Community Corner
Wickedly Creative Chicago-Area Haunted Houses Offer Thrills and Chills
Patch roundup of places to go for a good scare in Chicago's suburbs.
By Lorraine Swanson
The 2014 edition of suburban haunted houses offers familiar favorites such as the Statesville Haunted Prison and Zombie Paintball Hay Rides , as well as new entries like the Midnight Terror House in Oak Lawn. Parents should note these haunted houses may not be suitable for children under 10. Many are put on by professional scare meisters, park districts or civic groups that simply get a kick of scaring the snot out of people. There is still plenty of time to get a scare in before Halloween.
Find out what's happening in Montgomeryfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Location: 17250 S Weber Rd, Crest Hill
Hours of operation: Oct. 17-19, Oct. 22-26, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Find out what's happening in Montgomeryfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Admission: General, $30, VIP $40. Groups (12 or more), $21. Discount coupons available online.
Details: Enter Statesville Haunted Prison at your own peril. When you do, the Warden the Demon of Darkness and his Zombies will quickly take control of you like everything else inside the ancient walls of pure evil! You will experience feelings that you have never felt before! Some call it scared, terrified, or horrified but you will never be the same again or should I say sane again. Do you like clowns? You won’t if you survive and escape Statesville! Only a select few escape the dangerous cells only to enter the City of the Dead where the most evil of Statesville go for eternity. Will you be joining them?
Hours of Operation: Full haunt 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 24, 25 and 26; family friendly haunted from 2 to 5 pm. Oct. 25 and 26.
Location: 14300 S. Coli Plus Drive, Plainfield, IL
Admission: Full scare - $10; Full scare - $10 Family-friendly - $.5 Age 6 and under free for both events Full Haunt is intended to scare. There are no monsters in the Family-Friendly events.
Details: Village of Screamfield is a haunted house fundraiser. All proceeds benefit the students and staff of Plainfield School District 202. The Foundation for Excellence is a non-profit 501c organization. For more information on the foundation please visit: www.d202foundation.org
Anderson Fun-E Farm and Fort Dread
Hours of Operation: 6-10 Thursday and Friday; 3-10 Saturday and Sunday
New Location: 1423 W. Broadway St., Joliet, IL (behind Haunted Trails Restaurant/arcade)
Details: A family fun pumpkin patch bringing back that farm feel. The farm has shows, hayrides, haunted hayride, kid-friendly haunted house (3-6 p.m.), miniature golf, go-karts and more. Also check out Fort Dread Zombie Walk.
Basement of the Dead & Shattered 3D Nightmare
Hours of Operation: Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 11 p.m; Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays, 7 to 10 p.m.
New location: 42 W. New York St., Aurora, IL
Hours of operation: Open Oct. 23,24,25,26,29, 30, 31, Nov. 1, 2. Check the website to book a time.
Admission: $25 general admission and $35-45 VIP admission to both attractions
Details: Two haunted houses -- including a 3D attraction -- at one location.
Hours of Operation: Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 2 and Oct. 31, 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Thursdays and Sundays and Oct. 29, 7 to 11 p.m.
New location: 299 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery
Admission: $23 general admission and $35 VIP for both attractions (includes 3D glasses)
Details: Work up your nerves and step in to one of the top ten scariest attractions in the Midwest, The Massacre Haunted House and Fear Factory 3-D. Newly renovated and ready to deliver the scares, The Massacre offers over 15,000+ sq. ft. of sheer nightmares for your enjoyment. This custom built haunted house allows visitors to walk through in small groups of six to seven and is designed to give teenagers through adults the scare of their lives! Focusing on fear and fright, this haunted labyrinth dishes up over 35 rooms of pure terror where 40 ghastly clad actors are waiting to scare and delight. Frightening mazes, eerie animatronics, and beyond is ready to fill your October with chills and thrills. Newly added for 2011 The Massacre added a 2nd Haunt “Fear Factory 3-D” A one a kind attraction that delivers 3-D effects when you wear special 3-D Glasses provided by the Haunt.
Where: 9531 W. 5rd Ave., Oak Lawn (Yourell and 52nd Avenue at the former Beatty Lumber Yard)
When: Thursdays and Sundays, 7 to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 11 p.m. through Nov. 1
Admission: $10, RIP ticket $17.
Information: http://midnightterrorhauntedhouse.com/
Orland Park Lions Club Haunted Woods Presents Resurrection High
Where: 14800 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park
When: Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25; 7-11 p.m. Trick or treat trail on Oct. 26 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: $12 for ages 6 and older; VIP is $17.
Information: http://orlandparklionsclub.com/
Where: 19111 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park
When: Fridays and Saturdays 7 p.m. to midnight; Sundays 7-11 p.m. through Nov. 1.
Admission: $22 includes 100 paintballs, unlimited compressed air and gun rental. Refills available $5 for 100 paintballs.
Information: http://www.odysseyfunfarm.com/ZOMBIE.html
Where: 19111 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park
When: Open every Friday through Saturday through Nov. 1, through from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: $11; children age 2 and younger free
Information: http://www.odysseyfunfarm.com
Haunted Hayrides at Forest View Farms
Where: Forest View Farms, 16717 Lockwood Ave., Tinley Park
When: Haunted Hayrides has a less scary version at 6:30 p.m. for little kids; full-effect scary version 7 p.m.and 8:30 p.m.; Zombie Paintball 9-11 p.m. Oct. 17-19, and Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Admission: $12 for one to five people; $11 for 5-10; and $10 for groups of ten or more. Zombie Paintball $22 (includes 100 paintballs).
Information: 708-560-0306 or online at www.fvfarms.com
In its ninth year of operation, Sweet Dreams Haunted House is located inside Funtime Square in Alsip, which has the largest haunted cemetery count, according to Haunted Places of Illinois.
Where: 11901 S. Cicero Ave. Alsip, inside Funtime Square.
When: Oct. 4-7, Oct. 11-13, Oct. 18-20, Oct. 25-27 and Halloween (Oct. 31), 7-11 p.m.
Admission: $10.
Information: http://www.sweetdreamshauntedhouse.com
Creepy Hallow Blood Shed Haunted House
Three different kinds of terror. There’s the Blood Shed Haunted House, a Haunted Hayride and Woods, Zombie Hunt Paintball Hayride, Interactive Scaryland and Coffin Simulator Ride.
Where: Fawn Landscaping, 24405 S. LaGrange Road, Frankfort
When: Oct. 24-26; Fridays and Saturdays, 6-11 p.m.; Sundays, 6-10 p.m. and Oct. 30, 6-10 p.m. and Oct. 31, 7-11 p.m.
Admission: Bloodshed Haunted House, $25; Terror Trails Haunted Hayride, $21; Zombie Hunt Paintball (includes 80 paintballs), $21; and Interactive Scaryland, $12; and Coffin Simulator Ride, $12.
Information: http://creepyhallow.com/
Spirits of the Oaks Haunted Trail
It’s the time of year when the darkness lengthens and the Spirits of the Oaks become restless. Are you brave enough to walk amongst them? Visit our haunted trail that is sure to scare even the bravest soul.
Where: Irons Oaks in Olympia Fields
When: Oct. 17-19, from 7-10 p.m. for ages 12 and older
Admission: $7 ($5 in groups of 5 or more)
Information: http://www.hfparks.com
A two-story haunted house and scary maze featuring scenes from famous horror films.
Where: 7759 S. Harlem Ave., Burbank
When: Sunday-Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6 to 11 p.m.; Oct. 31, 6 p.m. til whenever.
Admission: $12 general admission. R.I.P package for $25.95 includes unlimited rides and one Haunted House admission. Group packages for 15 or more available.
Information: http://www.frightmarehauntedhouse.com/
Nightmare at the Terrace Haunted House
The Worth Park District will once again be turning the Terrace Centre into a place full of scares, thrills and chills for the sixth annual “Nightmare at the Terrace” Haunted House. If you dare, take your chances and walk through a 700-foot path and 15-room maze.
Where: 11500 Beloit Ave., Worth
When: Oct. 17-19, Oct. 24-16, 5-10:15 p.m.
Admission: $8 for 8 and older A ”lights on” version for kids will be held Oct. 25 from 1:30-5 p.m. for $2.
Information: 708-448-7080 or online at http://www.worthparkdistrict.org
Abyss Presented by Dollinger Farms
A darkness, long forgotten, has been unleashed deep within the bowels of the earth, beneath the old McClindon place in unsuspecting Aurora. An unspeakable portal to horror so deep and black, it is known only as … ABYSS. Three ALL NEW ATTRACTIONS, including Blood Zone Haunt, Sons of Abyss Insane Lane go-karts and Zombie Zone paintball.
Where: Rt. 31 and Ogden Avenue, Aurora (NEW LOCATION)
When: Oct. 17-19 Oct. 24-26, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, Fridays and Saturdays 7-11 p.m. Sundays and 7-10 p.m.
Admission: Blood Zone Haunt $15, Zombie Zone Paintball $12, Insane Lane Go Karts, or all three for $30. VIP it for an extra $10.
Information: 815-467-6788 or online at http://www.abysshaunts.com/
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare
Features three twisted haunts including “Haunt of the 1000 Corpses,” “The Lords of Salem” based on the 2012 movie, and “The Haunted World of Superbeasto 3D.”
Where: Odeum Expo Center, 1033 N Villa Ave, Addison
When: Thursdays and Sundays, 7-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 7-midnight, through Nov. 1.
Admission: $25 online, VIP I, $30 door; $36 online, VIP II, $45 door; $50 online, $60 door.
Information: http://www.greatamericannightmare.com/
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
