Cigars and Stripes

Cigars and Stripes stands along historic Route 66 in the small Illinois community of Berwyn, a structure deeply embedded in the region's automotive and leisure culture that flourished during the twentieth century. The building itself dates to the Prohibition era, when America's nationwide ban on alcohol production and sales drove social establishments underground or to the margins of respectability. During this tumultuous period of American history, from 1920 to 1933, clandestine bars and speakeasies operated throughout the Midwest, serving customers who sought alcohol despite federal restrictions. The structure that now houses Cigars and Stripes functioned as one such establishment, operating in the shadows of legal scrutiny and law enforcement raids. The bar's history reflects the broader cultural and criminal landscape of the Prohibition years, when organized crime syndicates expanded their influence throughout the Midwest and the Chicago metropolitan area. The building has witnessed multiple deaths within its confines over the decades, with at least four individuals known to have died there under various circumstances. The nearby Route 66 corridor has long been associated with both legitimate commerce and shadier enterprises catering to travelers seeking escape from their everyday lives.

The physical structure itself is unremarkable from an architectural standpoint, representing the utilitarian commercial construction typical of early-twentieth-century Illinois roadside establishments. The interior layout, however, contains distinctive features including a rear hallway that has become the focal point of paranormal activity reports. The bar counter itself, the wall decorations, and the various rooms of the establishment have been modified and updated numerous times over the decades, though the basic floor plan remains consistent with its original design. The most historically documented death associated with the location involved a customer who collapsed and died in the entryway nearly three decades ago, an event that seems to have intensified paranormal reports from that point forward. The building's role in the broader Route 66 tourist economy has made it a documented stop for travelers interested in the road's historical significance and associated cultural attractions.

Paranormal investigators who have visited Cigars and Stripes have documented extensive evidence of supernatural activity throughout the establishment. A shadowy apparition with indistinct features has been reported in the rear hallway, and visitors describe experiencing sudden drops in temperature in that location. Disembodied voices, including screams and anguished cries, have been recorded by paranormal investigation teams using audio equipment. The sounds of unexplained footsteps moving through hallways when no physical person is present have been reported by multiple independent witnesses over many years. Objects within the bar have been observed moving on their own, with particular attention drawn to a martini shaker that has reportedly flipped completely over without any apparent physical cause. The Supernatural Occurrence Studies paranormal investigation team recorded extensive knocking sounds, whispering voices, howling, and sustained screaming during their documented investigation. Bar staff have reported keys appearing to fall from thin air onto the bar counter itself, materializing without any logical source. The phenomena appear to be concentrated but not limited to specific areas, suggesting multiple distinct entities may inhabit the structure.

The paranormal activity at Cigars and Stripes shows no signs of diminishing and continues to be reported by both staff and paranormal investigation teams who visit the establishment. The identity of the spirits responsible for these phenomena appears connected to the death that occurred in the entryway as well as to the building's Prohibition-era history. Some paranormal researchers suggest that the multiple documented deaths within the structure may have created a spiritually charged environment where departed individuals remain trapped or attached to the location. The bar owner has embraced the location's haunted reputation, acknowledging the paranormal reports to customers and paranormal research organizations. The combination of historical tragedy, documented deaths, and consistent paranormal phenomena has made Cigars and Stripes one of the most actively haunted commercial establishments along the historic Route 66 corridor.