With most of Chicago’s haunted houses located outside city limits, you want to make sure the scariest part of your visit isn’t the hourlong drive out to the ‘burbs. Fear not (or fear a lot); before you hop in the car, find out how readers rated last year’s returning frightspots.
Eleventh Hour, Pitch Black, Chain Reaction, Third Dementia
Friday through Oct. 31. See metromix.com for schedule. $10-$30. Cub Foods Parking Lot, 1212 W. 75th St., Downers Grove
What’s there: Four attractions in one: a haunted house, labyrinth, maze and 3-D artwork.
What readers say: “Not necessarily the scariest, in-your-face kind of haunt, although some stuff was scary. Nice effort from the actors who filled most every scene.” –JFK
Dream Reapers Haunted House
Friday through Oct. 31. See metromix.com for schedule. $15-$25. 1945 Cornell Ave., Melrose Park. 708-344-2084
What’s there: Sinister scents–like the aroma of a freshly dug grave–enhance this house’s 22 ghoul-ridden rooms.
What readers say: “This place was a lot of fun; the actors got really into it. One downfall was the long wait.” –Betty
“Not that great to me; the only entertaining part of the haunted house were the scared girls, screaming at anything and everything.” –Alera
Dungeon of Doom Haunted House
Friday through Oct. 31. See metromix.com for schedule. $11. 19200 W. IL-120, Grayslake. 262-553-9003
What’s there: Costumed actors and scary scenes (“Convicts in Control,” “Monks Mayhem”) flesh out this 14th-annual haunted house.
What readers say: “We drove over an hour and waited 21 1/42 hours in line! The house was scary but, for the wait, it was too short. … The makeup looked professional, and the people in the haunted house were very much in character … determined to get you scared.” –Elizabeth S.
“WOW! I’m a 25-year-old woman, and this attraction scared the [bleep] out of me! The wait was a little long . . . but if you get there earlier than 10 p.m., it’s probably not as bad. . . . The buried-alive part is really quite indescribable. You have to experience this to feel the sheer terror and panic.” –Lonna L.
Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead
Oct. 6-31. See metromix.com for schedule. $25 for both attractions. Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm, 17250 S. Weber Rd., Crest Hill. 877-722-7332
What’s there: More than 50 actors portray disturbed inmates in maximum-security prison cells; a second attraction offers a macabre peek at the underworld.
What readers say: “This place would get a better rating if it cost $10 less to get in. Not terrifying, but the props looked great, and the actors were really into it. Unfortunately, the first two rooms are the best part of the whole thing, which lasts maybe 15 minutes (after a 2-hour wait!). The rest is the same thing over and over, cool props and decorations with people jumping out, yelling, ‘Boo!’ at you.” –Nicole T.
“Last year, I was so scared just in line that my husband and I had to leave. We took a rain check and had to come back when I was, um, not so scared. I got through it on the second try and have never, ever been so terrified in a haunted house. From the clown room . . . to being chased and whispered at by the creatures, it was worth the almost 2-hour wait and 25 bucks, for sure. We can’t wait to go this year!” –Nora
Navy Fear: Demons of the Deep
Oct. 7-31. See metromix.com for schedule. $10-$12. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. 312-595-5225.
What’s there: Angry spirits roam the compound at this haunted “salvage and recovery” facility.
What readers say: “Not worth the wait! Two people inside … didn’t even attempt to scare you. It’s more like a bad museum. . . . Save your $4 and take a ride on the ‘L’; it’s more entertaining.” –Tonya
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Venue information and Reader Reviews
compiled from metromix.com.
metromix@tribune.com
