Notorious gangster Al Capone was known for renting out the entire third floor of this hotel in Northern Indiana, some say you can still see cigar smoke coming from his room.

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Infamous Gangster Al Capone

According to the FBI, sometime around 1920 Al Capone ended up in Chicago where he became a part of the mob.

In the “roaring twenties,” Al Capone ruled an empire of crime in the Windy City: gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, bribery, narcotics trafficking, robbery, “protection” rackets, and murder. And it seemed that law enforcement couldn’t touch him.

Al Capone was eventually arrested and paid for some of his crimes, but not before leaving his mark on American history as an infamous gangster.  Not too far from Chicago in Warsaw, Indiana (about 2 ish hours away) sits a hotel that is said to have once been a place Al Capone frequented, and to this day some say he's still around.

The Barbee Hotel

Today the Barbee Hotel looks like a quaint and quiet place to stay, but local legends surround the hotel, and some people claim notorious gangster Al Capone himself still frequents the hotel in the afterlife.

According to Visit Kosciusko County the Barbee Hotel was built in 1897 and was frequently used as a gangster hideout.  They say Al Capone was known for showing up with his gang and renting out the third floor. He would sometimes stay at the Barbee Hotel for weeks on end.   He was partial to room 301 so that's always where he stayed, and he'd even kick people out to make sure he had his room.

Local legend says you can sometimes still see cigar smoke coming from under the door of room 301, and many believe it's the ghost of Al Capone coming back to his old hideout. Other legends claim that there is a woman who haunts the halls of the Barbee Hotel and some have claimed to hear a woman "wailing" in the night.

Over the years there have been many paranormal investigations done at the Barbee Hotel, and many people travel from all over to stay at the old gangster hideout. Personally, though, I'd travel to stay at the hotel just to try one of those delicious-looking steaks they post on Facebook!  If you want to learn more about the Barbee Hotel, or book a stay you can check out the Barbee Hotel Facebook page, here.