Get your fright on this Halloween season at these area haunted houses.
In addition to general admission tickets, many haunts offer VIP (skip the general admission line) and instant access (skip both lines) options. Check the websites for rules, FAQs and deals.
13th Floor Haunted House, 5050 River Road, Schiller Park. Hours vary Sept. 13-Nov. 9. Tickets: $19.99-$34.99. 708-571-3326; 13thfloorchicago.com.
New themes this year include Alien Autopsy and Lycan’s Curse. Attractions include Return of the Dead Zombie Shoot, mini escape games, Krakken’s Cup Secret Bar and Behind the Screams, a behind-the-scenes tour Saturdays in October. Finally, there’s the Monster Free Hour at 1 p.m. Oct. 13 and 20.
Basement of the Dead/Shattered 3-D Haunted House, 42 W. New York St., Aurora. Hours vary Sept. 13-Nov. 3. Tickets start at $34.99. 630-896-2466; Basementofthedead.com. This attraction features two haunts in one: the abandoned underground laboratory of Basement of the Dead and Shattered 3D with its gory 3D visuals.
Disturbia Haunted House, 1213 Butterfield Road Suite D, Downers Grove. Hours vary Sept. 13-Nov. 3. Tickets begin at $34.99. 630-896-2466; Disturbiachicago.com. Nights of Isolation without actors are Oct. 9, 16 and 23. Blackout Nights (no lights) are Nov. 3-4. The house offers an array of rooms and scenarios with special effects, trained actors and horrifying set designs.
Dungeon of Doom, 600 29th St., Zion. Hours are 7-11 p.m. Oct. 4-5 and Nov. 1-2. 7 p.m.-midnight Oct. 11-12; 18 and 25. 7-10:30 p.m. Sundays in October and Halloween. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Oct. 8-9. Tickets start at $34.99. 847-262-3666; Dungeonofdoom.com. Slasher Weekend is Oct. 31-Nov. 2 and pays tribute to horror icons. A Blackout event is Nov. 8-9. For an extra $5, guests can be buried alive. A Sub-Thermal Nightmare winter event is 7-11 p.m. Dec. 6-7.
Hayride of Horror and Curse of the Bayou, Dellwood Park, 199 E. Woods Drive, Lockport. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October plus 6-9 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27. Tickets: $15-$35. 815-838-1183; Lockportpark.org/HayrideOfHorror or Facebook.com/hayrideofhorror. Presented by the Lockport Township Park District, this consists of a (mostly) family-friendly hayride through a moonlit field set with scary scenes and characters. The Curse of the Bayou is a creepier walking attraction.
Hell’s Gate, 3101 S. Canal St., Lockport. Hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Sept. 27-Nov. 2 and 7-10 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays Sept. 29-Nov. 3, plus Oct. 23 and 30. Tickets: $40 online; $45 at the gate. 605-301-4283; Hellsgate.com. Guests must park at 301 W. 2nd St., and take a shuttle bus to the house. Monsters will be waiting to greet you at this haunt. One ticket option allows a member of your party to be marked as a target and bothered by the actors for the entire tour.
Massacre Haunted House, 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery. Hours vary beginning Sept. 27-Nov. 2. Tickets: $19.99-$34.99. 708-320-3327; fearthemassacre.com. This massive haunt — which received a big makeover for 2024 — features three haunted attractions: the Massacre Haunted House with its 40-plus rooms of terror, the clown-themed “Freak Show” and the horrifying sub-level attraction known as “The Underground.” There are also escape rooms and axe throwing. Monster Free Nights are 7-9 p.m. Oct. 23 and 30. Christmas Nightmare will be from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 13-14.
Midnight Terror Haunted House, 5520 W. 111th St., Oak Lawn. Hours vary Sept. 27-Nov. 9. Tickets: $35-$38; $5 more at the gate. 708-571-0266; Midnightterrorhauntedhouse.com. This haunt features several rooms and themes, including “Factory of Malum,” “Black Oak Grove” and “Chainsaw Alley.” Lights-on trick or treating is from 12 to 3 p.m. Oct. 26. A Blackout Night is Nov. 3. A Clown Takeover event is Nov. 8-9.
Old Joliet Haunted Prison, 401 Woodruff Road, Joliet. Hours vary Sept. 13-Nov. 2. Tickets: $19.99-$32.99. Hauntedprison.com. This haunt, presented by the 13th Floor Entertainment Group, is set in an actual former prison. The 2024 themes are “Carnage in Cell Block 13,” where dastardly criminals re-animate inmates in a paranormal lab with horrific results; and “Inmates Row,” where guests navigate a horrifying and deadly maze. Add-ons include mini escape games, two secret bars and a behind-the-scenes tour available Saturdays in October.
Realm of Terror Haunted House, 421 W. Rollins Road, Round Lake Beach. Hours are 7-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7-10 p.m. Sundays Oct. 4-Nov. 2. Closes at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 4-5. Tickets: $19.99-$29.99. 847-973-6053; realmofterror.com. New this year are two not-so-spooky events: No Actor Night on Oct. 20, where just the rooms are open without the monsters lurking within; and Family Frights from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 26-27, where guests take a modified tour and find monsters with treats instead of terror. There are also concessions and a gift shop
Scream Scene Haunted House, Skokie Water Playground, 4715 Oakton St., Skokie. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 4-26, plus Oct. 20, 27 and Nov. 2. Will stay open to 11 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26 and will close at 9 p.m. Oct. 20 and 27. 847-933-4969; screamscene.org. Tickets: $14. There will be a lights-on event from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 26, $3 per person. Glow Stick Scream Scene is Nov. 2. Presented by the Skokie Park District, this haunted house has been terrifying visitors since 1997.
Sonny Acres Haunted Hayride and Haunted Barn, 29W310 North Ave., West Chicago. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7-9 p.m. Sundays Sept. 27-Oct. 27. Tickets: $20-$25 per single attraction; $38 for combo pass. Haunted Barn VIP pass for $10 extra. 630-231-3859; sonnyacres.com/haunted-hayride.
The Haunted Barn is themed “The Curse of The Scare Crow.” The Haunted Hayride is a wagon ride through the woods complete with scary scenes, live actors, animatronics, lighting, pyro techniques, music and sound effects.
Undead Acres, Santa Fe Landscaping and Nursery, 3450 W. Crete Monee Road, Monee. Hours are 6-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6-10 p.m. Sundays Sept. 27-Nov. 2. Tickets: Zombie Paintball Safari, $25-$30; Haunted Evergreen Maze, $15. 708-534-3600; undeadacres.com. Walk through a maze of evergreen trees where monsters lurk and/or ride in paintball gun-outfitted trailer through the zombie-infested nursery shooting at zombies.
Northwest Indiana
Criminally Insane Haunted House, 226 S. Main St., Crown Point. Hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 11-26. Tickets: $15. 219-281-2213; facebook.com/hauntedcriminallyinsane. This is the 12th year for this haunt, which is a benefit for the Old Sheriff’s House and Jail.
Haunted Hills Hospital Haunted House, 7611 E. Lincoln Highway, Crown Point. Hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 4-26; 7-10 p.m. Sundays in October plus Oct. 17, 24, 31 and Nov. 1-2. Fall Festival 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 19. Tickets: $30. 219- 241-9498; Hauntedhillshospital.com.
Your ticket gets you admission to the Haunted Hills Hospital Haunted House and the Sickbilly Sideshow Haunted Attraction. The Fear Lab haunted experience is an extra $5. The Mayhem Midway has concessions and vendors while you wait.
Knights of Columbus Haunted Forest, wooded area behind Knights of Columbus Hall, 13039 Wicker Ave., Cedar Lake. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 11-26 and Oct. 20. Tickets: $15. 219-232-6091; Hauntedforestnwi.com. A free Not-So-Scary Haunted Forest for kids is from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 17 with no actors or scares, full lighting and trick-or-treating. The Oct. 20 date will feature guest actors from the Criminally Insane Haunted House in Crown Point.
MAAC-abre Haunted Attraction, MAAC Foundation First Responder Training Facility, 4203 Montdale Park Drive, Valparaiso. Hours are 6-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 11-26 and Oct. 20. Kid’s show 1:30-3:30 p.m. Oct. 13. Tickets: $20 if purchased online. Kids’ show $5. 708-334-0878; facebook.com/MAACabre.
MAACabre Haunted Attraction is a fundraiser for the MAAC Foundation, an organization that provides support and training to Northern Indiana first responders free of charge. The attraction will feature a haunted house with several rooms spread out over two levels.
Reaper’s Realm Haunted Attractions, 626 177th St., Hammond. Hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October and Oct. 28-31; 7-10 p.m. Sundays Oct. 13-27. Tickets: $30-$40. reapersrealm.com. Reaper’s Realm includes Reaper’s Resurrection Mansion/3D Inferno and Reaper’s Hollywood Horror Woods.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Lake County News-Sun.
