If your tastes run more toward running from zombies and monsters, then we’ve got a list for you! No wee pumpkin patches or cheerful scarecrows for you! Instead, get ready to feel the chills up your spin, the breath on the back of your neck, the goose bumps on your arms as you tour some of the finest haunted houses in the Midwest.
Back from the Grave, it’s the Terror on Washington Street!: After taking last fall off to deal with the horrors of building renovations, the Terror on Washington Street in Clinton is back for a new year of blood pumping thrills and chills. The Clinton Chamber of Commerce, plus a flood of blood donors, has put their heart and soul into making this award winning haunted house one of the best in the whole state. People have been dying for this one to come back from the grave!
The Terror on Washington Street haunts the building at 513 E. Washington St. in Clinton. The tomb opens October 10th and will be open Friday and Saturday nights through October 31st from 7-11pm. Tickets range from $9 for General Admission to $18 for a R.I.P (Rush in Pass—skip the line to get to the terror sooner!). A Friendly Ghost Tour is available for scaredy cats and kittens on October 18th and 25th from 5-6pm—admission for that is a not so scary $5. A combo ticket is available for $17 that grants you admission to both the Terror on Washington Street and The Scream Haunted Adventure in Decatur.
Ghost Hunting or a Haunted Adventure: You’ll hear the screams from the road as you pull up to The Scream Haunted Adventure in Decatur. This once empty warehouse is now home to hordes of zombies, monsters, and creatures that go bump in the night. Wander through a maze of twists and turns that are sure to leave you feeling ghastly. You can also opt for their Haunted Warehouse tour that takes you on a flashlight lead adventure through the abandoned parts of the factory to see what…or who…has been left behind!
The Scream ($10) and the Haunted Warehouse tour ($12) are available as a combo ticket for $20. If you just can’t wait to feel the power of the thriller, you can skip the line at The Scream with a Speed Pass for $20. For those who like to check out all the chills in Illinois, a combo ticket is available for $17 that grants you admission to both the Terror on Washington Street and The Scream Haunted Adventure in Decatur. Fear awaits every Friday and Saturday night in October from 7-11pm with a bonus night on Sunday, October 26 from 7-10pm.
Lincoln Jaycees’ Chicago Street Asylum: Enter the asylum, if you dare. The patients are looking for more bodies to add to their collection. Will you be the next victim? The eerie and scary will stay with you long after your trip through this haunted house. Afterward, try to get through the dark maze where you never quite know what’s lurking around the next corner.
The Lincoln Jaycees’ Haunted House can be unearthed at 325 S. Chicago St. inLincoln and will be open Fridays and Saturdays in October from 7-11pm, as well as Halloween week on Sunday, Wednesday, and Thrusday from 7-10pm. Admission is $8 and goes to support community projects throughout the year. A not so scary matinee for little ghouls and goblins will be October 18 & 25 from 5:30-6:30 with admission only $3.
Downs Haunted House: The Village of Downs turns into a spooky festival of Halloween fun with a mix of hayrides, hot dogs, and haunts. The Haunted House will be open for the serious business of scaring on October 13, 20, 26, and 27 from 6-10pm. Cheap thrills can be had for $2. After you work up an appetite getting scared, head to the bonfire where hot dogs and s’more fixings can be purchased for a nominal fee.
These are just a splattering of the scares in the area. Check out www.hauntedillinois.com for hordes of other haunts. What are your favorite scares to share?
