Haunted houses in northern Illinois bring Halloween spooks – Shaw Local

If you’re looking for a frighteningly good time this Halloween season, there are a variety of haunted houses in Northern Illinois that will have you screaming in terror.

Many of the area’s haunted houses are open on weekends and select weekdays through early November. However, exact dates, opening times and prices can be found on the websites.

Cellar of the Dead – Aurora

Aurora’s Cellar of the Dead is not for the faint of heart. According to its website, Basement of the Dead has been ranked by many media outlets as one of the scariest haunted houses in the Chicago area. The attraction is located in the basement of a 120-year-old building in downtown Aurora. Check out the Shattered 3D haunted attraction. Basement of the Dead, 42 W. New York St., Aurora, is not recommended for children under 13. For pricing details and operating dates and times, visit Kellerofthedead.com.

Old Joliet State Penitentiary – Joliet

There are plenty of spooky creatures waiting for you at the Old Joliet Prison Haunted House, 401 Woodruff Road. This year’s horror films include “Inmates Row,” “Carnage in Cell Block 13” and more. After escaping the horror, those 21 and over can relax with a drink at the Neon Cowboy Secret Bar. Or try the mini escape game “Asylum” or the more difficult mini escape game “Prison Break”. Not recommended for children under 12 years. Ticket prices vary by date but start at $19.99 and go up to $32.99. For date and time information and to purchase tickets, visit hauntedprison.com.

Insane Haunted House – Peru

Located in the Peru Mall at 3940 Route 251 in Peru, the Insanity Haunted House offers 10,000 square feet of “pure terror” as guests enter and exit multiple rooms. Guests will encounter rooms full of terrifying screams and terrifying cries and come face to face with gruesome creatures. Ticket prices vary between $20 and $40. Not recommended for children under 12 years.

For more information on dates and times and to purchase tickets, visit insanityhh.com.

Haunted Haven-Dixon

Haunted Haven, located at Who Else Land, 126 Anderson Road, Dixon, brings some serious spooks in the woods! Haunted Haven’s barn burned down in May, forcing the move. Guests are placed directly in the middle of the interactive scene, where they come face to face with grisly creatures. Haunted Haven uses scents, fog and lights. Ticket prices start at $15. Not recommended for children under 13 years. For dates and times, visit hauntedhaven.org.

Haunted House Massacre – Montgomery

The Massacre Haunted House, 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, will celebrate its 15th anniversary of spooky horrors in 2024. More than 30,000 square feet and 40 rooms of horror await guests, and this year sees the haunted house’s largest renovation, bringing with it even more spooky scares. While there, check out the Mind Trap Escape Rooms and Bull & Bear Ax Throwing. Ticket prices vary depending on the date. Visit bangthemassacre.com to check dates and times.

Hell’s Gate Haunted House – Lockport

Visit this haunted house in the woods…if you dare. On its website, Hell’s Gate is described as a haunted adventure. It’s a multi-story mansion with secret rooms, a giant slide and ghastly ghosts in Lockport. Guests travel through the Dark Forest and the Cemetery of Lost Souls to find the mansion. The 2024 attraction features escaped inmates from the Statesville Haunted Prison. The parking lot is located at 301 W. Second St. and guests can take a shuttle bus to the entrance. For dates and times and to purchase tickets, visit hellsgate.com.

5 points Haunted House – West Chicago

This brand new haunted house opens October 4th at the former site of Club 38 and Synergy nightclubs at 241 W. Roosevelt Road. The two-story haunted house will feature at least 50 animatronic figures in the ten rooms on the top floor and four to five in the basement, with a small portion outside. It will also incorporate elements from the club’s history from its beginnings as a farm to the Synergy Bar. Open Friday to Sunday and select Thursdays through November 2nd. It is open every evening during Halloween week. Fear-free hours are also available on select afternoons. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 5pointshunt.com.

Haunted House with Evil Intentions – Maple Park

Evil surrounds the guests of this haunted house, now located in Forsaken Hollow, a larger and scarier house at 45W050 Beith Road in Maple Park. Visitors will experience evil and terror in this new spooky location. For dates and times and to purchase tickets, visit eihaunt.com.

Disturbia Haunted House – Downers Grove

Disturbia is located at 1213 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove and is owned by the same team as Aurora’s Basement of the Dead. Terror awaits guests at every corner, with a variety of rooms and scenarios with different spooky horrors. The haunted house utilizes special effects, unique sets and trained actors for the ultimate experience. Ticket prices vary by date but start at $27.99 and go up to $34.99. For date and time information and to purchase tickets, visit hauntedhousedisturbia.com.

Hayride of Horror/Curse of the Bayou – Lockport

This spooky hayride takes guests through Dellwood Park, 199 Woods Drive in Lockport, where they encounter dark and mysterious forces. While you wait in line, scary movies will be shown on the outside screen. After the wagon ride, visit the powerful voodoo priestess in the park’s underground at Curse of the Bayou. The running maze features an uneven path, tight turns, low ceilings, fog, loud noises and strobe lights. For more information on dates and times and to purchase tickets, visit lockportpark.org/HayrideOfHorror.

Empire of Terror – Round Lake Beach

This haunted house at 421 W. Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach has been scaring people for more than 20 years. The 2024 theme is “The Haunting Hour,” which brings with it a variety of rooms, and the scares increase with each room. The adventure ends in the Shadows of the Abyss, a labyrinth filled with terrifying creatures at every turn. Not recommended for people under 13 years old. There will be no actors’ evening on October 20th; on October 26th and 27th the family-friendly opening hours are from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For date and time information and to purchase tickets, visit realmofterror.com.

Nightmare Haunted Attraction – Princeton

The Bureau County Fairgrounds at 811 W. Peru St. in Princeton will be haunted every Friday and Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. through Oct. 26. The earth-floored barns transform from functional farm buildings into a spooky atmosphere full of ghouls and ghosts. For an added level of seasonal celebration, attend the annual Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 12, at 5 p.m. on Main Street in Princeton. For more information, visit nightmarehauntedattraction.com.

Eagle Ridge Resort-Galena

Located in the beautiful rolling hills of northwestern Illinois, this resort is home to The Twilight Asylum, its first-ever haunted house. Located in the resort’s old spa, it offers an immersive experience that takes guests on a tour of a once-abandoned asylum where dark secrets lurk around every corner. The Twilight Asylum Haunted House features uniquely themed rooms where visitors encounter eerie characters and terrifying surprises. From the troubled doctor’s office to the haunted operating room, every step through the asylum reveals new horrors. Tickets are $10 per person. This attraction is not recommended for children under 10 years old. For more information on dates and times, visit eagleridge.com.