While you can find haunted houses in cities throughout the state of Illinois in October, few out-perform the allure of Chicago’s haunted houses. Each year, you’ll discover dozens of spooky and downright frightening events complete with innovative animations, haunted music, and plenty of jump scares. This year, prepared to get scared by some of the best haunted houses in Chicago in 2021.
13th Floor Haunted House
The 13th Floor Haunted House is a world-famous Halloween event that runs from Friday, September 24th to Saturday, November 13th. The legendary haunted house is now in its eighth season and debuts in its new location at 5050 River Road in Schiller Park. The new site spans 40 thousand square feet and features two all-new shows: Spirit of Halloween and Bad Blood. There will also be photo opportunities, a carnival-like showcase of games, and plenty of food and beverages.
Basement of the Dead
Basement of the Dead has been rated the #1 scariest haunted house in Chicago and the world by BuzzFeed. Walk through the 50 thousand square foot attraction and see a myriad of crazy clowns, bloody nurses, and other ghoulish creatures. There will also be a DJ to play haunted tunes as you make your way through the basement filled with creepy objects and costumed actors. If you prefer to avoid the jump scares, you can walk through the attraction with just a glow stick to light the way.
Statesville Haunted Prison
After 25 years of thrills and screams, this year will be the final year for the Statesville Haunted Prison. Opening day starts on October 1st and is expected to be one of the wildest events yet. The haunted house is located at Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Lockport and consists of 30 rooms of terrifying creatures sure to make you scream. The haunted house will run Thursdays and Sundays from 7PM to 10PM and Fridays and Saturdays from 7PM to 11PM.
Realm of Terror Haunted House
Boasted as one of the nation’s best Halloween events, the Realm of Terror Haunted House is a must-see. This intense Halloween event features the very best in special effects makeup and includes fully immerse sets and over-the-top spooky environments created by professional set designers. Realm of Terror is also the only haunted house to have a bar. Grab your favorite spirit before getting in line for the haunted house.
Hell’s Gate Haunted House
Hidden deep in the woods, Hell’s Gate Haunted House is considered one of the scariest in Chicago. This multi-level mansion is filled with ghostly secrets, undead creatures, giant slides, hidden passageways, and so much darkness. Before getting to the house, you’ll first need to make your way through the zombie-infested woods and across Lost Souls Cemetery. From there, you’ll come across the top-rated mansion in Lockport, IL.
Evil Intentions Haunted House
Evil Intensions Haunted House in located in Elgin’s industrial section in a building that has a true story of disappearances, occult activities, and murder. This haunted house attraction combines interactive storytelling with the real paranormal history of the building. In addition to having a very scary location, the haunted house is filled with terrifying encounters with ghostly creatures and decayed rooms and hallways throughout the abandoned factory floors.
Get Tickets for Chicago’s Top Haunted Houses
In addition to the haunted houses mentioned above, Chicago offers even more incredible Halloween events, including Massacre Haunted House, Dungeon of Doom, Twisted Crypt, and Hoppers Haunted House. Of course, spots are limited due to the popularity of these events so you’ll want to grab your tickets as soon as possible. No matter which you pick, you’re sure to have a memorable and frightening adventure.