Haunted Houses Near Chicago for Younger Kids

1. Ackerman Spook Trail - Glen Ellyn

For kids age 5-10 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; ages 10 and up from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Kids can take a walk along a haunted trail through Ackerman Park on October 21 or 22 to see spooks and play Halloween-themed games. Younger kids can visit during twilight for a less scary experience, while big kids can get a few thrills out of the fully dark showing. 

2. Haunted Forest - Westmont

Westmont—Merry Monsters from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for kids 5-10; Sheer Terror from 7-8:30 for kids 11 and over

On October 16, kids can start at Diane Main Park and be driven on a haunted hayride to Sandra Smith Woods. Then, get off the wagon to walk through the spooky woods. Little kids can have fun at the earlier session, while teens and tweens can fear characters, ghouls, and goblins that jump out at them after dark at the 7 p.m. edition.

 
The Goebbert's Haunted Mansion is a haunted house is designed for school aged children. Photo courtesy of Goebbert's Farm.

3. Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch Haunted House - South Barrington

Ages 5 and up

Designed for school-aged children, this 10-room haunted house makes a scary-enough addition to your pumpkin picking excursion. A preview video on the farm's website should give you an idea if it's the right level of scare for your little goblins.

4. Bengston's Pumpkin Farm Haunted Barn - Homer Glen

Under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

This fully animated haunted barn offers thrills and chills for kids and their grown ups. Enjoy the ghostly show after picking pumpkins, enjoying kettle corn, and visiting farm animals.

5. Haunted Barn, Haunted Hayride, or Haunted Daytime at Sonny Acres - West Chicago

Ages 10 and up during evening hours, 5 and up during the day

Choose from an animated (actor-free) Haunted Barn during the day, a 45-minute haunted hayride that gets scarier throughout the day, or a big-kids only Haunted Barn on weekend evenings. The scares are twice as long this year, and the hay ride trail has recently been redesigned for fun and thrills.

Haunted Houses Near Chicago for Teens and Tweens (West and Southwest Suburbs)

6. Midnight Terror Haunted House-Oak Lawn

Ages 13 and up

Tour the haunted factory and forest of Black Oak Grove at this frightening haunted house in Chicago that combines actors and technology to create a chilling tale of demonic possession. The 26,000 square foot haunted house has many rooms, twisted corners, and tight spaces, with a twist ending you won't see coming.

 
Photo courtesy of Statesville Haunted Prison

7. Statesville Haunted Prison - Lockport

No one under 10 admitted

In its 25th and final year, this zombie-themed haunted house in Chicago invites visitors to wind through 23 haunted cells inhabited by criminals too evil to die. The 45-minute tour of the facility is driven by actors and changes a little every year.

8. Basement of the Dead - Aurora

Ages 13 and up

This downtown Aurora laundry facility was closed down after a boiler explosion in the 1960s killed two workers. Later, more workers disappeared, with bodies washed up in the river—or are they actually haunting the basement of the laundry? Find out on this tour of a haunted house rated as one of America's most terrifying. 

9. Hell's Gate Haunted House - Lockport

Ages 12 and up

Travel through zombie-infested woods and The Lost Souls Cemetery to this multi-level haunted mansion with secret passages, undead abominations, and a giant slide. Find a hidden key to win your admission fee back. The adventure starts in the parking lot of the Lockport Metro Station, where visitors board a shuttle bus for their tour through the woods and mansion.

Haunted Houses Near Chicago for Big Kids (North and Northwest Suburbs)

10. Evil Intentions Haunted House - Elgin

Ages 12 and up

The former home of the Elgin Casket Company has been haunted for decades. Visitors can see, feel, and hear the ghosts of the building's former residents as they roam the factory floors. Unexplained occurrences, cult activities, and murder all contribute to the darkness of the haunted casket factory.

11. 13th Floor Haunted House - Schiller Park

Ages 12 and up

Why do some buildings not have a 13th floor? In some buildings, maybe the 13th floor is hidden underground to be home to unfortunate souls seeking shelter from the environment or society. Maybe they've learned the secret about what's actually being kept on the 13th floor. Find out at this haunted building, which includes mini-escape room games for extra scary fun.

12. Six Flags Great America Fright Fest - Gurnee

Not Recommended for kids under 13 after 6 p.m.

The Chicago area's biggest theme park turns into a terror-ridden hellscape on October nights after 6 p.m. Big kids can visit six haunted houses, including two new to the line-up this year— Bloodshed and Condemned. Three designated Scare Zones—Dark Waters, Demon Lair, and Forbidden Forest—also provide outdoor screams between the rides.

 
Dungeon of Doom photo courtesy of Enjoy Illinois

13. Dungeon of Doom - Zion

Ages 12 and up

This giant 45,000-square-foot haunted house has a 25-year history and more than 60 ultra-detailed animatronic characters to create the ultimate scare. Visitors travel through Mercy General Hospital, Quimby's Slaughterhouse, and the Underworld to see the stuff of nightmares around every turn. For an extra fee, horror fans can be "buried alive" on the ground of the Dungeon of Doom.