Haunted houses in northern Illinois bring Halloween scares

If you’re looking for a frighteningly good time this Halloween season, there’s a plethora of haunted houses in the northern Illinois area that will leave you screaming with terror.

Many of the area’s haunted houses are open on weekends and select weekdays through early November, but check websites for specific dates, hours and pricing.

Basement of the Dead – Aurora

Aurora’s Basement of the Dead is not for the faint of heart. According to its website, Basement of the Dead has been rated by many outlets as one of the Chicago area’s scariest haunted houses. 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 younger than 13 years old. For pricing details and dates/times of operation, visit basementofthedead.com.

Old Joliet State Prison – Joliet

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

Insanity Haunted House – Peru

Insanity Haunted House, located in the Peru Mall at 3940 Route 251 in Peru, features 10,000 square feet of “pure terror” as guests make their way in and out of several rooms. Guests will encounter rooms filled with terrifying screams and frightful screams, and come face to face with gruesome creatures. Ticket prices vary from $20 to $40. Not recommended for kids under 12. For dates/times or to purchase tickets, visit insanityhh.com.

Haunted Haven – Dixon

Haunted Haven, located on Who Else Land at 126 Anderson Road, Dixon, delivers intense scares in the woods! The Haunted Haven barn burned down in May, forcing the relocation. Guests will be placed directly in the middle of the interactive scene, where they’ll come face to face with grisly creatures. Haunted Haven uses scents, fog and lights. Ticket prices begin at $15. Not recommended for children younger than 13. For dates and times, visit hauntedhaven.org.

Massacre Haunted House – Montgomery

Massacre Haunted House, 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, is celebrating 15 years of chilling scares in 2024. More than 30,000 square feet and 40 rooms of sheer terror await guests, and this year features the haunted house’s biggest renovation, bringing even more horrifying frights. Check out the Mind Trap Escape Rooms and Bull & Bear Ax Throwing while there. Ticket prices vary by date. Visit fearthemassacre.com to check dates and times.

Hell’s Gate Haunted House – Lockport

Visit this haunted mansion in the woods ... if you dare. Billed on its website as a haunted adventure, Hell’s Gate is a multi-level mansion with secret rooms, a giant slide and ghastly ghouls in Lockport. Guests will travel through the Dark Forest and the Lost Souls Cemetery to find the mansion. The 2024 attraction features escaped inmates from Statesville Haunted Prison. Parking is located at 301 W. Second St. and guests will take a shuttle bus to the entrance. For dates and times or to buy tickets, visit hellsgate.com.

5 Points Haunted House – West Chicago

This brand-new haunted house opens Oct. 4 in the former site of Club 38 and Synergy nightclubs, at 241 W. Roosevelt Road. The two-floor haunted house will have at least 50 animatronic figures across the 10 spaces on its 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 early days as a farm through the Synergy bar. Open Fridays through Sundays and select Thursdays through Nov. 2. It will be open every night the week of Halloween. No-scare hours are also available on select afternoons. For more information or to buy tickets, visit 5pointshaunt.com.

Evil Intentions Haunted House – Maple Park

Evil surrounds guests at this haunted house, now located at Forsaken Hollow, a larger and more terrifying home at 45W050 Beith Road in Maple Park. Visitors will experience evil and terror in this new spooky location. For information about dates and times or to buy tickets, visit eihaunt.com.

Disturbia Haunted House – Downers Grove

Disturbia, located at 1213 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove, is owned by the same team as Aurora’s Basement of the Dead. Terror awaits guests around every corner, with a variety of rooms and scenarios with different ghastly scares. The haunted house uses special effects, unique set designs and trained actors for the ultimate experience. Ticket prices vary by date, but begin at $27.99 and go up to $34.99. For information about dates and time or 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’ll encounter dark and mysterious forces. Scary movies will be shown the outdoor screen while waiting in line. After the hayride, visit the powerful voodoo priestess in the park’s underground at Curse of the Bayou. The walking maze features an uneven trail, tight corners, low ceilings, fog, loud noises and strobe lighting. For more information about dates and times or to purchase tickets, visit lockportpark.org/HayrideOfHorror.

Realm of Terror – Round Lake Beach

This haunted house, located at 421 W. Rollins Road in Round Lake Beach, has been scaring folks for more than 20 years. The 2024 theme is The Haunting Hour, which brings a variety of rooms, and the scares ramp up with each one. The adventure ends in the Shadows of the Abyss, a maze filled with harrowing creatures around every turn. Not recommended for anyone under age 13. No actor night is Oct. 20, and family-friendly hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 and 27. For date and time information or to purchase tickets, visit realmofterror.com.

Nightmare Haunted Attraction – Princeton

The Bureau County Fairgrounds at 811 W. Peru St. in Princeton will be haunted 7 to 10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 26. The dirt-floored barns transform from functional farm buildings into a creepy atmosphere full of ghouls and specters. For an extra bit of seasonal celebration, catch the annual Halloween parade at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, on Main Street in Princeton. For information, visit nightmarehauntedattraction.com.

Eagle Ridge Resort – Galena

This resort, located in the beautiful rolling hills of northwest Illinois, is hosting “The Twilight Asylum,” its first-ever haunted house. It’s located in the resort’s old spa, and features an immersive experience that take guests on a tour through 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 deranged 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.