4:30pm – 6:30pm | FREE with RSVP | 21+

The Hotel Congress Lounge is proud to host a tasting event featuring exceptional wine from Sonoran Wines.

Enjoy a wonderful afternoon of tasting starting at 3pm.

Then, follow up the tasting with a meal at the Cup Cafe. Reservations strongly encouraged!

Cup Cafe

SONORAN WINES

Sonoran Wines is located along the edge of a winding desert greenbelt, spanning the banks of Turkey Creek as it meanders from the base of the Chiricahua Mountains into the sprawling valley below. Our unique location, mineral-rich soil, and climate support our extraordinary grape production, connecting every sip to the desert.

Our estate grown, limited bottle production means every decision is carefully considered to achieve the best wine possible.

The location of our vineyard was carefully chosen for its environmental qualities and its deep connections to the history and heritage of Arizona. Sonoran Wines is tethered to a tradition that extends to 1687 with the arrival of Italian missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino who brought the first grape vines to the region that were planted in the gardens of the legendary missions of the Sonoran Desert in what ultimately was to become Arizona.

Sonoran Wines continues this legacy carrying on the established philosophy and values of excellence, tradition, integrity, heritage and flavor. Our region has been awarded numerous distinctions for our culinary and wine heritage. Nearby Tucson received the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as a City of Gastronomy in 2016.

The Sonoran Wines partnership brings together a variety of backgrounds and business experience. With internationally recognised expertise in hospitality, restaurants, events, science, law, and heritage this group ensures highest possible quality in product and service.

Sonoran Wines has assembled a dynamic international production team with prowess in Arizona agriculture, viticulture, vinification, and development to strive for best in class quality, consistency and flavor.

Doors 6:30pm | Show 7pm | Advance $12 / Day of Show $15 + Dice Fees | 16+

Tucson psychedelic blues band the Infinite Conversation makes their debut on the Club Congress stage.

With an emphasis on creative freedom, connection and sound, the band gets ready to melt minds with friends Boyos and The Common Goode.

Doors 7pm | Show 7:30pm | Advance $20 / Day of Show $25 + Dice fees | 21+

W/ CNTS, Groin

New York City’s Unsane assisted in pioneering a more aggressive, less studied version of noise rock, one that blended the scum/art industrial sturm und drang of , , , and with the decidedly more straightforward hardcore idiom favored by acts like . While developing the blueprint for noise-metal bands to follow, Unsane cut a remarkable swath through underground music, inspiring a devoted, cult-like following around the globe. As a power trio, Unsane relied upon a hammering, power-press rhythm section, a searing Telecaster howl, and distorted vocals that resembled nothing if not the sound of a man trapped in the New York Subway system.

Having met at Sarah Lawrence College in the late ’80s, the original incarnation of Unsane — (vocals, guitar), Peter Shore (bass), and Charlie Ondras (drums) — crawled larvally out of the practice space in 1989 and began playing New York’s seediest haunts. It was these graveyard slots at clubs like CBGB’s where the band developed and honed their trademark sound and delivered the goods with due intensity and volume. Unsane piqued the interest of numerous small indie labels and began issuing a series of singles and EPs before recording their self-titled debut with . Using the photo of a decapitated man lying across train tracks, Unsane’s album cover set the tone for the admixture of seething aggression, naked fear, and barely controlled noise chaos contained within. But the band’s devastating maelstrom contained more than enough tunefulness and rock propulsion to quite easily surpass its more affected Lower East Side peers.

During 1992, Unsane’s daunting schedule was cut devastatingly short by the untimely drug overdose of drummer Ondras. Former and drummer Vinny Signorelli climbed aboard the swiftly moving train in the fall of 1992 and the band began composing its next album. In the interim, compiled and issued a collection of Unsane’s early singles and compilation tracks, appropriately titled Singles: 89-92. It is perhaps Unsane’s defining moment. The following year found the band recording its first for , Total Destruction, a menacing, dark collection of songs driven by ‘s hypnotic drumming and ‘s man-pushed-to-the-edge vocals. More touring followed and released the Peel Sessions disc almost concurrently with Total Destruction.

After being discharged from in 1994, Unsane found both a new bass player in Dave Curran — who joined on tour while doing sound for the band — and a home for their next album, Scattered, Smothered, and Covered, on the independent noise rock label, . While maintaining the band’s signature sound and volume, 1995’s Scattered… showed the band opening their rhythmic approach, with most songs inhabiting a more rock-oriented 4/4 pattern, granting the album a more spacious and controlled feel. Scattered… also contained the unlikely MTV hit video for “Scrape,” featuring a series of skateboard accidents intercut with footage of the band performing live. Created for 200 dollars, it was ironically named one of MTV’s Ten Funniest Videos. The band toured relentlessly and managed to secure an opening slot with metal behemoths on one of their North American headlining tours. Shortly after, the trio made another label switch to and began constructing its final album, the ironically titled Occupational Hazard. While on a press tour in Europe only a month prior to the disc’s release, was brutally attacked by street thugs and left for dead on the streets of Vienna, Austria. After emergency surgery, he returned to the touring arena. Though Unsane temporarily disbanded in 2000, they returned a few years later with a compilation (Lambhouse) and an original album, 2005’s Blood Run. Visqueen, the group’s sixth studio long-player, was issued in 2007 via ‘s . It was followed in 2012 by Wreck, issued by the iconic punk label , and in 2017, Unsane came roaring back with Sterilize, which saw the group working with Los Angeles-based metal imprint Southern Lord. ~ Patrick Kennedy, Rovi

w/ Tela Novella

Doors 7pm | Show 7:30pm | 16+ (Under 16 with Parent/Guardian)

– Advance $22 + Dice fees
– Day of Show $26 + Dice fees
– VIP M&G: $67 + Dice fees – *includes GA ticket, a meet and greet/photo op w/ Solya, plus one (1) exclusive merch item*

Solya knew who she wanted to be from a very young age. Born in West Texas, the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist wrote lyrics and poetry at just four years old, started playing piano at six, and picked up the guitar at 14. “Growing up in a remote small city, I had to make my own form of entertainment,” she says. “I had to be creative.” When she listened to her parents play vinyl records by artists like Warren Zevon, Harry Nilsson, and David Bowie, she could hear who she wanted to become. “When I heard “Starman,” I knew I wanted to be like David Bowie when I grew up. I saw myself in him even as a little kid,” she adds, noting that the song sealed her fate. “I never considered doing anything else. I wasn’t interested in anything but music.”

Her decision to pursue music led her to attend a music camp at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM). “I was 16, and it really lit a fire within me,” she says. “It was the first time I played music with other people.” At the end of camp, Solya and her parents sat down with Scott Booker—manager of her favorite band, The Flaming Lips, and CEO of ACM—for advice. They asked if she should go to college for music. He told them that she just needed to start recording. So, she did. “He asked if I’d been writing anything original, and I was like, ‘Yeah’. He told me to record it and put it out there. Even if it wasn’t studio perfect. I just did it in my bedroom. I made my first three songs.” She learned how to use Pro Tools and got to work with her synthesizer and guitars. “When I make a song, I hear every layer of the music in my head,” she says.

Solya self-released her first EP, Fever Dream, featuring the songs “Will You Return,” “Butterfly,” and “Endlessly” in 2023. Her DIY bedroom hits immediately resonated online, and she started growing an engaged global fan base before she even graduated from high school. Each track she released did better than the last, with her singles “Roadkill” and “Heaven” eventually leading to her most-streamed track up to that point, “Tear Me Apart.” “I promoted the hell out of that song and it really took off,” she says, noting that she’d post videos on social media with the song as a soundtrack multiple times a day. At that point, she started entertaining interest from record labels who saw the online reaction to her songs, but she didn’t find a good fit until she spoke with VERSION III. “They gave me free rein to be creative and put out what I wanted to put out. And they’ve assisted me in being able to tour.”

In the fall of 2024, Solya embarked on her “Bugs and Butterflies” 21-date co-headlining US tour with the artist Baby Bugs. Most dates sold out, and they continued that streak with four fully booked dates in the UK, followed by Solya’s sold out headline show at the iconic Troubadour in West Hollywood. She also released her project Jewel Box in 2024, and one of the EP’s tracks, a melancholy waltz called “We Say Goodbye,” became a surprise TikTok trend.

Still, the success of her EPs and singles couldn’t satisfy Solya’s desire to release a full studio album. “I wanted to move it out of my bedroom and into a studio,” she says. “That took a lot of courage for me because I was so controlling over everything with my music. I wanted it to be exactly how I wanted it and I had a hard time trusting other people with my songs. But then I talked to Danny Reisch (Khruangbin, Local Natives), my producer. He really cares about the artistry behind music.” She also worked with Jason Chronis (Tele Novella, Voxtrot) who played bass and slide guitar on the album. After finishing up her first tour, she wrote 10 songs in the span of just four months and recorded them via analog equipment over 10 days in Lockhart, Texas. The result is her debut album Queen of Texas.

The album combines Solya’s taste — the vocal delivery of Patsy Cline, the cutting lyrics of Fiona Apple, and the ingenuity of David Bowie — with her propensity for 1950s rock ‘n’ roll and a “western flair” that pays homage to her love of classic country arrangement and, of course, her West Texas roots. The collection of songs tows the line between serious and light-hearted, exploring themes that range from chaotic love to the isolating experience of being a queer young woman growing up in a small, conservative place.

In the album’s echoing lead single, “Tell Me It’s Over,” Solya slowly drawls, “You could’ve had it all,” over vintage guitar parts, following that revelation with the scathing commands, “Tell me it’s over tell me we’re done/ Tell me you never said I was the one.” The track was drawn from experiencing a toxic relationship and what it feels like to finally find the strength to leave. “When I wrote ‘Tell Me It’s Over,’ I was kind of angry,” she smiles. “It’s definitely a breakup song and I felt inspired by the melodies of the ‘50s. But more importantly, it’s an angry breakup song. I felt empowered. I wasn’t upset about it. It was just like “I don’t care about you.”

In “Movie Star,” Solya leans into painful yearning over ascending walls of sound. “I wrote it about not being able to be with the person you want because it’s not possible,” she says. “I wanted it to sound dramatic and cinematic, like the score of a classic Western film.” For fans hearing the song in person, the chorus “She looks like a movie star” strikes a chord. “When I play it live, people love it,” she says. “There were several people that got out pride flags and were waving them during the song. I feel like it made people feel seen.”

“Is This Love??,” the album’s second single, attempts to balance the somber mood of the rest of the tracks. “My mom was like, ‘You should write a song that isn’t sad. Write a love song.’ And I’m like, ‘How am I supposed to write a love song when I don’t love anybody?’ I ended up writing ‘Is This Love??.’ It sounds like a love song, but it’s written from the perspective of somebody who’s never been loved in a healthy way.” For one of the song’s verses, she drew lyrical inspiration from one of music’s most legendary star-crossed couples. “The line, ‘I’ll let you dye my hair a darker shade of black’ was inspired by Elvis Presley and Priscilla because they were in an abusive relationship and he would make her dye her hair,” she says. “I feel like a lot of people will play the song, and they’ll think it’s a love song, but it’s not.”

“Born Wicked,” with its formidable, sing-along chorus and religious imagery, took Solya the longest to write. “It took me weeks and weeks to make verses that I thought were good enough. I finally figured it out, and I think it’s my favorite on the album. The lyrics are rebellious and a testament to the queer experience, as she sings, “If I die for lovin’ her I can’t be erased/ I won’t change, I won’t change/ I was born wicked/ My love is a crime/ I don’t wanna be saved/ Nobody could try.” The song mirrors much of what Solya wants to emanate from her music and her desire for her listeners to feel less alone.

On the album’s glittery title track, Solya sweetly croons “I’d rather be alone” over pulsating synths, drawing up decadent visuals as she sings “Rhinestone lady, satin baby, always alone/ Sapphire necklace, queen of Texas, always alone.” The opener embodies the wistfulness and isolation the singer excels at translating into music. Still, she hopes the album allows her fans to find community. “I hope Queen of Texas empowers people,” she says. “I hope it feels the same way for them, that it felt for me when I was a kid listening to David Bowie and seeing myself in him. All I want is to be that for someone else.”

In support of her debut album, Solya also plans to embark on an extensive North American headline tour this year. It will be her first with a full band. Despite the busy year ahead, the 20-year-old has already started thinking about the follow-up to Queen of Texas. “I want to keep making albums,” she says. “I want to grow as an artist and expand my reach.” As her sound spreads beyond West Texas, Solya remains inspired by the music she grew up with and the desolate Southwestern landscape she considers home. “I think a lot of artists feel the need to move to New York or LA to be successful,” she says. “I don’t feel that I need to move to a big city because I draw inspiration from where I grew up. I just want to be the Queen of Texas.”

Doors 7:30pm | Show 8pm | Advance $18 / Day of Show $20 + Dice Fees | 21+

W / Priscilla Priddy and the Pretty Boys

Tyler Halverson knows who he is, and sometimes he doesn’t like it. But all of the

mistakes he’s made and hearts he’s broken have led him to In Defense of Drinking, his

stone-cold honest country album that takes a stark look at a life lived on the road.

“It’s been a life spent falling in and out of love and finding something to write about, at

the expense of your heart and somebody’s else’s,” Halverson says. “I’m not proud of the

actions that that boy took to inspire these songs. But I’m very proud of how they turned

out. The Nashville scene today is all so pretty and polished, and some artists try to

come out looking a certain way, but how about you just show yourself exactly how you

are, the good and bad?”

Growing up in the tiny town of Canton, South Dakota, Halverson has never been afraid

to be himself. Before he answered the call of the road, playing bars and rodeo beer

gardens, he spent as much time on his skateboard as he did showing cattle at livestock

shows. “I grew up in sale barns and skate parks,” he says, and those two disparate

worlds inform the music he makes. There’s a decidedly alt-country edge to the songs on

In Defense of Drinking, including the thumping, unrepentant single “More Hearts Than

Horses.”

“If you come walking my way/I’ll send you running someday,” he sings over pedal steel

and acoustic guitar. It’s an admission as striking as that of Willie and Waylon, when they

sang “Take what you need from the ladies and leave them/with the words of a sad

country song” in “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”

“That comes with the territory of being a troubadour,” Halverson says. “It’s a warning:

whatever you’ve heard about cowboys and cowboy singers is probably true, and

sometimes you best just leave it alone.”

Recorded at Amber Sound in Hermitage, Tennessee, and produced by Halverson, Ryan

Youmans, and Gary Stanton (of Muscadine Bloodline), In Defense of Drinking builds on

the foundation Halverson created with his 2024 Western Amerijuana project. There are

songs about self-induced heartbreak (the alt-rock/country stomper “Ft. Worth Losing”),

self-medication (the deceptively gentle title track), and the desperate search for

redemption (the hushed hymn “Son Brother Believer”), all of it shot through with a

decidedly Western vibe.

Halverson comes by that aesthetic naturally. He spent time not only in his native South

Dakota, but all throughout the American West, including playing cowboy on a Wyoming

ranch (which inspired the cult hit “Mac Miller”). “Beer Garden Baby,” his beloved fan

favorite, was born from those rodeo gigs, and he re-records it as a duet with Parker

McCollum for In Defense of Drinking. He’s also set to open a string of shows for the

Texas-turned-Nashville-star.

“Parker has always been good to us,” Halverson says. “The original version of that song

caught fire in Texas and to go back and put some Texas royalty on top of it isn’t a bad

recipe.”

Texas is in the DNA of the music Halverson writes and records. He’s been all over the

Lone Star state with his guitar and harmonica and came up with some of his best songs

there. In the tailgate jam “Like a Rodeo,” featuring Australian country star Wade Forster,

Halverson struggles to connect with another restless soul: an ambitious barrel racer.

“Could she ever love me like the rodeo?” he sings.

Halverson wrote the track after lighting out from Tennessee to Texas to find himself. “I

got pissed off with Nashville and ran away to Turkey, Texas,” he says. “I was crashing

with some buddies in a trailer, smoking it out, and writing songs. ‘Like a Rodeo’ is about

chasing somebody who is also chasing something, and wondering if those paths are

ever going to cross.”

More often than not, they don’t, Halverson has learned. But he’s still hoping that one

day he’ll find his settled down life. He even writes about having “Cowboy Babies” in one

of the album’s more sweet numbers and likes to imagine that’s in the cards for him. In

the gentle ballad “Son Brother Believer,” he all but prays for it.

“You can lose yourself in the troubadour lifestyle, where every night is a damn party and

you’re far from your family, your home, and your faith,” he says. “So, this album may be

a little bit of a personal battle: Who are you on the road vs. who are you at home. These

songs are often about me admitting that I can be reckless and impulsive, but that I’m

trying my best. Conflict isn’t always bad if you can make some good out of it.”

That’s one of Halverson’s goals for In Defense of Drinking. Does he have any others?

He shoots a shit-eating grin. “I hope I can buy some cows with this record.”

Doors 7pm | Show 7:30pm | Advance $12 / Day of Show $15 + Dice Fees | 16+

Thursday, Sept 17th, 7:30 PM — Join us at Club Congress for R&B Is Not Dead: Summer Isn’t Over, an intimate night celebrating the R&B and spoken word artists right here in Tucson in the last days of summer. Featuring a curated lineup of local artists and live music, we’re creating a space to experience, discover, and celebrate the talent keeping poetry and R&B alive in our city. Just by showing up, we can continue building the R&B community in Tucson, brick by brick. Why go out of town when we have the material right here?

9pm-1am | FREE | 21+

Come be yourself! TEMPO🗯️: the party every Thursday where DJs, vendors, and homies meet to put you on! Cheapest drinks all week👊🏼

Calling all creators: Inviting Dj’s, Beat Makers, Artists & Music Lovers to join us to play whatever makes you feel most. Rotating Genres, Creative Blends, Amateurs & Experts all welcome here.

Timing | Energy | Movement | Performance | Originality

Hosted by: @waltersthedon⚡️ | 🌝 @good.day.good.night 🌚

– Fridays at 6pm
– Run Time: 30 minutes

Adults $15 | Children $10

For over a century, the Hotel Congress has stood at the heart of Tucson, a living witness to the city’s history—and to those who refuse to leave it behind. Built in 1919, the hotel was designed for travelers stepping off the Southern Pacific line, with guest rooms, a café, a beauty shop, a barber, and the now-famous Tap Room bar. Yet beneath the grandeur of its architecture lies something far older: the land itself has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years, making Tucson one of North America’s oldest, and most haunted, living communities.

On this 30-minute walking tour, you’ll be let in on the hotel’s best-kept secrets. Meet the lace-shrouded lady of the staircase, drifting through the lobby trailing the faint scent of roses; the Victorian Gentleman in Room 214, quietly surveying the plaza in seersucker and top hat; the Locksmith’s Apprentice, tinkering at unseen locks; Vince, the butter-knife handyman, still tending to his work decades after his passing; and the Lady in White, whose presence has startled more than a few male guests. You’ll even hear the story of infamous bank robber John Dillinger, who passed through Hotel Congress in 1934 before a fire exposed his gang’s presence and led to his capture—without a single shot fired.

The tour wraps up in the rarely seen séance room, a space of quiet reflection, lingering echoes, and centuries of footsteps—perfect for anyone curious enough to step just a little closer to the unexplained. It’s more than a ghost tour; it’s a backstage pass to a living portrait of Hotel Congress, where history, humanity, and spirits mingle in plain sight.

Please note: the elevator was destroyed in the famous 1934 fire—guests must climb one flight of stairs to reach the haunted rooms.

Doors 7pm | Show 7:30pm | Advance $20 / Day of Show $25 + Dice Fees | 21+

W/ Stone Levitation, ZÖLD

The Obsessed is a rock band. A FUKKING HARD rock band. Since their formation in 1978, they have become known around the world for their influential contribution to the origins and continued legacy of the doom metal and underground hard rock genres. The distinctive vocals and guitar wizardry of founder and driving force Scott “Wino” Weinrich has left a mark on the world of heavy music that continues to inspire.

The Obsessed gained momentum in the Baltimore/DC area of the USA in the early to mid 1980’s during the height of the hardcore punk movement. Often cited as the band that bridged heavy metal and punk together, the band gained the respect of punk heavy weight contemporaries Black Flag, The Bad Brains, and Minor Threat, to name a few. The attitude and spirit of The Obsessed has led many to regard them as “America’s Motorhead”.

Wino went on to join the doom metal giants Saint Vitus as lead singer on seminal albums including 1986’s ‘Born Too Late’‘. In 1990, The Obsessed came back with their eponymous debut album, “The Obsessed”. This album was quickly followed by 1991’s “Lunar Womb” and 1994’s “The Church Within”. All three of these albums shaped and paved the way for future heavy rock bands and the doom scene as it’s known today. Wino’s gift for prose and his never-ending search for truth and meaning allows his words to hit as heavy as the riffs he plays.

Although The Obsessed went on a hiatus after The Church Within’s release on Columbia records, Wino’s sheer passion and prolific nature led him to pursue many other critically acclaimed projects such as Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, Shrinebuilder and various acoustic releases. Long time fan Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) specifically asked Wino to perform on Dave’s all-star Probot album, released in 2004. In 2012 Wino rejoined Saint Vitus until the world wide cry for The Obsessed could be denied no longer and in 2016, Wino reunited The Obsessed, once and for all, and has been kicking ass and taking names ever since.

Drummer Brian “Dawg” Costantino joined the band at this time. The band signed to Relapse Records and recorded 2017’s “Sacred”, an album showing The Obsessed back with pure vengeance. Sacred brought the band to venues and festival stages around the world.

In 2022 the band became a four piece with the addition of Chris Angleberger on bass and Jason Taylor on guitar. The band has been touring heavily since and have been seen on USA and European festival stages such as HellFest, Freak Valley Festival, Snowblind Festival and Desert Fest.

The band’s forthcoming album, Gilded Sorrow, set to be released early 2024 on Ripple Music, marks a new chapter in their legacy. The album promises to capture the essence of the band’s classic sound while adding a fresh new atmosphere with a dual guitar attack.

The Obsessed are here to stay.

IF IT AIN’T HEAVY … IT AIN’T SHIT !!!

10pm-2am | FREE | 21+

Purr Fridays are for the party animals! High energy Tech House and Club Hits, each week with a rotating lineup of college and local DJs & drink specials!

– Saturdays at 12pm
– Run Time: 30 minutes

Adults $15 | Children $10

For over a century, the Hotel Congress has stood at the heart of Tucson, a living witness to the city’s history—and to those who refuse to leave it behind. Built in 1919, the hotel was designed for travelers stepping off the Southern Pacific line, with guest rooms, a café, a beauty shop, a barber, and the now-famous Tap Room bar. Yet beneath the grandeur of its architecture lies something far older: the land itself has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years, making Tucson one of North America’s oldest, and most haunted, living communities.

On this 30-minute walking tour, you’ll be let in on the hotel’s best-kept secrets. Meet the lace-shrouded lady of the staircase, drifting through the lobby trailing the faint scent of roses; the Victorian Gentleman in Room 214, quietly surveying the plaza in seersucker and top hat; the Locksmith’s Apprentice, tinkering at unseen locks; Vince, the butter-knife handyman, still tending to his work decades after his passing; and the Lady in White, whose presence has startled more than a few male guests. You’ll even hear the story of infamous bank robber John Dillinger, who passed through Hotel Congress in 1934 before a fire exposed his gang’s presence and led to his capture—without a single shot fired.

The tour wraps up in the rarely seen séance room, a space of quiet reflection, lingering echoes, and centuries of footsteps—perfect for anyone curious enough to step just a little closer to the unexplained. It’s more than a ghost tour; it’s a backstage pass to a living portrait of Hotel Congress, where history, humanity, and spirits mingle in plain sight.

Please note: the elevator was destroyed in the famous 1934 fire—guests must climb one flight of stairs to reach the haunted rooms.

– Saturdays at 12pm
– Run Time: 30 minutes

Adults $15 | Children $10

For over a century, the Hotel Congress has stood at the heart of Tucson, a living witness to the city’s history—and to those who refuse to leave it behind. Built in 1919, the hotel was designed for travelers stepping off the Southern Pacific line, with guest rooms, a café, a beauty shop, a barber, and the now-famous Tap Room bar. Yet beneath the grandeur of its architecture lies something far older: the land itself has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years, making Tucson one of North America’s oldest, and most haunted, living communities.

On this 30-minute walking tour, you’ll be let in on the hotel’s best-kept secrets. Meet the lace-shrouded lady of the staircase, drifting through the lobby trailing the faint scent of roses; the Victorian Gentleman in Room 214, quietly surveying the plaza in seersucker and top hat; the Locksmith’s Apprentice, tinkering at unseen locks; Vince, the butter-knife handyman, still tending to his work decades after his passing; and the Lady in White, whose presence has startled more than a few male guests. You’ll even hear the story of infamous bank robber John Dillinger, who passed through Hotel Congress in 1934 before a fire exposed his gang’s presence and led to his capture—without a single shot fired.

The tour wraps up in the rarely seen séance room, a space of quiet reflection, lingering echoes, and centuries of footsteps—perfect for anyone curious enough to step just a little closer to the unexplained. It’s more than a ghost tour; it’s a backstage pass to a living portrait of Hotel Congress, where history, humanity, and spirits mingle in plain sight.

Please note: the elevator was destroyed in the famous 1934 fire—guests must climb one flight of stairs to reach the haunted rooms.