s a popular ghost story theme. Sometimes know as a “hitchhiker” ghost. Someone you pick up along the road and take for a ride but little do you know the person is long dead. These type of tales seem to originate in early Russian folklore but they have made an enormous imprint on American Culture as well.

In Chicago one of the most famous ghost stories is that of “Resurrection Mary”. One version of the legend goes like this- Mary was at a ballroom dance, after an argument with her date she ventured out on the street to walk home. However, she was tragically hit by a passing car which sped off. This all took place not far from Resurrection Cemetery. To this day she is often seen roaming Archer Ave sometimes dancing in her white ballroom gown and other times hitchhiking.

In some tales, a driver will pick up this attractive and unique hitchhiker and drop her off at her requested address. When the driver arrives they realized the address is nothing more than a cemetery. By that time Mary has disappeared. Or maybe you’ll find her dancing at a bar or club in her odd dated attire. She’ll consent to your offer to “take her home” however her home address is again the cemetery.

The sightings and accounts date back to the early 1930s and many speculate if any of the tombstones with the name “Mary” could be her.