Halloween is nearing and it’s time to enter some scary haunted houses … if you dare! Here’s a list from Funtober.com, of some of the best locations within a 90-minute drive of Chicago.
6 Honorable Mention Best Haunts In Chicago
Funtober Recommends Best Chicago Haunted Houses
Chicago dominates Haunted Houses in Illinois with the best haunted attractions within a 90 minute drive of downtown Chicago. Year after year good haunted houses add scary rooms, animations, and actors to improve the Halloween entertainment experience.
I chose 4 Haunted Houses and 1 Theme park as the 5 Best Chicago Haunted Houses. Many would consider the same 5 to also be the Best Haunted Houses in Illinois.
Choosing any best list is controversial. I looked at what other writers also felt were great haunted houses. We can disagree and add to the list but most agree these 5 provide a great scary entertainment experience during the Halloween season.
Best Haunted Houses In Illinois
Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead
Asylum Xperiment
Eleventh Hour Experience Fear
Fear City
Six Flags Fright Fest (Theme Park addition)
Statesville Haunted Prison
Statesville is the Funtober runaway favorite as the best haunted house in Illinois. Located 50 minutes southwest of Chicago, Statesville will scare you. The theme is a prison where the criminal inmates have rioted and taken over the prison. Visitors (you) are welcome by the flesh eating Zombies.
Statesville Haunted Prison - 17250 S. Weber Road, Crest Hill, Il 60441
One of the best haunted houses around, Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead have a ticket price of $30 and are well worth the money. The theme is prisoners have rioted and now you are face to face with 100 criminals too evil to die in 23 maximum security cells. No one escapes Statesville. Statesville is open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from October 2nd to November 2nd. Doors open at 7 pm. Crest Hill is approximately 36 miles from Chicago. This is one of the most popular haunt attractions in the country. Funtober names Statesville the #1 Haunted House in Illinois.
Dates Open 2014:
October 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31
November 1, 2
Recommended by: Hauntedhousechicago.com, CBSchicago, Timeout Chicago, Huffington Post, USA Today, Funtober.com, HauntWorld.com, TheChicagoTraveler, Chicago Tribune, ChicagoFun.com.
Great American Nightmare
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare – at Odeum Expo, 1033 North Villa Ave., Villa Park, IL.
Rock legend and movie maker Rob Zombie brings his Great American Nightmare to Chicago. Three terrific haunted houses named The Lord of Salem in Total Black Out, Haunt of 1,000 Corpses, and The Haunted World of El Superbeasto are all takeoffs from his wildly successful horror films. You just have to love a guy that really gets into his work. He brings a sick, disturbing, bloody, three-dimensional horror that includes a sick demented laughter to his projects. Doors are open 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. Thursday and Sunday hours are 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Tickets are $25 at the gate. Save money and get your discounted tickets online. Read more about this attraction in our blog post “Rock Star Rob Zombie Opens Haunted Houses in Arizona This September“.
Open Dates:
September 26, 27
October 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
November 1
13th Floor Chicago
13th Floor Haunted House Chicago - 1940 George Street, Melrose Park, IL
An all new world famous haunted house has come to Chicago for 2014. It features the attractions The Rising and Dead End District. Why aren’t there a 13th floor in buildings? Tickets start at $24.99. The 13th Floor opens September 26th. The attractions run from 7 pm to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. All other nights close at 10 pm. I expect this to be a great addition to Chicago area haunted houses. They do a good job with their haunts in other states.
Dates Open in 2014:
September 26, 27
October 2-5, 9-12, 15-19, 22-26, 27-31
November 1, 7, 8
Fear City
The Zombie Apocalypse has come to Morton Grove, Illinois. This year Funtober adds Fear City to the list of Best Haunted Houses in Illinois.
Fear City - 8240 N. Austin Avenue, Morton Grove, IL 60053
Fear City is two amazing haunts. Tickets are $25 for general admission to the fear attraction Fear City. Tickets are $20 for the Our Lady of the Cursed. The combo ticket is $35. This is a 40,000 square foot haunt through the all new Hollywood style indoor scenes. Doors open at 7 pm. Attractions open beginning October 3rd. They also are open on each Monday and Tuesday in October with their Battle Royale Laser Tag events that take place inside the Fear City attraction. Sounds like a whole lot of fun.
Dates Open in 2014:
October 3-5, 10-12, 16-19, 22-26, 29-31
November
Recommended by: CBSChicago, TimeOut Chicago, Huffington Post, Funtober.com, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, ChicagoFun.com.
Six Flags Fright Fest
Six Flags Great America opens their Gurnee, Illinois Theme Park decorated as a Halloween attraction each October. Six Flags Fright Fest includes their theme park, 5 haunted houses, and renamed and decorated roller coaster and other rides.
Great America is one of the Six Flags theme parks located in Gurnee, Illinois about half way between Chicago and Milwaukee. Each October the park re-opens on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as the ultimate Halloween attraction Fright Fest. It has 5 haunted houses, mazes, shows, midway, food, and lots and lots of rides. They have renamed some of their roller coasters with Halloween themes but others are just too great to change. So if you are into thrills both the haunted houses and roller coasters will put a scare into you. Spend the day, get there early, and bring lots of money. Great America really makes the park a Halloween attractions and has lots of employee-actors dressed to surprise and scare you. Take your entire family, friends, and that special date. Good times will be had by all. Recommended Reading: 5 Travel Tips Six Flags Fright Fest Illinois.
Dates Open 2014:
September 27, 28
October 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
November 1, 2
It isn’t cheap and might not always be the scariest attraction but Six Flags offers a complete one of a kind experience. I could not complete my Best Haunted Houses in Illinois without including this attraction.
See my article, 5 Travel Tips to Enjoy Six Flags Fright Fest.
Honorable Mention Best Haunts In Chicago
Dungeons of Doom
Psychosis Haunted House
Massacre Haunted House
Basement of the Dead
Screams in the Park
Disturbia
Realm of Terror
