HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Chicago's 1914 ballpark carries ghost legends attached to three named former figures — manager Charlie Grimm, broadcaster Harry Caray, and singer Steve Goodman.
1060 W. Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Stadium tours require a ticket purchase through mlb.com/cubs. Game tickets vary by matchup. See mlb.com/cubs/tickets for current pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved; stadium-standard accessibility throughout
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1914 · Second-oldest major-league ballpark in the United States · Chicago Cubs home since 1916 · National Historic Landmark
Charles Weeghman, a Chicago restaurateur, commissioned the construction of a ballpark on the former grounds of the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary in the Lakeview neighborhood in 1914. Built in approximately six weeks, it opened on April 23, 1914, as home to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League, a rival circuit to the established major leagues. The park held approximately 14,000 at opening.
The Federal League folded after the 1915 season, and Weeghman — now part of a consortium that included William Wrigley Jr. — purchased the Chicago Cubs and moved them into the park in 1916. Weeghman sold his controlling interest to Wrigley in 1918. The park was renamed Wrigley Field in 1926 to reflect the Wrigley family's ownership, a name it has carried since despite multiple ownership changes. William Wrigley III sold the team to the Tribune Company in 1981; the Ricketts family purchased it in 2009.
The park expanded significantly through the 1920s and 1930s, with upper deck additions pushing capacity above 40,000. The famous ivy on the outfield walls was planted in 1937 by groundskeeper Bill Veeck. The hand-operated scoreboard, also installed in 1937, remains the only manually operated scoreboard in major-league baseball. Wrigley Field was the last major-league park to install lights, in 1988, after decades of day-only games.
Chicago manager Charlie Grimm (nicknamed 'Jolly Cholly') led the Cubs to four pennants between 1932 and 1960 across two managerial stints. Harry Caray broadcast Cubs games from 1982 until his death on February 18, 1998, from a heart attack at age 83. Steve Goodman, Chicago folk singer and composer of 'Go, Cubs, Go' and 'A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request,' died of leukemia on September 20, 1984, at age 36.
Sources
The ghost legends at Wrigley Field are unusually specific in their named subjects, which distinguishes them from the vaguer atmosphere-based haunting traditions at sites like Oak Woods Cemetery or the Couch Mausoleum.
The Charlie Grimm tradition holds that graveyard-shift security guards have reported the bullpen phones ringing at odd hours with no caller on the other end. By the time the legend had circulated widely, it had acquired the attribution that Grimm — who managed the Cubs in three separate stints between 1932 and 1960 — was making pitching changes from the afterlife. Grimm died in 1983. The specific accounts are primarily anecdotal, reported through ghost tour literature rather than news archives.
Harry Caray's death in February 1998 was a significant moment in Chicago sports culture; he had become synonymous with the Cubs through 16 years of broadcasts. Reports of a presence in the press box area — described as an unexplained feeling or an unusual mist — began circulating shortly after his death. The accounts are impressionistic rather than visual.
Steve Goodman's case is the most documented of the three in terms of the underlying facts. Goodman, who wrote 'Go, Cubs, Go' and the sardonic 'A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request,' died of leukemia at 36 in September 1984. He explicitly requested that his ashes be scattered at Wrigley. Friends and family arranged for that to happen, though the specific timing and method have been described differently in various accounts. Reports of a figure seen near the seats behind home plate followed; witnesses sometimes describe him as seated, watching the game.
Notable Entities
The Cubs offer guided non-game-day tours of Wrigley Field covering the seating bowl, Budweiser Bleachers, press box (Harry Caray's former post), visitors' clubhouse, Cubs dugout, and outfield. Tours run approximately 75–90 minutes and begin in March. Book through the official Cubs website.
The exterior marquee on Addison Street and the statues of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo on the surrounding sidewalks are publicly accessible at all times. The Wrigleyville neighborhood surrounds the park.
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