39: Ep. 39 Going Down: The True Story of Chicago’s Killer Elevator

Discover the chilling true story of Marshall Field’s Death Elevator in Chicago - a fully functioning elevator that was permanently sealed after multiple deaths and relentless paranormal activity. This isn’t urban legend; it’s documented history.

Between 1943 and the early 1950s, three people died in connection with one specific elevator at Chicago’s iconic Marshall Field’s department store. What followed were decades of unexplained phenomena: elevator operators feeling unseen presences, the smell of phantom perfume, doors opening onto blank walls, and machinery that malfunctioned despite being mechanically sound.

The corporate response was unprecedented: Marshall Field’s permanently decommissioned the elevator, sealing it behind walls. But even decades later, employees report hearing the elevator moving, doors opening, and footsteps where no elevator exists anymore.

Explore documented accounts from the Chicago History Museum’s oral histories, newspaper archives, and corporate records that prove this haunted elevator’s terrifying legacy. From 1940s elevator operators to modern-day Macy’s employees, the Death Elevator continues to make its presence known.

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