Monday, October 30, 2017

We're open Oct. 30, too

Just a reminder that Spirits on Sproat is open tonight, Monday, Oct. 30, from 7-10 p.m.

We are, of course, also open on Halloween from 7-11 p.m.

Come on out for your final chances to visit everyone's favorite home haunt!

Friday, October 27, 2017

Spirits on Sproat featured in new Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown article

The Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown has just published an article by reporter Mike Nolan that offers a roundup of area home haunts worth visiting.

Spirits on Sproat  and its owner are featured in the story, which you can read by visiting www.tinyurl.com/2017hauntsct. 

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Spirits on Sproat open thru Halloween; Facebook video contest extended

Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead is now open every night through Halloween. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Oct. 26, 29 and 30; and 7-11 p.m. Oct. 27, 28 and 31. Come on out...if you dare!

Also, we're extending the deadline on our Facebook video contest to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. We encourage you to post videos and photos taken at our display; the person who posts a video we choose as the best will receive two free VIP tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn--a $70 value. The winner will be announced the afternoon of Oct. 29, and this person can pick up the tickets from our haunt and use them on Oct. 29, 30 or 31. So keep posting those videos and photos!

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Spirits on Sproat gets Svengoolie's attention

Three figures on display at Spirits on Sproat are getting their 15 minutes of fame, courtesy of Svengoolie, Chicagoland's very own TV horror host. The three characters are Elvira, Svengoolie himself, and the London After Midnight vampire (famous as the logo of Creature Features on channel 9 back in the 1970s).

First, Sven has chosen a photo of the threesome for his "Photo of the month" in his October newsletter, pictured below. (To subscribe to Svengoolie's free e-newsletter, by the way, visit svengoolie.com, scroll down to the middle of the page, and you'll see an option to enter your email address and subscribe.)

Second, Sven has promised us that he will feature this same photograph on his TV program sometime in November. He doesn't yet know which date, so you'll have to tune in any Saturday night in November (7-9 p.m. central on MeTV) around 8:30 p.m. to catch it.

Thanks, Sven, for the terror-ific TLC!

Friday, October 20, 2017

Spirits on Sproat now open every night thru Halloween

Spirits on Sproat is now open for 11 straight nights, from October 20 to October 31.

Hours are 7-11 p.m. on Oct. 20, 21, 27, 28 and 31; open 7-10 p.m. all other remaining nights in October.

There's still time to meet Michael Myers and all the other horror all-stars you love from your favorite scary movies, TV shows and stories.

When you visit, be sure to play our two scavenger hunt games (look for signage) and take photos and videos that we hope you'll post on our Facebook page. You could win 2 VIP tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House if you post your content by October 26! (Visit here for details).

Spook spotlight: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Svengoolie maybe Chicago's most beloved TV horror host, but arguably the most famous one nationwide is the curvaceous creature feature hostess Elvira, better known as" Mistress of the Dark." Here's the dossier on this dominatrix queen of the B movies:
  • Nickname: Late night TV horror hostess with the mostest
  • Little-known fact: A vampire that bit her died of silicone poisoning
  • Graduated from: The school of hard knockers with a major in bad puns
  • Motto: Slay ’em with cleavage, not a cleaver

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Spook spotlight: Alfred Hitchcock

There have been many memorable film directors in history – Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Orson Welles, etc. but the most famous and arguably the best of them all is none other than Alfred Hitchcock, director of such masterpieces as Psycho, North by Northwest, The Birds, and others. Want to know more about this heavyweight champion filmmaker? Read on…
  • Known as: The master of suspense and the most famous movie director in history
  • Phobias: Heights, birds, policemen, breaking another director’s chair
  • Catch phrases: “Good evening,” “Make the audience suffer as much as possible,” “Take a cold shower.”
  • Words that sum him up: Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, cameo, fatso 

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Spook spotlight: Beetlejuice

If you're a fan of comedies and horror films, you've likely seen Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" from the late 1980s. While this famous character doesn't appear in the film for long, he steals every scene he's in. Here are some of the reasons why:
  • Catch-phrases: “It’s showtime!” “I’m the ghost with the most,” “Let’s turn on the juice and see what shakes loose.”
  • Suffers from: Tooth rot, flesh-eating bacteria, diarrhea of the mouth
  • Little-known fact: If you say his name 4 times, he’ll use more 4-letter words
  • Nickname: Scars and stripes

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Spook spotlight: the London After Midnight vampire

Here's a gruesome ghoul you may not be acquainted with – it's the unnamed vampire character from one of the most famous lost films of all time: London after Midnight, a 1927 silent movie starring the master of disguises Lon Chaney Sr. The terrifying visage of Chaney in this role was the stuff of nightmares for many a monster movie fan and inspired filmmakers and writers like Stephen King. Here's what we know about this obscure cur:
  • Played by: Lon Chaney in the lost 1927 silent movie
  • Known for: Being the face of Channel 9’s “Creature Features” in the 1970s
  • Aliases: The man in the beaver hat, piranha-mouth, Bulging-eyes-Bob
  • Sick of his mother telling him: It’s not polite to point

Monday, October 9, 2017

Guide to other area yard displays and home haunts

Oak Lawn Patch recently published a roundup article listing visit-worthy home haunts and yard displays throughout the south suburbs of Chicago. Spirits on Sproat made the list, as well as several others you may want to check out.

To see the article/list, click here.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Spook spotlight: Scarycrow

Most farmer's scarecrows are the cute and cuddly type, with a patchwork quilt face and a stitched-on grin of friendliness. But this maize mannequin is monstrously morose if not downright zombiefied. Crows and humans alike – you've been warned. Here are more fun facts about Scarycrow:
  • Sick of: The dry cleaner’s excuse for why the bird dropping stains can’t come out
  • Catch-phrase: “That’s the last straw”
  • Little-known fact: Auditioned for “The Wizard of Oz,” but lost the part after changing the lyrics to “If I Could Only Eat Some Brains”
  • Known for: Corny jokes, stuffing himself at mealtime, always picking the short straw

Friday, October 6, 2017

Enter the Spirits on Sproat Facebook video contest

Here's another great reason to visit Spirits on Sproat: you can win two VIP admission tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn--a $70 value and a great opportunity to experience Chicagoland's best commercial haunted attraction without having to wait in a long line!

Here's what you need to do:
  1. Take video during your 2017 visit to Spirits on Sproat. 
  2. Post it to our Facebook page (at fb.com/spiritsonsproat) by October 26. (We'd also love for you to share photos taken during your visit, so post those, too.) 
  3. Like us on Facebook.
  4. Share your posted video on your own Facebook timeline. Make sure the post is public.
We'll judge the best video and award the winner the two tickets, which they can pick up from Michael Myers himself between October 27 and Halloween night.

A few tips on taking and submitting videos:
  • We prefer horizontal video over vertical video (it fills up and looks better on the screen)
  • We especially love footage of our live scarers (like Michael Myers and Jason) creeping up and scaring people.
  • Please aim for a reasonable video length; not too short (at least 30 seconds) or too long (not longer than 3 minutes) please.
  • Do not post video recorded in past years. Only post fresh video recorded between Oct. 1 and Oct. 24, 2017, please.
  • We will contact the chosen winner privately via Facebook on October 25 to arrange pickup of the tickets. Prepare to show a valid ID when you pick up the tickets.
Good luck, and happy Halloween season!

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Spook spotlight: Oogie Boogie

If there was one character that definitely bugged Jack Skellington and Santa Claus in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," it was Oogie Boogie, the walking knapsack with the creepy grin who played with loaded dice and glowed a neon green. Here's what else we've learned about this denizen of the dark:
  • Pet peeves: Santa Claus, the sack race, Orkin refusing to issue him a refund
  • Often mistaken for: Spongebob’s friend Patrick, the Michelin Man’s evil twin brother, the Pillsbury Doughboy on acid
  • Secret shames: Uses loaded dice, has a burlap fetish, gets high off glow-in-the-dark paint fumes

Monday, October 2, 2017

List of other area home haunts now available

Curious to learn about other decorated yard displays to visit this Halloween season besides Spirits on Sproat? The 2017 Chicagoland Home Haunts list is now available for viewing and downloading by visiting tinyurl.com/homehaunt17.

Make your plans to tour each of these spook-tacular home displays this October!

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Spirits on Sproat opens tonight

Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead kicks off its 13th season when it reopens tonight, October 1, from 7-10 p.m. We have many new surprises in store for you, including new figures to see and a chance for you to win two VIP tickets to nearby Midnight Terror Haunted House (a $70 value).

For our full schedule and directions, click here.

Hope to see you tonight and any other night we're open in October!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

All-new scares planned for Oak Lawn’s Midnight Terror Haunted House in 2017

Demonically possessed workers keep the engines
of fear running at The Factory of Malum.
Demonic workers await your arrival at The Factory of Malum,
one of two haunts included with your admission at
Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn.
Last year, Midnight Terror Haunted House thrilled visitors by moving to a bigger, better location in Oak Lawn. This year, they’ve reinvented that extra space into a “fear-for-all” playground of fright for a more uniquely nightmarish experience.
Determined to give paying customers fresh thrills in 2017, Midnight Terror creator/co-owner Justin Cerniuk and his crew spent the offseason redesigning more than 85 percent of the haunt. But they did more than expand the size of many of the sets, improve the props and wardrobe, and fine-tune the animatronic, CGI, lighting and sound effects. They also “unleashed the monsters.” Translation: the creepy characters lurking around every corner now have the freedom to frighten you in their own creative way.

“Many haunted attractions choreograph their actors too rigidly, making them to do and say the same things and robotically remain within a limited zone. That can get boring and predictable,” says Cerniuk. “We’re letting many of our scarers customize their characters and be more spontaneous and unpredictable. We’ve created more secret spaces for them to hide in and given them a wider territory in which to terrify.”

Rest assured that the golden rule of haunting remains in effect: the hired help isn’t allowed to touch paying customers, and vice versa. That doesn’t mean Midnight Terror’s scream team won’t touch a nerve, however.

“We’re emphasizing more old-school startle effects and jump scares this year. Attendees will appreciate the level of detail in our sets and the impressive theatricality on display. But it’s the sudden shocks that will leave the strongest impression. Prepare to be thoroughly scared,” says Cerniuk, an ex-Marine and Oak Lawn native who launched Midnight Terror in 2014.

“In the military, they call an overwhelming display of force ‘shock and awe.’ Here, we use a different phrase for the same effect—‘shock and saw,’” he says. “They use stealth bombers, we use chainsaws.”

It’s this commitment to horror excellence that’s earned Midnight Terror high praise; in 2016, the attraction was awarded third-place honors for best haunt by IllinoisHauntedHouse.com and was named a top 13 haunt by HauntedHouseChicago.com.

A ticket to Midnight Terror provides admission to two haunted houses in one location. The first is Black Oak Grove, where the ghostly Willow and her cult of possessed followers roam like wraiths throughout the village. Follow their eerie trail as you wind through a cannibalistic butcher shop, a spine-chilling school, a jail where the inhumane inmates are in charge, a disquieting library, and other town fixtures. The second part of your journey leads through the Factory of Malum, named after a demonic overlord who has enslaved an army of monstrous minions hell-bent on preventing you from making it out of their industrial complex of creatures alive.

“We’ve created a unique mythology and series of characters that drive the backstory behind these two haunts. Every year, we add a new chapter to this ongoing narrative,” Cerniuk explains. “But you don’t need to be aware of this to come and enjoy Midnight Terror.”

Here’s what patrons can expect in 2017:
This follower of Willow is among the evil
inhabitants of Black Oak Grove,
one of two haunts included with your
admission at Midnight Terror Haunted
House in Oak Lawn.
  • A 35-minute walk-through (on average) across two haunted houses
  • More than 60 rooms and over 100 actors spread across 26,000+ square feet
  • The House of Lilly—a brand-new paranormal escape room (optional for an extra fee)
  • Free entertainment for guests waiting in line – such as DJs, stilt walkers and street drummers
  • A gift shop where Midnight Terror shirts, hoodies, hats and other apparel as well as Halloween-themed merchandise can be purchased.

Attendees can also claim valuable promotions, including:
  • $2 off each ticket when purchased online at midnightterror.com
  • Half off regular admission on opening weekend, September 28, 29, 30 and Oct. 1 when purchased online
  • $5 off for students with a school ID every Thursday or Sunday
  • “Lights-on” trick or treating on October 31 from 3:30-5:30 p.m., when kids 12 and younger can walk through, free of charge, with the lights on and wave to the actors, who will be in friendly mode and giving out candy.

Midnight Terror Haunted House is located at 5520 W. 111th St., Oak Lawn, Ill., 60453, just east of the intersection of Central Avenue and 111th Street. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office on site: regular admission per person is $25 at the door or $23 online; VIP admission per person, which provides faster entry without having to wait in the general admission line, is $35 at the door or $33 online. The attraction is wheelchair accessible and open, rain or shine (a covered waiting area is provided), from: 7-10 p.m. on Sept. 28, Oct. 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, 30, and 31; and from 7-11 p.m. on Sept. 29 and 30, Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28. Visitors can park for free at the Oak Lawn Metra station parking garage (located at 9525 Tulley Ave.) and take a complimentary round-trip shuttle – with costumed characters aboard to entertain passengers – to the Midnight Terror site.
For more information, visit
www.midnightterror.com or email midnightterror.info@gmail.com

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

We now have a Facebook page

Spirits on Sproat now has its own Facebook page that you can like and follow at facebook.com/spiritsonsproat. Every announcement we post at welovehalloween.blogspot.com will now also be identically posted on our Facebook page.

What's more, we encourage you to post photos and videos, taken during your visit to Spirits on Sproat this October, to our Facebook page. We'll be announcing a best video contest and prize soon.

Stay tuned for more news and updates about Spirits on Sproat coming soon!

Monday, August 14, 2017

Spirits on Sproat returns on October 1

Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead, your favorite neighborhood Halloween haunt, will reopen with all-new chills and thrills as well as fan-favorite props and characters on Sunday, October 1 from 7-10 p.m.

We're preparing our biggest and best season yet of terrifying fun designed to scare the yell out of visitors, so make your plans to visit this October. Michael Myers and his crew of creatures will be waiting for you.

To view our 2017 schedule, click here.