As fall begins, Halloween is lurking just around the corner. There are many ways to get into the spirit of the spooky season, such as decorating your home, snacking on candy corn, or watching your favorite scary movie. However, if you’re looking for something more immersive, it may be fun to visit a haunted house. Our team at American Auto Insurance created this guide of some haunted attractions in the Chicago area to consider visiting this fall.
Basement of the Dead
Basement of the Dead opened more than 20 years ago and continues to terrify residents today. It even earned national recognition as No. 20 on the Top Rated Haunted Attractions and Scariest Haunted Houses by Hauntworld in 2021. The attraction features two different haunted areas to explore, and it updates the areas each year.
The first area, simply titled Basement of the Dead, takes you through the basement of the fictional Walker Laundry years after a boiler explosion. The other site is Shattered 3D, the first and only 3D flashlight haunt in the world. This twisted circus tent is home to creepy clowns who lurk in the black light, waiting for their next scare.
Location: 42 W. New York St., Aurora, IL 60506.
13th Floor Haunted House
13th Floor Haunted House relocated to Schiller Park in 2021 and is now bigger than ever. This 40,000-square-foot haunt includes two different attractions to experience. The attractions’ themes change each year, and previous themes include navigating a war between werewolves and vampires and escaping haunted crops conjured from the underworld by a witch. The 13th Floor Haunted House also offers mini escape rooms for another challenge. You can also take a break from the scares with carnival midway games and plenty of snacks to enjoy.
Location: 5050 River Road, Schiller Park, IL 60176.
Dungeon of Doom Haunted House
Dungeon of Doom Haunted House returns for another legendary year of terrors. Fresh off its 25th-anniversary celebration, this iconic 45,000-square-foot attraction is back to shock and terrify again. With an estimated one-hour walk-through time, it’s one of the longest haunted attractions in the United States. It earned recognition as one of USA Today’s Best Haunted Attractions in the 10 Best Readers’ Choice poll in 2019.
Dungeon of Doom Haunted House has a unique setup that takes you through different scenes all within the same stretch. The attraction updates them yearly to ensure you have a different experience each time and never know what to expect. Sets include Mercy General Hospital, Quimby’s Slaughter House, the Underworld, and the Condamned. In addition to scare actors, the scenes feature more than 60 specially designed animatronics and over 100 events with unique triggers as you journey through the haunt.
Returning to Dungeon of Doom Haunted House each year may show you some familiar faces as the attraction has its own signature collection of characters called the Killer Crew. These unique characters have a backstory, specific areas to haunt, and preferences for terrifying guests.
If you want to make your experience even scarier, consider adding the Buried Alive experience. This experience isn’t for the faint of heart as it simulates the experience of being buried alive. While the experience only lasts an estimated five minutes, Dungeon of Doom Haunted Houses strongly discourages anyone with claustrophobia from participating.
Location: 600 29th St., Zion, IL 60099.
HellsGate Haunted House
HellsGate Haunted House is the perfect option for thrill-seekers who want to immerse themselves in a haunt. More than just a haunted house, this attraction is a multi-level mansion hidden in the woods that you can only access with a shuttle provided by the attraction. Go on a journey through the estate, featuring secret passages and giant slides among the typical fare of scary scenes and frights around every corner.
As you adventure through the mansion, look for the special skeleton key. Any visitors who locate the key receive free admission. Consider reviewing the grounds map or learning more about the HellsGate lore in the mansion’s study.
Most adventures through HellsGate Haunted House require 45 minutes to an hour to complete. Get ready to find out for yourself why Hauntworld named this attraction No. 8 on its 2021 list of Top Rated Haunted Attractions and Scariest Haunted Houses. Discover why The Scare Factor dubbed it the Highest Rated Haunt in Illinois in 2021.
Location: 301 W. Second St., Lockport, IL 60441.
Massacre Haunted House
Massacre Haunted House is a sprawling haunted house located less than an hour outside Chicago. This 20,000-square-foot facility includes two haunted houses named Fear Freakshow 3D Haunted House and The Massacre Haunted House. While the attraction keeps the same general themes throughout the year, it renovates the houses each year to provide something new for guests. Visit the attraction yourself to see why it won multiple years of recognition as a top haunted house in the state from outlets such as Haunted Illinois, Hauntworld, the Chicago Tribune, and Haunted House Chicago.
Location: 299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, IL 60538.
Disturbia Haunted House
Disturbia Haunted House delivers the classic haunted house experience. Although this is a newer attraction, it’s from the same producers of the Basement of the Dead, and it’s already gained attention from Thrillist as one of the Spookiest Haunted Houses in Chicago. Explore areas like a haunted pumpkin patch, a graveyard, a crypt, and more as you dodge terrifying characters, such as demons and pig monsters, along the way.
Location: 1213 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove, IL 60515.
There you have it. We’ve reached the end of our list, and our team at American Auto Insurance has told you about some of the terrifying haunted attractions in the Chicago, Illinois, area. We hope you discovered a frightful spot to explore this fall to get into the Halloween spirit. Do you have a favorite haunt we didn’t include on our list? Drop us a line with your recommendation. We’ll be sure to check it our for ourselves so we can tell others about it.
