Patch’s Best 2021 Halloween Yard Haunts: Will And Kendall County

WILL AND KENDALL COUNTY — 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.

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The residents of Will and Kendall 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
• McHenry/Kane County

Here's how your neighbors have decorated for Halloween:

WILL COUNTY

Bolingbrook

533 EMERSON CIRCLE, BOLINGBROOK — Norb and Rosemary Przybylski’s spooky yard features monsters and more, including 150 lit gallon containers. The front window display is festooned with witches, skeletons and what looks to be the cast of the Addams Family.

Crest Hill

1426 BERTA DRIVE, CREST HILL — Katie and Manny’s yard haunt is known as the "Halloween House." This is their first year on the list. “We had so much fun following last year’s guide and getting to get out and see all the local yard haunts that it inspired (and challenged) us for bigger and better things this year. We feel like we’re finally ready to join the tour.” The couple has some inspired props. We love the creepy X-ray skeleton. Lights go on around 6-ish through Oct. 31.

Frankfort

GHOULS ON GLASGOW, 19821 S. GLASGOW, FRANKFORT — Kyle Showalter started with a single Michael Myers prop and his lawn o’ ghouls has escalated ever since. This yard haunt attracts thousands of people every Halloween season, who come to gaze upon the three dozen or more eye-popping props. Waring: Sometimes Showalter’s neighbors like to dress up like monsters and terrorize the looky-loos. The Showalters are accepting donations for the Illinois Chapter of the TEARS Foundation. The yard is lit daily from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Read TJ Kremer III’s story on Patch.

Homer Glen

13115 SAGE COURT, HOMER GLEN — The festive Fiskows have created a delightful, family friendly cemetery with lots of blow molds. Features projections, skeletons on roofs and lots of other creepy things to gape at.

Joliet

ADDED! 258 N. RAYNOR AVE., JOLIET — Check out the huge, 8-foot tall pumpkin man made out of sticks the Reyes family made themselves. Some props are animatronic. And don’t miss the house when it's lit up in orange at night. Also, on Halloween, they’ll be dressing up and scaring people.

ADDED! CATON AVENUE CORPSE FARM, 1211 CATON AVENUE, JOLIET — Lauren Schultz and her mom, Christine Canzona have been decorating for six years. Their crazy display features a haunted farm, ominous graveyard and witches’ corner.”

ADDED! UnHALLOWED GROUNDS, 1085 RONALD DRIVE, JOLIET — A still life of skeletons, ghouls and even a werewolf. Running on Halloween weekend only. Located in the Chicago Estates subdivision.

ADDED! 1609 AVALON, JOLIET — A passer-by snapped this photo of this awesome yard in Joliet.

HALLOWEEN HOUSE, 513 CORNELIA ST., JOLIET — The skeletons are swinging their partners round and round in Thomas Lancaster’s skeleton square dance.

INFESTED OAKS, 1806 WHISPERING OAKS COURT, JOLIET — Take a selfie if you dare. This is Aubrey Salewski’s second year of doing a display, featuring movie themes from IT and Pet Semetary to Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

COUNT KUHAJDA'S HAUNTED HAUS, 1112 NICHOLSON ST., JOLIET — Mark and Nancy Kuhajda have been spooking their block for over 20 years (now we're hungry for a bowl of Count Chocula) and receive over 1,000 visitors each Halloween season. This elegant front- and backyard haunt offers a kid friendly amusing walkthrough. There are no actors to terrify your kids. The front yard features mostly traditional Halloween fare. Belly up to the demon bar where a deceased bartender introduces visitors to the haunt. The backyard features the house band the Dead Beats. The cemetery and props are based on Universal Studios and sci-fi related characters. All figures and tombstones are handmade. The Kuhajdas will once again be accepting donations for 1Pet 1Vet, a great organization that trains rescue dogs as companions and service dogs for veterans. Haunt hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Friday; 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 3 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.

3433 Pandola Ave., Joliet — This awesome yard haunt turns more heads than Linda Blair’s in “The Exorcist.” In fact, Jim Smith’s display features an “exorcist girls,” as well as Freddy Krueger, zombie clowns and more! Lit daily until 10 p.m. through Halloween.

1002 CAMPBELL ST., JOLIET — Opening night for this haunt was Oct. 15, and it runs through Nov. 3, when Edward Kowalski starts decorating for Christmas.

254 McROBERTS ST., JOLIET — Skeletons have taken over Mario Chavez’s yard in Joliet.

ADDED! 1402 TIGER LILY LANE, JOLIET — A delightful display featuring a full graveyard with skeletons and ghouls on one side and a full light show to favorite Halloween tunes on the other. Tune your car radio to 95.3 FM and you can hear the music right in your car. New spooks have been added this year. Share your photos @shadow_hill_cemetery on Instagram.

Lockport

ST LUCIFER'S GARDEN OF LOST SOULS, 312 EDINBURGH DRIVE, LOCKPORT — Every Halloween season, Nancy Gonzalez’s front yard sprouts lost souls. She's been turning her lawn into a graveyard, which features a walk-thru display with spooky music. There is no gore, so young children will love strolling through graveyard enjoying the static and animatronic props. A donation box is up for the TLC Animal Shelter in Homer Glen. The yard haunt is open daily from 6 to 11 p.m. Visitors are welcome day and night.

Manhattan

HOLIDAY HOUSE PROJECTIONS, 24361 SHAWNEE LANE, MANHATTAN — Michael Hesser's yard haunt is a technological marvel, done entirely with computers. Michael starts programming and editing weeks in advance, using a technique called 3D mapping creating 3D projections across the front of the house. The Hessers also have a Christmas show. The audio is broadcast over FM radio, so people can watch from the safety and comfort of their car. To keep things fresh, new scenes are added throughout the month leading up to Halloween. “We have received unbelievably kind letters from families from across Illinois letting us know our house has become a family tradition,” Hesser says. “The letters are usually addressed to ‘The Halloween House’ or ‘The Christmas House’ since we do displays for both.”

Minooka

ADDED! THE CORNER LOT CEMETERY, 313 CHIPPEWA DRIVE, MINOOKA — The coffins, reaper, hearse, fence, well, tombstones, electric chair, guillotine, bridge, spooky trees were all homemade by Shellee Reavis and her husband in the garage workshop. New this year is a pirate shipwreak. Lights go on at dusk. Halloween is a special day for the couple because that's when they got married. Happy anniversary.

Mokena

19910 MOKENA ST., MOKENA

Monee

MONEE MANOR, 24066 S. CICERO AVE., MONEE, IL — Take a drive down Cicero Avenue to where the streetlights end and the dark country takes over. This is the Berryhill family's eighth year of doing their country yard haunt. Last year they got more visitors than ever, when their house appeared on the Patch tour. Creepy animatronic and static ghosts await you, mostly homemade. Come see the huge graveyard with 10-foot pillars, skeleton stock chambers and basement zombies. Watch out for the MASSIVE rooftop spider and the elaborate toxic waste dump. The neighbors also do a great display. There's plenty of shoulder area to park and walk along the front of the property to get a closer look. Dusk to midnight through Nov 3rd. Monee Manor - Halloween Yard Display.

New Lenox

ADDED! HAUNTED MANOR OF EVIL, 2867 FERRO DRIVE, NEW LENOX — Jeff Eggener has covered the exterior of his house entirely of wood. It looks like a real 13th century dungeon. Amazing.

YARD OF THE APOCALYPSE, 250 IAN AVE., NEW LENOX — Your nightmares are on full display here at the Yard of the Apocalypse. This frightful walk through features creepy lighting, fog, scary sounds, projected terrors, a tortuous witch, unfriendly clowns, zombies, Leatherface’s Chop Shop, a shocking fellow, babies that you would not want to babysit for, and twins that have a dark outlook on life. There is a little demented fun for all. Walt Disney would be proud.

2912 LEVIN AVENUE, NEW LENOX

Plainfield

ADDED! 15328 S. BUTTERCUP COURT, PLAINFIELD — Featured animated figures, lights and ghouls.

ADDED! 2122 STAFFORD COURT, PLAINFIELD — Patricia Lane loves decorating for every season but her favorite part of decorating is seeing the joy and smiles on the kids’ faces when they walk around her whimsical inflatable display, featuring several large playful cats, bats, ghosts and other characters that catch their eyes. Plenty of colorful lights as well.

11315 Maplewood Drive, Plainfield — To market, to market. We love the skeletons dragging a wagon full of skulls in Karl Heil’s yard.

THE COTE'S HAUNTED YARD, 6907 TOWNSEND BLVD, PLAINFIELD — Brian and Jessica Cote offer a backyard walk through for families to enjoy. It's kid friendly, not scary and there is a scavenger hunt for kids. Nothing jumps out at you. The haunt features animatronics, lights, fog and a lot of homemade props. "My husband and I love Halloween. We were married on Halloween and of course had a costume party wedding. One day for trick or treating is not enough to share our excitement and joy of this holiday," says Jessica. The haunt is open dusk to 9-ish, Oct. 2, 8, 9, 15, 22 (Closed Oct. 23rd), 29, 30 and of course, on Halloween, weather permitting. Excellent display for kids.

11734 S. OLYMPIC DRIVE, PLAINFIELD — New on the Patch scary yard tour in 2020 is Rob and Jill Leathers whimsical display in Plainfield. We can’t get enough of Frankenstein bursting through the roof of the garage.

ELLA'S HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE, 13240 SKYLINE DRIVE, PLAINFIELD —After taking a breather in 2020, Ella’s Horsemen of the Apocalypse is back in town. “Pestilence came early and overstayed his welcome. War, Famine, and Death are also present. Pestilence’s head moves side to side as he looks down the sidewalk at passers-by. The plague doctor also looks for victims from the porch roof, blue light spilling out his googles, head slowly moving to spy a careless soul. His staff has three large covid viruses at its end, ready to be sent in any direction. Death also has a covid virus in his hand. This weapon has worked well this past year,” Ella writes. “There are several reapers picking up the dead, and many headstones and skeleton dogs. A pile of smoldering skulls, complete with smoke, are next to War and the spoils of it for him … The front porch is not to be missed with a 12-foot reaper, and an 8-foot reaper both with led blinking eyes and a phantom, that when activated, will greet you. A short video of a grim reaper will be projected in an upper window. It’s a little scary and creepy, just like the world today.”

11510 GLENN CIRCLE, PLAINFIELD — Fifty-two skeletons invade Jackie Lopez's yard. They are up all day and lit up at night. She’s added two 12-foot skeletons.

Shorewood

ADDED! 1018 CONRAD LANE, SHOREWOOD — Erica Foster and her family have worked hard to make their yard look awesome for Halloween.

ADDED! 1006 MADIERA DRIVE, SHOREWOOD — Rebecca Gename has spooky projections and props in this beautifully lit yard.

CRYPT OF KIPLING ESTATES, 1109 BUTTERFIELD CIRCLE WEST, SHOREWOOD — This family friendly yard display features a lighted graveyard with music and skeletons trying to escape their eternal resting place. Ghoulish projections haunt the cemetery Friday through Sunday, making the place come alive. On Halloween weekend, take a picture in our electric chair or in front of our backdrop. Haunt is lit from dusk to 10 p.m.

KENDALL COUNTY

Oswego

ADDED! 404 MANCHESTER ROAD, OSWEGO — We love the classic goth look in Amber Stults display. Amber and her family have just started on the path to Halloween greatness. Werewolves are taking over.

RAVEN HILLS CEMETERY, 224 PRESIDENTIAL BLVD., OSWEGO — This awesome display is all lit up with strobe lights and features animatronics, projector special effects and fog machines. The Dienoffs are planning a special surprise on Halloween. “We always give out candy (of course), toy bags for kids, treats for the adults, and even treats for the dogs.”

150 BLUEGRASS PARKWAY, OSWEGO — The Poppe family presents this nicely lit yard haunt, along with a window projection system of various spooky clips and some freaky eyeballs.

Sandwich

CREEPSHOW ON CENTER STREET, 406 W. CENTER ST., SANDWICH — Check out the creeps on Center Street. Lights are turned on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the whole last week of October.