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[title]Asylum Experiment
Odeum, 1033 N Villa Ave, Villa Park (asylumexperiment.com). Oct 7, 8, 7pm–midnight; Oct 9, 13, 7–10:30pm; Oct 14, 15, 7pm–midnight; Oct 16, 20, 7–10:30pm; Oct 21, 22, 7pm–midnight; Oct 23, 27, 7–10:30pm; Oct 28, 29, 7pm–midnight; Oct 30, 7–10:30pm. $20, no-wait on Thu $30, no-wait on Fri and Sat $35.
This 30,000-square-foot Hollywood-set–style haunted house features 23 scenes (including six new ones), many inspired by horror flicks. New this year: A runaway elevator and a hillbilly campsite. Lights on behind-the-scenes tours are available for groups of 10 or more October 9, 16 and 23, and are a less-scary option for older kids. Advance registration is required. Call 630-941-9292 or email jon@odeumexpo.com for details.
Eleventh Hour
434 E Devon Ave, Elk Grove Village (eleventhhour.info). Sept 30, Oct 1 7–11pm; Oct 2, 5, 6, 7–10pm; Oct 7, 8, 7–11pm; Oct 9, 12, 13, 7–10pm; Oct 14, 15, 7–11pm; Oct 16, 19, 20, 7–10pm; Oct 21, 22, 7–11pm; Oct 23, 26, 27, 7–10pm; Oct 28–31, 7–11pm. Two haunts $18, all four $23 (online $19.95), no-wait tickets $35 (online 27.50).
The four scary attractions offered an an Elk Grove Village farm are the theatrical, bloody Eleventh Hour, high-tech Catacombs, funhouse-like Intensity (updated in 2011 as Curtain Chaos, a befuddling maze) and the corn-maze Creatures of the Corn. In the daytime, the site runs a kid-friendly pumpkin patch and a lights-on haunted house matinee. See website for details.
Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest
542 N Route 21, Gurnee (847-249-4636, sixflags.com/greatamerica). Fridays 5–11pm; Saturdays 10am–11pm; Sundays 10am—9pm; Oct 11, 10am–6pm. Oct 1–Oct 30. $59.99, online $34.99–44.99, parking $20; additional fee for some haunted attractions.
New this year: Massacre Medical Center is a 10,000 square foot "abandoned" hospital. Two annual haunts—Necropolis and Mausoleum of Terror—and tricked out rides add to the scares. Check the website for specific haunted-house hours. All haunted attractions except the Massacre Medical Center, which is not appropriate for kids, are recommended for kids 13 and up.
Reaper’s Realm
626 177th St, Hammond, IN (reapersrealm.com). Sept 30, Oct 1 7pm–midnight; Oct 2 7–10pm; Oct 7, 8, 7pm–midnight; Oct 9, 7–10pm; Oct 14, 15, 7pm–midnight; Oct 16, 7–10pm; Oct 21, 22, 7pm–midnight; Oct 23, 26, 27, 7–10pm; Oct 28, 29, 7pm–midnight; Oct 30, 31, 7–10pm. Woods only $10; mansion and woods $20; unlimited haunts and one free ride $25, unlimited haunts and rides $30.
The haunted mansion and Reaper's Woods at this spooktacular in the region are for adults only. But the ride-filled carn"evil", complete with fare food like funnel cakes, is appropriate for all ages.