Halloween parties, costumes and mounds of candy are season essentials, but if you need to scream yourself silly to feel properly entombed in the Halloween spirit, hit up a haunted house. Scattered throughout the city and ‘burbs, these spots know all thebest scare tactics.
The Fear
Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. 773-843-3327.
The setting: A depraved sea captain exhibits his collection of caged werewolves, vampires, clowns and former crewmen that have been experimented on. Advance through scary rooms inside a tricked-out trailer devised by the folks behind Statesville Haunted Prison (see below).
Fear factor: 3.5. Freakier than any “Pirates of the Caribbean”-style seafaring zombies.
Details: Through Nov. 1; $20-$25
Evil Intentions Haunted House
900 Grace St., Elgin. evilscarecrew.com
The setting: Sadistic murderers take possession of an abandoned 1890s casket factory. Within 19 scenes, a foul crew of 26 costumed actors attempts to freak you out. While you can run past some frights, others require you to crawl through small spaces.
Fear factor (1-5): 4. A nightmare for the claustrophobic.
Details: Through Nov. 1; $15
Chronicles of the Cursed
560 W. Grand Ave. cursedchicago.com
The setting: The underworld spills forth with a cadre of ghouls, tortured mutants, demons and victims trying to claw, ax and chainsaw themselves to freedom. The 20,000-square-foot haunted house is billed as Chicago’s largest. And yes, it’s Tribune-owned.
Fear factor: 4. In this case, size matters, and this cavernous space is bound to house one of your phobias.
Details: Friday-Nov. 1; $15-$20. $35 VIP
Frightmare Haunted House
Haunted Trails Amusement Park, 7759 S.Harlem Ave., Burbank. 708-598-8580.
The setting: A two-level Civil War-era mansion harbors swamp creatures, a catwalk guarded by the grim reaper and an operating room where the living dead perform surgery.
Fear factor: 4. Surgery is scary enough sans tool-wielding zombies.
Details: Friday-Oct. 31; $10
Trails of Terror
Peterson Park, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd. 312-742-7584.The setting: Nearly a half-mile of wooded trails have been transformed into a creepy seaside town, complete with an old-timey general store and abandoned fishing boats haunted by their ghostly crew. Fear factor: 3. You’ll be chilled by more than just the weather.Details: Oct. 23-31; $10
Nightmare at 63rd Street Beach House
6300 S. Lake Shore Drive. 312-742-5369.
The setting: Walk into your favorite horror flicks at this two-story house featuring 10 scenes based on movies such as “Carrie,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Night of the Living Dead.”
Fear factor: 2. The movies are scary, but you’ve seen them all before.
Details: Oct. 22-30; $7
Statesville Haunted Prison
Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm, 17250 S. Weber Rd., Crest Hill. 815-741-9791.
The setting: Chainsaw-wielding clowns, crazed scientists and a demonic warden are on the loose during a breakout at this maximum security prison. This year’s annual freak fest features more than 50 actors and 10 new scary rooms.
Fear factor: 5. Nothing can be worse than sharing cell space with a bunch of psychos.
Details: Thursday-Nov. 1; $30
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metromix@tribune.com
