Hauntings At The Golden Dagger
Posted: 10.23.2024 | Updated: 10.23.2024
What’s in a name? In the case of Chicago’s live music venue and bar, The Golden Dagger, now Hunter’s On Halstead, it is more than just a title. This little bar at 2447 N. Halsted has served many purposes throughout the decades. What is now a music venue was once a home for the occult, a hideout for gangsters, and a vice-filled brothel.
Many say it is now a portal to another world. A golden dagger was found in the basement's wall, a trigger even still unspoken about to this day. Whatever happened at The Golden Dagger has left a tear between realities that will not mend. Rumors of sacrificial murders from the days when The Order of The Golden Dawn swirl about Chicago to this day.
Those unlucky enough to wander into the basement are met by the site of a horrid apparition, chilling blasts of cold air, and even physical harm. The soul of a murdered woman, either at the hands of Golden Dawn or the notorious North Side Gang, haunts this otherwise lively watering hole.
Join Windy City Ghosts as we investigate the horrors that hide in the basement of Hunter’s On Halstead, formerly The Golden Dagger. Walk past this wretched place on a Chicago Ghost Tour the next time you find yourself in The Windy City!
Why Is The Golden Dagger Haunted?
The Golden Dagger, now Hunter’s On Halstead, has a vile history full of murder, occult practices, and nefarious deeds. A portal into another world opened after a golden dagger was found in the basement. Because of this, the music venue and bar has become rife with spirits. Specifically, there are tales of a bloody woman whose apparition causes those who witness it great pain and suffering. Some people have even been sent to this hospital because of her chilling presence. Today, it is considered one of the most haunted places in Chicago.
What Is The Story of The Golden Dagger?
Before the scent of PBR and stale cigarettes filled the air of this second-story music venue, the Golden Dagger was filled with another similar scent. The steamy streets of Chicago were lined with brothels, vice dens, and crib houses. The stench of sin was ripe across the city. While most of this activity was reserved for the Levee District further south, North Halstead had its own slew of salacious spots.
2447 N. Halstead opened as a brothel in 1894, starting a long timeline of heinous and unruly activity in the building. Nefarious gathered at this “good time” hang out throughout the years. It is said that the notorious North Side Gang called this brothel home through the years. This Irish and Polish American gang, led by Public Enemy # 12, George (Bugs) Moran) terrorized the North Side of the city between 1919 and 1935. Their reign of terror was only silenced when Al Capone and his men wiped them off the map.
Many speculate that the bloodied spirit that hides in the basement was a result of their violent deeds. However, more esoteric and mysterious organizations also called this bed of sin home.
The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn is reported to have also called this brothel home. British Occultist Samuel Lidell MacGregor Mathers established this order in the late 19th century. His book, The Clavicule of Solomon, was published in 1889 and acted as a bible of sorts for the occult-based religion.
The religious mixture of ancient Egyptian and Hellenistic magic, occult practices, and esoteric knowledge attracted the likes of magicians and worldwide phenomena, Aleister Crowley and Irish Poet W.B. Yeats. While it started in England, the movement quickly spread to America.
Occult Practices In Chicago
Their presence at the bar has raised many questions about the origins of the dark entity in the basement. Local legends state that a sacrifice was made. From the book of Revelation, Crowley believed that a scarlet woman, Babalon, would bring great powers to the world and those who sought her out. Her great powers would be divulged through sex magic and other rituals.
While Crowley isn’t reported as ever being in Chicago, he was in America numerous times. This included a stint in New York in 1914 to open new Orders across the states. Could his influence and search for the scarlet woman have something to do with the grizzly murder that took place in the basement?
There are stories of a woman being sacrificed by these occultists in the 1930s. Some locals, who were young then, remember hearing about this around town. Discoveries in the basement would later reveal this dark secret.
In 1969, the building once again fell under the influence of the occult when Frederick D’Archega opened El Sabarum, meaning “Of Many Gods.” This store sold all things occult, with orders coming in from all over the world. Goat hooves, Voodo beads, grimoires, and other items could all be bought at this enigmatic store. The most telling of this tale was the ceremonial daggers D’Archega sold.
The Dagger Of The Golden Dagger
In 1989, the building transformed from an occult haven to a music room. The Jub Jub Club was the first of many names the venue went by. In 2001, it became the Tonic Room, where artists like Chance The Rapper got their start. Then, in 2021, it reopened as The Golden Dagger. Today, it is Hunter’s On Halstead. Although the occult items and themes are long gone, the stories and spirits remain.
A curious employee discovered something strange in the basement during the initial renovations.
Hidden in the basement wall was a rusted dagger with a skull handle. Along with this discovery, they found a pentagram on the floor and Egyptian symbols on the ceiling. Not thinking much of it, the new owners removed the dagger.
Another employee headed down to the basement a few nights later. He was later discovered wholly paralyzed and unable to speak. He recovered after a stint in the hospital but refused to talk about what he saw to this day.
Haunted Hunter’s On Halstead
While the name may have changed, it appears music is no longer being played at 2447 N. Halstead; the spirits of this occult hotspot continue to frighten the living. Employees have seen apparitions that look like whisps of fog in the basement on multiple occasions. Some are met with cold air that is so intense they cannot breathe.
One man, James Printer, met the spirit of the basement. One evening, a pale and translucent older woman appeared to him. The lights flickered, and all he could make out was the burning image of the pentagram above him. He tried to scream but merely choked. The air became icy cold, and he believed the end was near. But as soon as it began, it ended. He raced up the stairs as quickly as possible and never returned to 2447 N. Halstead.
These eerie apparitions also appear in the bar, turning a quick drink into the creepy experience of a lifetime.
Haunted Chicago
Chicago is one of the most haunted places in the United States. Places like The Golden Dagger, a home to occultists and gangsters, are commonplace. The murderous past of The Windy City rears its putrid head every night. Do you dare look it in the eyes?
Join Windy City Ghosts the next time you are in Chi-town. We will tell you everything there is to know about the ghosts, demons, and devils hiding around every corner.
Keep reading our blog to learn more about Chicago’s haunted history, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for spooky content 24/7! Sources:
https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/North_Side_Gang
https://www.newspapers.com/image/355107237/?match=1&terms=North%20Side%20Gang
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/chicago/haunted-places-in-illinois
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/best-haunted-bars-in-chicago
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For over 200 years, Chicago has endured the Great Fire, Al Capone, Prohibition, Violent Riots, and Shipwrecks. These events led to Chicago’s mysterious hauntings, often experienced by locals – and even our guests. The third most populous city in the nation has become a hotbed for ghostly encounters.
Join us for a ghost tour with stories and visits to sites of old asylums, cults, and haunted bars next to dark alleys that harbor the spirits of gangsters and bootleggers. Whatever the weather, join Windy City Ghosts to walk in the footsteps of Chi Town’s Ghosts. We’ll give you a chill that cuts to the bone.
