Patch's Best 2021 Halloween Yard Haunts: McHenry And Kane County

MCHENRY-KANE COUNTIES — If you're looking for new zombie graveyards, body parts, floating ghosts and devil's playgrounds to explore for Halloween, you've come to the right place. Patch has assembled its annual Tour o' Yard Haunts for 2021 created by some of Chicagoland’s most imaginative and demented exterior decorators.

Due to the overwhelming number of responses, we have organized the 2021 list by county. So click on the link for the list of scary yards near your house, or go crazy and visit all them all.

This year, your Patch editors will be selecting the best decorated yard haunt and awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to the winner.

The residents of McHenry and Kane Counties have some slick yard haunts. We’ll be UPDATING the scary yard tour every Friday through Halloween, so get on the list. Send photos and a description of what makes your haunt worth a drive-by to Lorraine Swanson at lorraine.swanson@patch.com. Check back for new terror.

Also, check out these lists for more scary yards throughout the Chicago area: Chicago Haunt Builders, Haunted Illinois Directory, Illinois Haunted Houses and We Love Halloween. There's free fun to be had in the days leading up to Halloween, so set your GPS for these time-honored spooky standbys and newbies.

See what other counties are doing:

• Cook County/Chicago
• DuPage County
• Lake County
• Will/Kendall County

• Halloween COVID-19 Precautions: IL Offers Trick-Or-Treating Tips
• Thanksgiving, Christmas In IL: See Latest CDC Guidance

KANE COUNTY

Batavia

LIGHTS ON EKMAN, 969 EKMAN DRIVE, BATAVIA — Brett Foy has draped 40,000 lights on his house for Halloween. He puts on a synchronized light show for Halloween and Christmas. Watch from your car and tune in 99.1 FM and enjoy the show. On Friday and Saturday there is fog. Skeletons drink pumpkin lattes. Keep up with Lights On Ekman on Facebook and Instagram. Donations are being accepted for Batavia Mothers Club Foundation that seeks to work for the betterment of children and families in Batavia and the Fox Valley.

Carpentersville

THE BOO HOUSE, 3704 PINECREST DRIVE, CARPENTERSVILLE — Take a “deadtour” to the Boo House, where skeletons dance around the tombstones. Lots to see here.

Elburn

KAMME-O-CIRCUS, 1128 LIBERTY DRIVE, ELBURN — Kamme-O-Circus started 19 years ago with 6 tombstones, 2 strobe lights and a fog machine. Since then, Mike and Anne Kothe have continued to expand, and for the past six years have offered a full-blown haunted maze/house free of charge. The themes change yearly, but the core has always been around clowns and jesters. “We take the safety of those brave enough to venture into the maze serious and as a result we are permitted by the Village of Elburn, certified in crowd control, and approved by the fire marshal,” the Kothes say. This year the theme is an insane asylum. The yard haunt features strobes, lasers, fog machines, motion sensors, cameras, and a bunch of animatronics. On Halloween 1,000 people have been known to show up.

Saint Charles

285 KENNEDY DRIVE, SAINT CHARLES — Allison Prociuk and her husband are Halloween enthusiasts. Their Beetlejuice-themed yard haunt opens Oct. 16. The couple will slip into their alternate identities as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz and greet visitors. Allison has spent the entire year handcrafting each prop from scratch. The yard is lit from 7 to 10:30 p.m.

McHENRY COUNTY

Algonquin

WESTBURY MANOR AND CEMETERY, 1821 WESTBURY DRIVE, ALGONQUIN — Considered one of the premiere yard haunts in Chicago's northwest suburbs and part of the Chicago Haunt Builders Group, Darren Rich has been spooking his neighbors for five years. The haunt includes a walk-through from the front entrance to the side of the house, and then across the porch. The yard is filled with pneumatic, static and electronic props. This haunt keeps getting bigger every year. Westbury Manor is located around the corner from Halloween Town, a must-visit! Open from dusk to 10 p.m. through Halloween. Winner of Algonquin's 2020 Spookiest Home Contest.

ADDED! HALLOWEEN TOWN, 1821 HARTLEY DRIVE, ALGONQUIN, IL — First created in 2006 by homeowner Jim Haupert, it all started with a tiny graveyard and a few skeleton lights. Each year the display grew larger adding lights, fog, lightning effects, and GHOULS. In 2008 with the addition of JACK SKELLINGTON, HALLOWEEN TOWN was born. Halloween Town features PNEUMATIC and MOVING PROPS within the cemetery gates, an inviting graveyard walk-thru brings spectators and victims of every age, up close and personal to their darkest fears. ZOMBIES, GARGOYLES, BATS, and SKELETONS, await you in this haunted cemetery, along with BLEEDING CREATURES, CREEPY COFFINS, and much, much, more. Available for viewing through Oct. 31, dusk to 10:30 p.m. Follow Halloween Town on Facebook.

Cary

637 RAWSON BRIDGE ROAD, CARY — Jennifer Thompson just moved into her house. This is her first year decorating, and she expects her display to grow every year. What a trooper!

Huntley

ADDED! WICKED ON WELSH, 9491 WELSH LANE, HUNTLEY — A passerby sent this house to us. They have three giant skeletons, projection units of spiders and snacks coming through the ground, singing ghosts and smoke breathing dragons. This year, they added a haunted garage on the weekends. The homeowners for the Grafton Food Pantry.

Johnsburg

1204 W. CIRCLE COURT, JOHNSBURG — Brent Deppmeier submitted photos of his brother and sister-in-law, Brad and Laura’s, fantastic gothic cemetery. There are numerous motion activated animatronic displays, most handcrafted by Brad himself, including his pride and joy, a reproduction of a 1881 horse-drawn hearse. There’s much to see and many surprises for kids and adults. Sadly, Brad passed away on Aug. 27. His last request was to make sure his yard haunt was put up for all to enjoy, knowing many would be disappointed if it wasn’t up. This year, Laura, Brent, with the help of several others put up Brad’s yard haunt.

McHenry

Hell’s Waiting Room, 1710 Jennifer Lane, McHenry — “The doctor will see you now.” First-timers Kelly and Wayne Braun have submitted their unique and disturbed yard in McHenry. It’s a little on the gory side, but nothing jumps out at you. Some younger kids are afraid to get close, but most like it. Lights are until midnight, every day.

5213 W. SHORE DRIVE, McHENRY — Kristina Welsh offers up this kid-friendly display. We love the kitty cat.