Disaster Site
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The Great Chicago Theater Disaster Site
The site of the Iroquois Theatre fire in downtown Chicago remains the tragic scene of the deadliest single-building fire in United States history. On December 30, 1903, an arc light ignited a velvet curtain during a sold-out matinee, claiming 602 lives within minutes. Today, the alleyway behind the theater—known as Couch Place or 'Death Alley'—is renowned for cold spots, disembodied cries, and apparitions of panic-stricken patrons.