Haunted Houses Near Chicago for Younger Kids

1. Ackerman Spook Trail - Glen Ellyn

Kids can walk along a haunted trail through Ackerman Park on Thursday, October 24, and Friday, October 25 to see spooks and play Halloween-themed games. Younger kids can visit from 4pm-6pm for a less scary experience, while big kids can get a few thrills out of the fully dark showing from 6pm-9pm.

2. Haunted Forest - Westmont

On October 16, kids can start at Diane Main Park and be driven on a haunted hayride to Sandra Smith Woods. Little kids ages 5-10 can have fun at the Merry Monsters session from 5pm-6:30pm, and teens and tweens ages 11 and up can fear characters, ghouls, and goblins that jump out at them after dark during the Sheer Terror session that starts at 7pm.

 
The Goebbert's Haunted Mansion is a haunted house 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 provides fun and thrills for all ages.

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.

7. Basement of the Dead - Aurora

Ages 13 and up

This downtown Aurora laundry facility was closed 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. 

8. Hell'sgate Haunted House - Lockport

Ages 12 and up

The scariest adventure of them all starts in the Lockport Metro Station parking lot, where visitors board a shuttle bus to their haunted destination. 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. 

Good news for all the super-terror fans out there—the legendary inmates from Statesville Haunted Prison can still be found terrorizing innocents in the forest along with the zombies, making this one of the most haunted houses in Chicago. For an extra challenge, find a hidden key to win back your admission fee! 

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

9. 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. Or 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.

 
Fright Fest photo by Anne McDade for Six Flags America/Hurricane Harbor

10. Six Flags Great America Fright Fest - Gurnee

Not Recommended for kids under 13 after 6pm.

The Chicago area's biggest theme park turns into a terror-ridden hellscape on October nights after 6pm. 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.

12. Dungeon of Doom - Zion

Ages 12 and up

This giant 45,000-square-foot haunted house has a 25-year history and over 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.