Medieval Torture Museum

In the early medieval ages, torture was a way of getting rid of heretics — anyone practicing a religion the king didn’t like. After seeing its effectiveness in getting confessions (though they often weren’t true) and how crowds gathered to watch executions, torture was expanded. Before long, the victims were anyone the king disliked.

The 6,000-square-foot Medieval Torture Museum in Chicago’s Loop takes visitors into that thankfully long-forgotten world. The Medieval Torture Museum showcases more than 100 macabre devices — 30% of which are original to their time, while the rest are replicas that give visitors an idea of their craft and use.

Painstakingly researched, vignettes presented throughout the museum use mannequins to showcase how the machines worked, and the dimly lit rooms create an eerie atmosphere, adding to the authenticity of the experience. Admission includes an audio guide and a ghost-tracking app. While the place is said to be haunted, the ghosts here are reported to be mischievous rather than mean — pulling hair, relighting candles and just creating a general aura of playfulness.

The same can’t be said of the torture devices on display. The fiendishly designed equipment includes such standards as an iron maiden with nails for impaling and racks for stretching victims past their breaking point. There are also gruesome collections of knives, chains and pliers. Creativity gone mad resulted in such torture devices as the Sicilian Bull, a hollow bronze bull in which a person was locked in its belly and a fire started underneath. The variety of implements allowed kings and rulers choices when it came to how to punish their subjects.

Although the museum is a perfect, if not gory, way to celebrate Halloween, the Medieval Torture Museum, represents some of the darkest days of humanity and is a learning experience as well. 177 N. State St., Chicago, Illinois 60601, 773/241-7777, medievaltorturemuseum.com