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Guide to spooky events
The Ghouls come out on weekends at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee during Fright Fest. | Courtesy of Six Flags
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Updated: October 19, 2012 9:24AM
Want to scare up some fun for Halloween? Check out our roundup of spooky events.
Haunted Houses/walks
SCREAMS in the Park at Rosemont, a haunted house, will be open through Oct. 31 at the Park at Rosemont, just west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral, next to Muvico, in Rosemont. The indoor attraction operates rain or shine, 7-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 6-10 p.m. Sundays. General admission is $20. The attraction is wheelchair accessible. Parental discretion is advised. For tickets or information: screamsinthepark.com; (847) 868-9279.
Boy Scout Troop 50’s Haunted House, benefiting the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry, runs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Oct. 27, followed by a “less scary” version from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Gregory’s Church, Deerfield and Wilmot roads, Deerfield. Admission is a donation of cash or cans of food for the food pantry. Call (847) 914-9945.
Ghost Walk 2012 at the Lake Bluff History Museum’s “spirit-guided” ghost walk presents entertaining true stories from the darker side of Lake Bluff’s past, performed in businesses and public buildings. Tours depart every 15 minutes, from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 27 and 5-8 p.m. Oct. 28, from the museum, 127 E. Scranton Ave., Lake Bluff, and last approximately 90 minutes. $25; $10 for children in eighth grade and under. Advance ticket purchase recommended. Visit www.ghostwalklakebluff.com.
Fear City Chicago Apocalypse and Hades Haunted House, 8240 N. Austin Ave., Morton Grove, Oct. 19-21, 25-31. Hours are 7:30-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 7:30 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Recommended for ages 12 and up. $25 per haunt; $35 for both haunts; $10 VIP Fast Pass; free VIP upgrade with a U.S. military ID. Visit www.FearCityChicago.com.
Asylum Xperiment Haunted Attractions, Thursdays through Sundays through Oct. 28 plus Oct. 31. Housed in the Odeum Expo Center, this event offers three chilling experiences in one location. Recommended for older kids and adults. $25. 1033 N. Villa Ave., Villa Park, (630) 941-9292;
asylumxperiment.com.
Dream Reapers Haunted House, Oct. 19-21, 25-31. Traditional haunting meets high-tech animatronics, complete with scents based on room themes. $20. Recommended for older kids and adults. 1945 Cornell Ave., Melrose Park, dreamreapers.com.
Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead, Thursdays through Sundays through Nov. 3 plus Oct. 30-31. One of the highlights of the haunted house circuit, Statesville employs more than 150 actors to scare visitors as they wend their way through 40 haunting rooms. $30. Kids must be 11 or older; 11- to 15-year-olds must be accompanied by a legal guardian. 17250 S. Weber Road, Crest Hill, (877) 722-7332; statesvillehauntedprison.com.
HALLOWEEN EVENTS
The Chicago Botanic Garden will host “Trains, Tricks & Treats” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 20-21 at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. The Model Railroad Garden will be decorated with spider webs, spiders, ghosts, goblins and pumpkins, and visitors are encouraged to come in costume and collect treats. $5 for adults; $3 for children ages 3-12; parking is $20 per car. Oct. 26-28: HallowFest: A Garden of Good ... and Evil. Hours are 6-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4-7 p.m. Sunday. Visitors decide if they want to take the “spooky” or “friendly” paths. $17 in advance; $20 at the door; parking is $20 per car. Call (847) 835-8215 or visit www.
chicagobotanic.org.
“City of Ghosts,” professional magician and historian of magic William Pack, presents an evening of supernatural theater at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Northbrook Public Library, 1201 Cedar Lane. Program is suited for ages 12 and older. Visit www.northbrook.info or call (847) 272-6224.
“The Witch’s Brew,” a family-friendly Halloween hike will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 18-21 at Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve, 1401 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest. Costumes are encouraged. $15; $10 for members of Lake Forest Open Lands. For tickets, visit www.citadeltheatre.org or call (847) 735-8554.
“Frankenstein,” presented by Mudlark Theater Company, is on stage Oct. 19-21 and 25-28 at Piccolo Theater, 600 Main St., Evanston. Visit www.mudlarktheater.org.
“World of the Weird Monster Show” presents double features at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 26-27 at the Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Ave., Wilmette. Undead Johnny and the cast of the show host “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Shaun of the Dead” on Friday, and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Ghostbusters” on Saturday. $12 in advance; $15 at door. Visit www.wilmettetheatre.com or call (847) 251-7424.
“Spooky & Scary Tales” will offer hayrides and scary stories 7-9 p.m. Oct. 27 at The Grove, 1421 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview. The stories get spookier the later it gets. Recommended for ages 6 to adult. $10 for residents; $12.50 for non-residents. Advance registration required; call (847) 299-6096 or visit www.
glenviewparks.org.
“Bewitched: More Music for the Dead of Night” concert by the Chicago Chamber Choir will offer a variety of eerie music at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 815 Wilmot Road, Deerfield. The audience is encouraged to attend in costume. $18 in advance; $20 at the door; $15 for children and students. Visit www.chicagochamberchoir.org.
Halloween party will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 26, 7 p.m., at The Laughing Chameleon, located in The Glen Town Center, 1830 Tower Drive, Glenview. Featuring music by a DJ, dancing, karaoke and drink specials. Costumes encouraged. Free admission. Call (888) 685-2844 or visit www.thelaughingchameleon.com.
BallroomChicago Halloween Dance will take place 8-11 p.m. Oct. 27 at Lodge Hall, 1799 Green Bay Road, Highland Park. Admission: $10. Free mini lesson, 7:15-7:45 p.m. Prizes for best costume. Call (847) 757-2227 or visit www.ballroom
chicago.com.
“Halloween Magic,” featuring The Magic Dentist, Dr. Mark Kaschube, will be presented at 2 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Rd., Rosemont. Admission $20; $10 for children ages 12 and younger; $30 VIP tickets include a backstage meet-and-greet. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000.
Shedd Aquarium, Spooky Seas 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26-9 a.m. Oct. 27. Families can sleep over or not during the Shedd’s annual Halloween celebration with animal encounters and dancing to a live DJ. Children must be 5 to sleep over. Overnight, $75 per person; evening only, $35 per person. 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive, (312) 939-2438;
sheddaquarium.org.
Boo! at the Zoo: Oct. 29-30. Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue between Ogden Avenue and 31stSt., Brookfield. Costume parades, professional pumpkin-carving demonstrations, games and crafts, Zoo Chats and haunted hayrides. Call (708) 688-8000 or visit czs.org.
Six Flags Great America Frightfest offers four new attractions — Wicked Woods, Manslaughter Manor, the Dead Line and Fright Club (which expands Fright Fest into Hurricane Harbor and is rated NC-17). Running from 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays Oct. 19-21 and 26-28 as well as 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 25, the fest is child friendly until 3 p.m. on weekends. Adults, $61.99; kids less than 48 inches, $41.99 ($46.99, $30.99 online). Interstate 94 and Grand Avenue, Gurnee, (847) 249-4636; sixflags.com/greatamerica.
Navy Pier’s Really Big Halloween Party, Oct. 19-21, 26-28 plus Oct. 31. This mostly free event (some activities may have a fee) offers a petting zoo and hayrides, a dance party after 5 p.m., nightly fire-spinning shows, trick-or-treating on select dates (visit website) and a costume party on Oct. 27. 600 E. Grand Ave., (312) 595-7437 or visit navypier.com.
