Chicago is spooky — from H.H. Holmes murder castle to our historic Graceland Cemetery to the (totally haunted) Congress Hotel. But more manufactured frights are always fun.
These are the best haunted houses near(ish) Chicagoland.
La Casa de Satanas in Pilsen
Scare-o-meter: 😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
It’s hard to find a haunted house in the city limits. But be warned: This is NO family affair. Performers will touch you (and chain you to swinging platforms). You will scream (if there isn’t a ball gag shoved in your mouth). But if you can get past the breaking of personal boundaries — and light BDSM — you’ll notice immersive installations, some comic bits, and fantastical costumes.
HellsGate in Lockport
Scare-o-meter: 😈😈😈😈😈
HellsGate is probably the longest walk-through you’ll find: close to an hour across multiple houses and wooded areas. It’s a whole haunted campus! Though the scares are fairly standard, the energy is high. Think “Halloweentown.” Also: You can buy beer and nachos on premises.
Disturbia in Downers Grove
Scare-o-meter: 😈😈
Disturbia is your classic commercial haunted house. The line is full of teenagers goofing off. A buzzing chainsaw is always in earshot. I include it here because it’s a solid option for bringing kids: not too intense and not too far outside Chicago.
Whispers Estate in Mitchell, Indiana
Scare-o-meter: 😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
I had to add at least one real haunted house on this list. Across the border in Indiana, Whispers Estate carries over a century of creaky lore. The home was built in 1899 by a local physician; his daughter Rachel died shortly after in a parlor fire. Since then, visitors have heard mysterious whispers floating. Some reported seeing Rachel run around the hallway.
Today, you can book Whispers Estate for overnights with up to 10 guests. Who’s in?
Keep an Eye Out: Raven’s Grin Inn in Mt. Caroll
Scare-o-meter: 😈😈😈😈
Like a good ghost sighting, the story of Raven’s Grin Inn is legend itself. Jim Warfield, the mansion’s eccentric proprietor, has augmented the Victorian-era property since the 1980s, carving out tunnels and installing drawbridges and trap doors. It’s a romp, full of minor jump scares and campy monster memorabilia.
Normally open year-round, Warfield’s impassioned tours made this destination special. Right now, though, Warfield is struggling with his health. The inn will hopefully begin taking new reservations in mid-November.
