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The Spookiest Places in the World

Some of the most popular tourist spots in the world are also the most haunted. Turns out, people just love a good spook. From the Door to Hell to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, these places are sure to make you uneasy with their creepy vibes. Banging noises, mysterious screams and apparitions are just a few of the scary possibilities at famous sites like the Amityville house and the Island of the Dolls.

When it comes to a list of the spookiest places in the world, you can count on these sites to keep you up at night.

Aokigahara Forest – Yamanashi, Japan

Known as the “Sea of Trees,” Aokigahara Forest looks charming in appearance with lush, green trees. Its beauty attracts tourists and hikers, but, unfortunately, many visitors get lost in the thick forest and can’t call for help because their cell phones don’t work in the forest. GPS systems and compasses also malfunction inside all the trees.

Some locals think these devices stop working due to the magnetic iron in the forest’s soil. Others believe that it’s the work of demons, according to Japanese mythology. To make matters worse, the chilling forest is also famously called “Suicide Forest,” due to almost 100 people a year walking into the forest, never to return.

Island of the Dolls – Xochimilco, Mexico

Xochimilco is home to one of the creepiest islands in the world: Isla de las Munecas or Island of the Dolls. Hundreds of dolls are scattered across the island, hanging on trees and tied to the walls of buildings. The only way to access the island is by boat — if you can convince the captain to take you.

According to visitors, the dolls wiggle their hands, whisper to one another and call rowers to the island. Does anyone actually live there? No one occupies the island today, but it was once home to a now-deceased man named Julian Santa Barrera. After finding a drowned girl in a nearby canal, Barrera began dangling dolls everywhere until his death. Some locals say Barrera did this to ward off evil spirits.

Hill of Crosses – Šiauliai, Lithuania

The haunting Hill of Crosses is actually a pilgrimage site that has existed since the 14th century. The hill’s exact origin remains a mystery, but throughout its history, the Hill of Crosses has created a lot of controversy. In the 1940s, locals kept adding crosses to the site to honor rebels who died for Lithuanian independence. The Soviet Union, who occupied Lithuania at the time, didn’t like that, so the Soviets destroyed the site three times.

Despite the challenges, the locals continued to rebuild it. Today, the Hill of Crosses is a tourist hotspot for catching sight of roaming ghosts and hearing eerie noises.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum – Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Tuol Sleng has an extremely disturbing past. Once a high school, the site was transformed into a high-security prison by the Khmer Rouge. Almost 20,000 prisoners occupied Tuol Sleng, and it became a torture and execution center that claimed an estimated 18,133 lives.

Today, it serves as a museum with thousands of photographs of the victims. Some torture rooms remained untouched after the Khmer Rouge were run out the city. Locals say the ghosts of those who didn’t make it out of the prison alive wander the halls and rooms.

Akodessawa Fetish Market – Togo, Africa

If you’re interested in practicing black magic, you can find everything you need at a street market in West Africa known as Akodessewa Fetish Market. It’s the world’s largest voodoo market that sells different types of animal remains. As a result, a foul stench lingers in the air, adding to the creepy atmosphere.

The animal sacrifices are popular for local medical treatments. Patients who can’t afford care at a hospital or pharmacy visit the Akodessewa Fetish Market to buy medicine and speak to a local healer. Hoping to treat everything from the flu to curses, patients take home unique items like talismans, charms and elephant feet.

Miyake-jima, Japan

Imagine how difficult it would be if you had to wear a gas mask your entire life. That’s exactly what life is like for residents on the island of Miyake-jima. Their lives depend on frequently wearing gas masks because they occupy an active volcano.

Over Miyake-jima’s history, the island evacuated several times when Mount Oyama erupted. Now, a constant flow of poisonous gas releases from the volcano, prompting officials to require locals to carry gas masks at all times. When the levels of toxic gases in the air jump up, alarms blare throughout Miyake-jima to warn residents to put on their masks. Daring visitors can access the island by ferry or plane.

Screaming Tunnel – Ontario, Canada

In the northwest corner of Niagara Falls lies a tunnel with a haunting legend. Locals say a young girl hid in the tunnel to escape a nearby fire but then perished within its walls. Other versions of the legend say she was trying to flee from her abusive father.

Now, the tube is called “The Screaming Tunnel.” Legend has it that when visitors walk into the tunnel with a match, the ghost of the girl comes out and fills the passageway with her screams. Would you dare to walk through the tunnel on a pitch black night?

Monte Cristo – New South Wales, Australia

Claimed to be “Australia’s most haunted house,” the Monte Cristo looks like a charming Victorian home on the outside. But on the inside, it’s a different story. Visitors have reported plenty of paranormal activity, including phantom noises, poltergeists and weird orbs. Even better, the Monte Cristo also comes with apparitions.

It all started after Elizabeth Crawley’s husband passed away in 1910. She lived in isolation until her own death, and her ghost is said to haunt the grounds, creating cold spots. The Monte Cristo also has a history of mysterious, tragic accidents, which resulted in two other ghosts: a woman wearing a dress and a stable boy wandering the bedrooms.

Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh, Scotland

Sudden drops in temperature and something unseen pulling on your clothes are common occurrences at Edinburgh Castle, which makes this destination a bone-chilling adventure. Edinburgh Castle has a dark and tragic past. Since the second century AD, it has been the site of 23 surprise attacks and numerous executions.

Residents believe Edinburgh Castle is haunted by Duke Alexander Stewart of Albany, Lady Janet Douglas of Glamis and a piper. A faint echo of unexplained music travels through the halls and corridors, and a night visit will definitely give you goosebumps.

Tower of London – London, England

One of the must-visit attractions in London is the Tower of London, an impressive medieval structure built in 1078. Over its 1,000-year history, the Tower of London served as a site of executions, torture and murder. Consequently, many ghosts wander the attraction, and a few are really famous.

Henry VIII sentenced his wife, Anne Boleyn, to death after she gave birth to a stillborn son. Her ghostly figure is known to haunt the Church of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower. Two young princes are also said to wander the site, giggling in their nightgowns. The pair mysteriously disappeared after their uncle, King Richard III, took the throne. Other reported spirits include Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey and Margaret Pole.

Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, CO

The Stanley Hotel is notorious for spooking Stephen King into writing The Shining . At the hotel, lights turn on and off, and doors open and close by themselves. The sounds of laughter and footsteps can be heard when no one else is around. Unexplained shadows, drafts and chills pop up out of nowhere.

Some guests say the supernatural activities are caused by the eternal spirits of the Stanley Hotel. One notable ghost is Elizabeth Wilson, the former chief housekeeper and the presence in room 217. If visitors hear the tune of a piano coming from the empty ballroom, it’s the ghost of Flora Stanley, who passed away in 1939.

The Door to Hell – Derweze, Turkmenistan

In the middle of the Karakum Desert, sits a burning hole called the “Door to Hell.” The pit wasn’t always on fire. The area was a regular field until 1971, when Soviet engineers began drilling the site for oil. Shortly after, they accidentally ran into a natural gas pocket, and the field collapsed into an underground cavern.

The engineers thought it was best to set the pit on fire to burn off the dangerous methane gas. They assumed the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but the crater has burned for more than 40 years.

Christ of the Abyss – San Fruttuoso, Italy

If you’re diving in the Mediterranean Sea, near Grenada or in the waters around Key Largo, Florida, you may get startled by an 8-foot statue of Jesus. Christ of the Abyss is an underwater statue collection of Jesus created by sculptor Guido Galletti. He spread his sculptures around different ocean floors.

The giant deity with his hands and head raised in the depths of the ocean gives off a spooky vibe that is made even scarier with the growing algae and corrosion.

The Christ of the Abyss in Italy began disintegrating so badly that they had to remove and clean the statue multiple times. If you want a haunting dive, Christ of the Abyss is just what you need.

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – Pripyat, Ukraine

The most devastating nuclear explosions in history took place in Pripyat. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster caused almost 200,000 casualties, and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is still radioactive today. However, that doesn’t stop photographers and tourists from wanting to see it.

Everything remains in the same place from when residents fled during evacuation. Classrooms still hold crumbling books and decaying dolls, and abandoned gas masks are littered throughout the city. Pripyat’s amusement park is a famous spot that reminds people of the catastrophic nuclear accident.

Gomantong Caves – Sabah, Malaysia

Malaysia’s Gomantong Caves are a complex cave system with limestone walls that stand as high as 300 feet in some sections. The caves are popular tourist attractions, although visitors get creeped out (and grossed out) by the wildlife living there.

The Gomantong Caves are home to massive populations of bats and cockroaches. In fact, more than a million bats live in the cave. Can you even imagine how much bat poop accumulates? Guests slip on the bat waste while navigating through the millions of cockroaches crawling everywhere. Yikes!

Centralia, PA

Centralia, Pennsylvania, was the inspiration for Silent Hill , the horrifying video game and movie. Once a busy town with successful coal mines, Centralia slowly started to shrivel up and die after the mines mysteriously caught fire in 1962, and the town couldn’t put the fire out.

Locals began to increasingly worry about the underground inferno when a gas station owner reported high gasoline temperatures in his tank. They also grew concerned when a child fell into a 150-foot-deep sinkhole that released a poisonous level of carbon monoxide. Now, Centralia is a ghost town , and experts estimate the fire could continue to burn for more than 250 years.

Bhangarh Fort – Rundh Bhangarh, India

Located 200 miles from Delhi, the abandoned Bhangarh Fort sits in the middle of a desert. The empty fortress looks like a normal ancient ruin, drawing many visitors to the site while the sun is out. However, at night, it’s a whole different story.

The spookiness of the place comes alive at night. No one is allowed to visit Bhangarh Fort after sunset, primarily because it’s reportedly one of the most haunted places on the planet. According to local legend, a sorcerer cursed the fortress after a princess rejected him.

The Queen Mary – Long Beach, CA

The elegant Queen Mary served as a popular passenger ship, sailing on the North Atlantic Ocean between 1936 and 1967. However, after years of service, the Queen Mary was forced to retire in 1967 due to age and decreased profits. The ship docked permanently in Long Beach, California, and eventually converted into a hotel and tourist attraction.

Staff and visitors claim the hauntings began during her stay in Long Beach. Mysterious knocks on the door when no one was around became common, and bathroom lights started turning on and off by themselves. Locals claim she is haunted by the ghosts of people who passed away on board.

Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, LA

Built in 1796, the Myrtles Plantation is one of America’s most haunted homes. First, the plantation is supposedly built over a Native American burial ground in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Second, other common tales label Myrtles Plantation as the site of abuse, revenge and tragic deaths.

Locals report seeing many apparitions in the historic home and on the grounds. More than 12 different ghosts allegedly call Myrtles Plantation home. One of the most famous spirits is a former slave named Chloe, who spent her last moments alive at the house. The ghost of a young Native American woman has also been reported.

Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, CA

The Winchester Mystery House may have the creepiest design on Earth. It includes staircases that lead to nowhere, windows overlooking other rooms and doors that open onto 10-foot drops or brick walls. Bizarre, right? Interestingly, the house wasn’t always this weird.

It was a typical mansion until Sarah Winchester’s husband and son both died. Her husband was the treasurer of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. She believed the ghosts haunting the property were the victims of her husband’s guns. In response, Winchester created a dizzying labyrinth within the house to confuse the ghosts. Now, the giant mystery house is a famous tourist attraction.

Corvin Castle – Transylvania, Romania

As one of the largest castles in Europe and one of the Seven Wonders of Romania, Corvin Castle is a fairytale castle many tourists enjoy visiting. Legend claims the historic Transylvanian castle is also the site where the cruel and bloodthirsty ruler, Vlad the Impaler, was imprisoned.

As most people know, Vlad was also known as Dracula and inspired the famous vampire legend. Many legends feature Corvin Castle, including a story of two prisoners getting stuck in a well, becoming eternally trapped on the property, even in the afterlife. As a result of these legends, countless paranormal sightings have occurred at Corvin Castle.

Hanging Coffins – Sagada, Philippines

Sagada, Philippines, is home to one of the most unique burial rituals in the world. Instead of putting coffins in the ground, the Sagada locals dangle hundreds of coffins in caves and along the rock faces of cliffs. It has been a common practice for more than 2,000 years.

The placement of the coffins has to do with status and the belief that the spirits would achieve a higher nature in the afterlife. The Hanging Coffins of Sagada are difficult to reach, and many visitors say that others should respect the burial tradition and view the site from afar.

Catacombs of Priscilla – Rome, Italy

In the 19th century, archaeologists hoped to find hidden treasures like beautiful monuments and frescoes in Rome’s Santa Priscilla Catacombs. Unfortunately, they discovered the catacombs were destroyed, and legend claims the tombs were devastated because ghosts haunted the cursed cemetery. According to the archaeologists, some of their crew encountered angry spirits, who pushed their carriage into a nearby river.

Santa Priscilla Catacombs also stirred up controversy when experts realized the frescoes showed what may have been female priests leading a mass, an occurrence that would scandalize and alter Catholic history. As a result, it’s believed that the Catholic Church vandalized the catacombs to cover up the shocking event in the 17th century.

Nagoro, Japan

Nagoro, Japan, has a shrinking aging and young population, causing the village to dwindle over time. Former resident and artist Ayano Tsukimi took matters into her own hands by returning to Nagoro and bringing the town back to life in the most unexpected way.

Tsukimi created 350-life size dolls and placed them all around town, including schools, gyms, benches and outside shops. Some visitors find the dolls unsettling and creepy, but the toys are there to stay and are the new unofficial citizens of the village. Only 30 real humans live in Nagoro.

North Yungas Road – La Paz, Bolivia

A 2,000-foot drop could certainly take a fear of heights to a new extreme. That’s exactly what happens when visitors fall down the cliffs at North Yungas Road in La Paz, Bolivia. Nicknamed “Death Road,” this destination claims 200 to 300 lives a year.

Driving on North Yungas Road is particularly dangerous because the narrow path is only 10 feet wide, which makes it difficult for two cars going opposite directions to share the road. The lack of guardrails and limited visibility in rain and fog also add to the road’s dangerous reputation. Currently, it has become a hotspot for wild mountain bikers instead of drivers.

Alcatraz – San Francisco, CA

Off the shore of San Francisco, California, sits the former military and federal prison called Alcatraz. From 1934 to 1963, the notorious facility was home to many infamous prisoners, including mobster Al Capone, Bumpy Johnson and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

Former prisoners, guards and visitors have reported paranormal activity at Alcatraz. Large, mysterious shadows appear out of nowhere. Figures of past inmates wander the cells and halls. Clinking metal sounds, screams and cries are heard when no one else is around. If haunted prisons are your thing, then Alcatraz is definitely a must-visit destination.

The Amityville House – Long Island, NY

Located in Long Island, New York, the Amityville house is where Ronald DeFeo, Jr., took the lives of his family members in 1974. About a year after the tragic incident, the Lutz family moved into the home and enjoyed a great beginning — for a few days.

Things quickly took a dramatic turn for the worst. The Lutz family reported banging noises, unexplained footsteps, foul odors, green goo oozing from the walls and eyes looking in from outside the windows. It was so bad that the family left the house after only 28 days of living there. Many people didn’t believe their story, but when they took lie detector tests, they all passed.

Gettysburg Battlefield – Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg Battlefield is known as the most haunted place in the world. During the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg went on for three days and became the bloodiest battle in U.S. history. More than 50,000 Americans lost their lives, and thousands of other soldiers were wounded or went missing.

Many lives ended violently on the Gettysburg Battlefield, so it’s no surprise that it’s now a paranormal hotspot. Angry, dark spirits wander the fields and nearby homes. Some locals say the restless spirits are searching for their weapons and comrades. Do these ghosts know the battle is over?

Lawang Sewu – Semarang, Indonesia

During World War II, Japan invaded Semarang, Indonesia, and took over a building owned by the first railway company in the Dutch East Indies, calling it Lawang Sewu. In Japanese, Lawang Sewu means “thousand doors.” They turned the building into a prison, and the basement was used for executions.

As a result, many ghost stories involve Lawang Sewu. Tourists have reported seeing ghosts and ghouls. The most famous is a Dutch woman who died in the building. Another reported entity at Lawang Sewu is the kuntilanak, a vampiric ghost in Indonesian and Malay mythology.

Manchac Swamp – Laplace, LA

Most bayous are infested with snakes and gators swimming in murky waters, but one swamp in Louisiana has a unique aspect that makes it unsettling. Located near New Orleans, Manchac Swamp is the spookiest swamp thanks to a curse and a strange, lurking beast.

Legend says a voodoo priestess cursed the swamp and her neighbors. Then, she died and took the entire village with her in the deadly 1915 New Orleans hurricane. Now, her ghostly voice haunts the swamp. Another entity at Manchac Swamp is the rougarou, a bloodthirsty, werewolf-like creature. Are you afraid of the swamp yet?

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70 Ridgway Drive, Dallas, Pennsylvania, 18612

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A New Haunt Located At Imlay City

What are we

Our Haunt features dozens of different themed rooms

for a mix of a bunch of different fears.

CONTACT INFOMATION

587 N Cedar St Imlay City, MI, 48444 Belle Valley Plaza

[email protected] (810) 542-4625

Open on marked days

We are open from 7 PM to 11 PM every Friday and Saturday.

Location is

587 N Cedar St Imlay City MI 48444

Things to Know

How young is to young for the haunt? Not recommended for children under the age of 14. This haunt contains blood and gore and may not be suitable for young children. All kids under 14 must be with an adult.

Prices $20 Per Person

Refunds? No refunds. Once you enter the haunt there will be no refunds.

When are we open? Fridays – Saturdays in September and October. All of our dates can be found on our website or Facebook.

Food and Drinks We will have food trucks available for each weekend that are open.

Rain? Snow? We are a indoor haunt so no matter what unless its extremely bad weather we should be open.

Scare Easily / Have a phobia ? This Haunt might not be for you, we have different rooms that target different fears, enter at your own risk.

Any other questions don’t hesitate to call or email, Happy Halloween.

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The Legend Returns

Hidden deep in the woods, HellsGate is a multi-level mansion filled with secret passages, giant slides, ghastly secrets, undead abominations, really nervous groundskeepers and a darkness that the gate can no longer contain! This is not just a haunted house, it's an adventure!

Since you were a kid, you've heard about the haunted house with the giant slide, the one hidden out in the woods, the one where you can win your money back, but you were never able to find it... until now! It's HellsGate Haunted House in Lockport, IL.

Find the Key and your ticket is free!

This Halloween season, don’t just go to any haunted house, go on an adventure! If you are looking for Chicago's best haunted house, the scariest haunted house in Illinois, then you must travel through the zombie-infested woods and across the Lost Souls Cemetery to find HellsGate Haunted House.

THEIR TIME AT STATESVILLE PRISON HAS ENDED… BUT THEIR STORY CONTINUES AT HELLSGATE HAUNTED HOUSE.

This Fall, the prisoners of Statesville Prison will take up residence with the House Staff of HellsGate, combining the two award-winning casts & crews at ONE LOCATION for an unforgettable Halloween Season that you do not want to miss!

Like and follow HellsGate‘s social profiles for news, content, ticket discounts, and MORE!

Based on last year's success and the highly anticipated 2022 Show, that will feature the Escaped Prisoners of Statesville Haunted Prison; we will be capping ticket sales each night, charging more at the door, and only offering online coupons. This is all done in an effort to continue producing Illinois' Favorite Haunted House; by reducing the wait times, capping attendance with SOLD OUT NIGHTS, and continuing to offer our audience cheap discounted tickets online.

Don't miss your chance to Take the Adventure at HellsGate Haunted House!

Top 3 reasons to Buy Your Tickets Online!

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Coupons available for Opening Weekend, Thursdays & Wednesdays, Halloween and Closing Weekend. Click HERE for details.

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The Nightmare

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• 4300 s. 91st St. E. Ave
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Recent Reviews

Email verified trampled by teens.

I attended The Nightmare on the evening on October 5th with my fiance-- choosing not to heed all of my friends’ warnings to not go. This haunt, while not officially listed as such, is classified as a “hell house” and is hosted by a mega church here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For those unfamiliar, hell houses are religious-based Halloween attractions that depict traumatic events and sins of the world in conjunction with the grace of God and Jesus’ selfless sacrifice. I must admit that while myself and many of the folks who encouraged me not to go are atheist or agnostic, I feel equipped to give a mostly unbiased review; while The Nightmare has been the sole hell house Tulsans have seen for 27 years, I grew up in small-town southern Ohio where I was blessed to be taken to several growing up. I will not interject my religious opinions in this review, but rather the logistics, content, and effects themselves. There will be spoilers. It was clear to me before ever attending that this church was absolutely loaded. Driving past the church campus each day, they own several warehouse buildings and a year-round building with a professional “NM” on the front. After doing some research, I found that the haunt actually came before the church, Guts, was founded. It’s always interesting to me when churches develop out of separate business endeavors but a haunt is definitely a new one for me. There is a ton of buzz surrounding The Nightmare (especially since I work with youth, their target audience) so I had heard a lot before attending. For the opening weekend, they were running a BOGO sale for either the $15 standard tickets OR the $30 express tickets. They certainly aren’t hurting for cash--averaging about 35,000 attendees per year--so they tend to run a lot of online deals. They are incredibly professional and welcoming, like the Chick-fil-A of haunts, and are very convincing at getting folks to attend. We ordered the standard BOGO tickets online, paid through PayPal (where you can also donate to the church) and were directed to pick up our tickets at the Will Call upon arrival. Gates opened at 7pm and we arrived at 7:05. I like to get a feel of the typical wait time, so we never arrive early. By the time we got there, we were directed for 10 minutes through several parking lots and past numerous church vans to get to an empty parking lot. Parking logistics were on point with at least 20 staff directing traffic. It was certainly intimidating navigating the church campus since I had assumed that the “NM” building was where the event was held, but it actually started with wand security in front of the children’s building a couple parking lots away. The security line was staffed with two men and two women, including a city police guard, to wand each and every attendee. The lines were sorted into boys/girls and the boys’ line took about 15 minutes-- twice the wait of the girls’. As an extremely populated event, the very next tent was filled with about 6 staff and 30 clipboards to fill out waivers. I have never signed a waiver for an event that didn’t allow any touching from actors, but I didn’t read too much into it. I assumed it was because they have a strict 12+ rule and also force you to list your phone number on the waiver (likely to contact attendees after the event to invite them to a church service). Both security and the waiver tent were outside which I did not at all expect considering they advertise that the wait line is indoors in a climate-controlled building, but apparently all of this is considered “pre-haunt”. After signing the one-page waiver, they take about 20 people into another tent to watch a light and informative video about the haunt and advertising their church. It is important to know that absolutely nothing about the experience so far has been spooky or anything less than familial and lovely. While very similar to other hell houses I have been to, I can certainly see why someone expecting a typical haunt experience would be more than confused at this point. After the video, they directed us to the portable restrooms and food services, which were all very clean and attractive. The food stand was very affordable with many options similar to a sports event-- hamburgers, fries, candy, soda, etc. Impressive. After getting our online tickets at the Will Call, we walked inside the teen building where the line was well-established. We walked through a couple rows, but there were still about two-hundred folks in front of us. The space was very strange-- lights were bright to accomodate a large eating space, but it was not conducive to the dance vibes they were trying to have. A large stage with a skeleton DJ was the pre-show entertainment (that ended up including the Michigan v OSU game in the background later on in the night) but the music was way too loud. Don’t get me wrong, I love good house electro, but blaring in a sweaty mess of folks for over 2 hours was a real struggle. The wait was atrocious with teens repeatedly cutting the line and throwing trash everywhere. Either dimming the lights, turning down the music, or adding some better ventilation in the warehouse would’ve been a step in the right direction. When we first got into the line at 7:30, the door staff had a cell phone with a one-minute timer in a caddy beside the door. Loved the structured timer to regulate the flow inside, but once we had been in line for over an hour and a half with the line getting longer and longer, they had to change things up. They started sending in 10 folks in at a time, 30 seconds apart which really affected the way things went by the time we were ready to go in. From start to finish, we were continually being rushed by non-dresssed staff. The first half of the haunt was weak, consisting of many child actors (likely members of the church) and depicting some really vague sins of rape, child trafficking, and suicide. Because we were being rushed along by one of the security guards in every room, I unfortunately didn’t get much time to appreciate the scenes. I typically criticize that haunts are understaffed with many more opportunities for jump scares, but this one was really the opposite. There were way too many staff persons in the haunt and not enough of them were actually in costume. It felt so heavily patrolled with security cameras and guards everywhere, I felt like I was in prison. Halfway through the haunt, we entered another line that showed a reel of school shootings. It was clear what we were about to enter, but my soul was honestly just tired at this point. It was hot, I had been stepped on by teens several times, and we had been on the grounds for almost 3 hours with not one person scaring me. I wanted it to be over. *However* when we got into the next room, I realized we were finally in the actual “NM” building. The first half had been kind of a pop-up set, but this was the area where they had tweaked the same scenes for over 20 years. It was absolutely going to get better. We entered a room where we were in high school and experienced a school shooting. We got sprayed with water as teens were being shot and honestly, it was a pretty cool effect. Of course, this could be very traumatizing for teens (especially in the current climate) but trauma is kind of the entire point of a hell house. And, of course, salvation. We then walked into a couple other rooms with vague stories but amazing setups-- graphic car crashes, a falling room, live torture, spinning rides, hell, Jesus getting nailed to the cross, and finally seeing him hanging there spitting blood. I will say that all of these permanent rooms in the second half were extremely high-quality, graphic, and scary. I would easily give all of these a perfect 5 stars in terms of setup, appearance, and acting but my overall experience was lessened due to shoving nearly 30 people in each room to move folks as quickly as possible. It was very uncomfortable with the security pushing us through with flashlights and I really feel that some of the terror was compromised by their choice of setup in herding attendees. Upon exiting the haunt, you are greeted by about 50 folks cheering and clapping to greet you and pray with you. It is mandatory to be spoken to by a volunteer so they can try to save your soul. I must say that I am very impressed with the level of professionalism of these volunteer, because after a quick conversation, the staff asked for permission to pray over us and upon declination, simply thanked us and let us leave. I have never been to hell house that didn’t really pressure you upon your exit, so in this way, the sheer mass of attendees was really helpful. Merchandise after prayer, and onto the parking lots. No extra scares. Overall, I would give this haunt 2 out of 5 stars due to the wait and overall customer experience once inside the haunt. I couldn’t enjoy myself due to how I was being herded around and stepped on, and realized that the waiver was absolutely not regarding being injured by the actors or structures themselves. If I ever go back, I’ll be sure to purchase the express pass which is something I rarely do but it feels necessary here in order to be in a proper headspace when I finally go in. The Nightmare isn’t going anywhere any time soon with a huge Oklahoma and surrounding state following, but if you’re looking for an enjoyable experience-- either waiting or with the folks around you once inside, you won’t find it here.

1 out of 2 found this review helpful

A Nightmare Indeed!

I must say that this was the scariest haunted houses I and my wife have ever been to. Most of the rooms inside were so dark that even though I acted brave, I was sweating fear from in. There were stuffs hanging from the ceilings and some things were touching our legs. Actors, props, makeup and even the staff were awesome. The Ripley’s was very scary than I expected it to be and my wife kept screaming out most of the time. I loved the haunt and will be back again with my wife to give her a few more scares.

2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Email Verified Scare you straight fear tactics

School shootings, pedophiles, abortion with a coat hanger, meth lab, and suicide. This traumatized my teen, not because she's "bad" or "unsaved", it scared her because who wants to be in the middle of a school shooting, car wreck, etc. Extreme tactics.

4 out of 6 found this review helpful

Religious propaganda

Boooooring.

Amaaazing!!!

Amazing, a must see!!! Went twice last year, going back this year!

2 out of 5 found this review helpful

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• Date You Visited: Before 2020 2020 Season 2021 Season 2022 Season September 2022 Oct 1-15, 2022 Oct 16-31, 2022 November 2022 --> September 2023 Oct 1-7, 2023 Never Visited Other
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The Nightmare Haunted House

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The Nightmare Haunted House is a Haunted Attraction located in Minooka, IL.

509 East Hunter Lane, Minooka, IL 60447

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Always verify the attraction’s dates and hours prior to visiting.

2023 Schedule October 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, & 31 Opens at 6 PM

The Nightmare Haunted House, Is a Home Haunted Attraction and Yard Display in Minooka, IL. With 15+ Live Actors, tons of detailed rooms and props and animations. We offer PG tours for kids! Voted Top Ten Halloween Event by Haunted Illinois for 2019-2021. & Voted number one Home Haunted Attraction by Illinois Top 5 for 2021 & 2022! Since 2016 have been raising cash donations for Shorewood HUGS. We have raised a combined 12,000+ dollars for the charity over the years and will continue to grow that number yearly with our communities support! We are 100% an all volunteer cast and crew and are non-profit.

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