That's a wrap, says the mummy...

Thanks to all for another fantastic year at Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead. We had (and scared) more visitors than any year prior, and we appreciate all our fans, young and old, for making it all worthwhile. Another October (and Halloween) has come and gone, but we'll be raring to go in 2019 with more new figures and frights. See you back in 11 months!

Only 5 nights left to experience Spirits on Sproat!

And then there were 5...there are only 5 nights remaining on the Spirits on Sproat calendar. Come see us any night between now and Oct. 31--if you dare!

Hours: Oct. 27 and 31: 7-11 p.m.; Oct. 28, 29, 30: 7-10 p.m.

Remember: Spirits on Sproat is open tonight

Just a reminder that Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead is open tonight, Monday, Oct. 29, and will remain open every night through Halloween. If weeknights are more convenient for you, stop by any night this week. Hours are 7-10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 7-11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Oct. 31.

Reminder: post your Spirits on Sproat video on Facebook and win prizes

It's not too late to enter the Spirits on Sproat 2018 Facebook Video Contest. Visit our haunt by Oct. 26, take a video of your visit, post it on our Facebook page, and you could win two VIP tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House! Read the full details here.

Spirits on Sproat now open every night thru Halloween

Welcome to uninterrupted Halloween fun! Spirits on Sproat is now open every night through Halloween--from Oct. 19 through 31. Here's our detailed remaining schedule:

• Oct. 19-20: open 7-11 p.m.
• Oct. 21-25: open 7-10 p.m.
• Oct. 26-27: open 7-11 p.m.
• Oct. 28-30: open 7-10 p.m.
• Oct. 31: open 7-11 p.m.

Put another way, we're open 7-11 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween, and from 7-10 p.m. all other days. Come on out and experience all the terror-ific excitement before October ends!

Meet Pennywise (from the "It" movie)

What's that, you say? There are two Pennywise clowns at Spirits on Sproat? That's quite perceptive of you. Yes, you're seeing double, but that's not the alcohol talking--we really do have two different "It" clowns on display here. This one pictured is from the 2017 film (the other is from the 1990 TV miniseries). Bet you also didn't know these fun facts about our fiendish prankster:

• Nicknames: Pound foolish, balloon goon, Wonder bread, Baldy McDonald
• Voted in high school: No. 1 class clown
• Secret shame: That’s his real nose 
• Little-known fact: Banana peels instantly turn black before he slips on them

Meet Maleficent

Next to the evil queen from Snow White and the wicked stepmother from Cinderella, there's no fairy tale female baddie quite as sinister as this soulless sister, famous for being the foil to Sleeping Beauty. Here's the 411 on Maleficent:

• Nickname: Dragon breath
• Favorite book: “Gardening With Thorns: Who Needs Flowers Anyway?”
• Favorite song: “Spinning Wheel” by Blood Sweat and Tears
• Pet peeve: Not being invited to birthday parties

Meet the Slender Man

Tall, dark and handsome this guy is not. Okay, well, he's got the tall part down. And most of his getup is on the black side. But when it comes to mugs, this dude's about as expressionless and nondescript as a Michael Myers mask worn backwards. Here's what else we know about this tall drink of water:

• Also known as: Poker face, Funkyfingers, Freddy formalwear
• Pet peeves: Subcompact cars and the tiny house movement
• Secret wish: that there was a big and tall men’s shop on every corner
• Dirty little secret: Drafted as the starting center for the Lakers but cut for complete lack of hustle

Meet Darth Vader

Everybody's favorite sci-fi villain deserves a spot in our horror hall of fame. After all, he's got a costume blacker than the Prince of Darkness', he serves an evil emperor who looks like he's in need of a good exorcism, and he's not exactly the man of your dreams when he's unmasked. Consider these other facts:

• Secret shame: His kids once had the hots for each other
• Pet peeve: When people push his buttons
• Favorite wrestling move: the invisible chokehold
• Dirty little secret: Wishes his lightsaber was as big as Obi-Wan’s

Meet The Nun

She's not going to be winning any beauty contests, and her sense of fashion is pretty bland. But this sister--also known as Valak--really knows how to steal the show, as evidenced in "The Conjuring 2" and her own spinoff movie. Eager to learn more? Read on:

• Pet peeve: Can’t find a good dentist down in hell
• Voted in high school: Most likely to die a virgin
• Favorite book: “How I Kicked the Habit”
• Title of her autobiography: “From Convent to Conjuring: The Valak Memoirs”

Enter the Spirits on Sproat 2018 Facebook video contest and win Midnight Terror tickets

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 2018 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. The winner can pick up from Michael Myers himself (the one walking around at Spirits on Sproat) 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. 26, 2018, please.
• We will contact the chosen winner privately via Facebook on October 27, 2018, to arrange pickup of the tickets. Prepare to show a valid ID when you pick up the tickets.

Good luck, and happy Halloween season!

Meet Rosemary and her baby

There's nothing like the bond between a mother and her newborn child--except when that infant turns out to be Beelzebub Jr. Here's more about this famous pair:

• Secret shame: Giving birth to the spawn of Satan, cutting her hair with a Flowbee
• Favorite book: “Cut out the Middleman: DIY Circumcisions”
• Most hated limerick: “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the devil in a baby carriage”

Spirits on Sproat kicks off 2018 season tonight

Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead, officially opens tonight, Oct. 5, between 7 and 11 p.m. The forecast calls for rainy weather all weekend, so bring your umbrellas. So long as there aren't heavy rains and.or very strong winds, we will remain open. Please visit http://welovehalloween.blogspot.com/p/spirits-on-sproat-2012-schedule.html to view our full October schedule.

Halloween season is here! And our haunt is ready and waiting for you...

Oak Lawn’s Midnight Terror Haunted House voted #1 “must-see haunt” in Illinois by fans

Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn, which opens for its fifth season on September 28, was recently ranked the top “Must-See Haunt” in the entire state of Illinois by TheScareFactor.com, based on votes by fans. Midnight Terror beat out many other well-known Chicagoland-area commercial haunts in earning this honor.

Now in its third straight year at its larger location (5520 W. 111^th St.), Midnight Terror Haunted House is riding a wave of increasing popularity, visitor acclaim, and strong word-of-mouth. Visitor counts have increased exponentially every year since the haunt relocated to its current site in 2016. Positive ratings online and via social media have certainly helped, and the site has been ranked in top 10 lists from the Chicago Tribune, Fox News, Haunted House Chicago, Illinois Haunted House and more. Creator/co-owner Justin Cerniuk attributes this success to several factors.

“We don’t rely on big animatronics. We work hard with our actors to give customers the best possible show,” says Cerniuk. “Our actors are given creative freedom versus having to follow a rigid script, which allows them to scare better. Plus, we provide haunt actor training all year long, not just a few days before we open.”

Secondly, he notes that the industry norm is to merely update a few rooms in a haunt during the offseason. “But we’ve spent the past 10 months designing a whole new layout, with all new rooms and every costumed character re-envisioned.”

Additionally, Cerniuk says he runs Midnight Terror as a family, not a corporation. “We build every aspect of the show as a group of friends who share the same passion and vision of the haunt industry,” he adds, noting that he and his managers also don costumes and scare along with the crew, which keeps morale high.

What’s more, every year Midnight Terror offers a great array of value-added promotions and discounts. In 2018, visitors can claim: 

·         Half-price tickets ($12.50 general admission) when purchased online at midnightterror.com and on opening weekend (Sept. 28-30).

·         $5 off for students with a school ID every Thursday or Sunday.

·         $5 off when you bring in any other haunted house ticket stub.

·         $5 off for military personal with a valid ID.

·         Free souvenir (Midnight Terror button, sticker or headband) when you take a picture at the on-site photo booth.

·         The clowns take over on Nov. 3 – The haunt is entirely populated by evil circus denizens for one “Clown Takeover” night, with a limited supply of half-price tickets now available (only $10 when purchased online).

·         Santa goes psycho on Dec. 14-16. That’s when Midnight Terror transforms into “Christmas Fear,” with a limited supply of half-price tickets now available (only $10 when purchased online).

·         Take a photo of you and a Midnight Terror actor stalking the waiting line, share the image on social media in October (using hashtag #MidnightTerror), and you may win two free tickets to Christmas Fear (Dec. 14-16).

The haunt has earned considerable goodwill in the community, too. Midnight Terror partners with different charities every year and rewards its patrons. New for 2018:

·         For every ticket bought on-site on Sundays, $1 will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

·         Free trick-or-treating for kids 12 and younger (who are accompanied by an adult) on October 31 from 3:30-5:30 p.m.; this annual tradition is appreciated by area families, whose children are given candy and a fun “lights-on” tour of the haunt by actors appearing in friendly mode.

Lastly, Midnight Terror’s scares truly satisfy. Visitor reviews continually hit on a prevailing theme: the fright factor at this haunt is exceptionally high.

“We pride ourselves on designing a uniquely terrifying and creatively horrific haunted house experience that keeps the crowds coming back for more,” says Cerniuk. He notes that Midnight Terror benefits from more than 60 rooms, over 100 actors, and 26,000-plus square feet. “The Midnight Terror production crew custom make every one of our props and sets. And our state-of-the-art animatronic, CGI, lighting, and sound effects are comparable to those used in a big-budget Hollywood horror movie.”

Midnight Terror Haunted House is located at 5520 W. 111^th St., Oak Lawn, Ill., 60453, just east of the intersection of Central Avenue and 111^th Street. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office on site: regular admission per person is $25 at the door (discounts may be available online); VIP admission per person, which provides faster entry without having to wait in the general admission line, is $35 at the door. The attraction is wheelchair accessible and open, rain or shine (an indoor waiting area is provided), from: 7-10 p.m. on Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, 30 and 31; and from 7-11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (Sept. 28 and 29; Oct. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27; and Nov. 3). 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 midnightterror.com or email midnightterror.info@gmail.com.

Spirits on Sproat back from the dead on October 5

Your favorite Halloween haunt is returning from the grave for another season. Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead will reopen on Friday, October 5 and welcome visitors for 19 days this October.

To view the 2018 dates, hours and details, click here.