Stop 01 of 8
Hotel Congress
Built in 1919. The Dillinger capture is just the beginning.
The History
Located a stone's throw from the Tucson railroad station, the Hotel Congress was built in 1919 in response to the increase in commerce and visitors. The Tap Room opened in the 1930s and was renamed Tiger's Tap Room after longtime bartender Thomas "Tiger" Zeigler, who worked there starting in 1959.
On January 22, 1934, the hotel caught fire, leading to the arrest of John Dillinger and three of his gang. The gang had been staying at a rented house on Second Ave but moved to the Congress after the floors of their rental were waxed. The morning of January 23rd, a fire broke out and guests were evacuated. The gang members tipped a fireman $12 (equivalent to $282 today) to retrieve their heavy luggage from the third floor. The firemen grew curious about the heavy bags and big tip, investigated, and discovered the men's pictures in True Detective magazine. Dillinger and his three gang members were rounded up and jailed.
Besides the Dillinger gang, the Hotel Congress has been the place to meet and party for over a century in downtown Tucson. Many famous, infamous, and everyday people have passed through its doors.
The Hauntings
The Hotel has several well-documented haunted rooms. Room 242 is known as the "woman in the white dress" room. Guests have reported being awakened by a heaviness in the air and seeing a woman sitting on their bed. She appears ghostly, dressed in white, and sometimes lies down beside them. She is said to have taken her own life, and a bullet hole is still present if you know where to look.
Room 220 is called the Tricky Veteran's room. Vince was a World War I veteran who lived at the Congress for over 30 years, often using a butter knife as a screwdriver for minor repairs. After he died, staff began finding butter knives in odd places around the hotel: on the staircase, in bathrooms, in hallways.
Room 214 belongs to the Victorian Gentleman, a friendly and elegant spirit seen standing by his window, looking at the people below. He is always dressed in a suit and has occasionally walked among guests in the dining room.
Other presences include the ghost of a cowboy in the basement and the apparition of a beautifully dressed woman who leaves the scent of roses as she climbs the stairs.
This is stop 01 of 8 on the full tour route. The tour covers all of them in 90 minutes.
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