Our thanks for a great Halloween season--and here's our official 2020 video

Well, the 2020 Halloween season at Spirits on Sproat is now in the books. And what a great October it was--despite the lingering coronavirus and some downright frigid weather for autumn. 

We want to thank you for coming out (in record numbers!) and supporting our haunt. We also appreciate how respectful everyone was about wearing masks and socially distancing during your visit.

We're already gearing up for another great season in 2021 (Halloween is only 364 days away, after all). Please stay safe and healthy. And whenever you're feeling blue, remember how much fun you and yours had this October at Spirits on Sproat!

As a fond farewell, enjoy our official 2020 video below, which serves as a greatest hits of sorts from the past month.
 

And then there were three...

 Only 3 days remain in which to visit Spirits on Sproat. We'll be open 7-10 p.m. on Oct. 29, then from 7-11 p.m. on October 30 and 31. Don't miss your chance to say goodbye to Michael and Jason before Halloween season 2020 ends!

Spirits on Sproat now open every night through Halloween

 Reminder: Spirits on Sproat is now open every night through Halloween: Monday through Thursday from 7-10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday (Halloween) from 7-11 p.m. Come on out and celebrate Halloween week in scary style!

Reminder: Our Facebook video contest deadline for submissions is Oct. 26

Time is running out to submit videos of your 2020 visit to Spirits on Sproat. The deadline for you to post your videos to our Facebook page is 11:59 p.m., Monday, October 26. We'll judge all the submitted videos, and the winner we pick will win 2 free VIP tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House. 

So don't forget to post those videos (and your photos, too)!

For full details, click here.

Spirits on Sproat featured in Chicago Tribune article

Your favorite Halloween display is one of several Chicagoland yard haunts featured in a new article published by the Chicago Tribune this week, available here. Check it out! 

Meet Tarman

Being covered in black goo is a fate worse than death. Just ask Tarman, our ebony-slimed new denizen among the undead at Spirits on Sproat. Curious to learn more about this creepy corpse? Read on.

• Famous for: His appearance in Return of the Living Dead
• Favorite food: Cerebral cortex smothered in onions and Grey Poupon
• Favorite songs: Melt With You, Radioactive, If I Only Had a Brain Dirty little secret: Hasn’t had a shower in 43 years

Meet Hornswaggle Pete

The high seas aren't the only place where you're bound to run into a scalawag of a pirate. Trek over to Spirits on Sproat and say hello to Hornswaggle Pete, who is chock-full of witticisms and treasures of trash talk. Here's what we know about this boneheaded character:

• Also known as: Captain Crook, Patchface, the shiftiest pirate ghost west of the Caspian Sea
• Hates: When people ask him to say “Shiver me timbers”
• Nickname for his wooden leg: Mr. Stiffy
• Voted in high school: Most likely to find buried treasure in a garbage dump

Enter the Spirits on Sproat 2020 Facebook video contest and win admission to Midnight Terror

Here's another great reason to visit Spirits on Sproat: you can win two VIP admission vouchers to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn--an $80 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 2020 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 VIP admission vouchers. The winner can pick up from Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees (the ones walking around at Spirits on Sproat) between October 27 and Halloween night. Note that the vouchers can be used on Oct. 28, 29, 30, or 31.

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, 2020, please.
• We will contact the chosen winner privately via Facebook on October 27, 2020, to arrange pickup of the tickets. Prepare to show a valid ID when you pick up the tickets.

Good luck, and happy Halloween season!

Get your Spirits on Sproat poster before they're all gone

Last year, we quickly sold out of our limited run of Spirits on Sproat T-shirts (sorry, no more available until perhaps next year). But after many requests, we've created a new batch of SOS merch: a limited supply of brand-new Spirits on Sproat posters available for sale to our haunt visitors.

These 22" x 28" semi-glossy full-color posters, suitable for framing, feature many of the popular horror icons and characters you know and love from our display. Each poster is only $15, but we only have a handful left. So next time you visit Spirits on Sproat (click here for our dates/times of operation), ask Michael Myers or Jason if you can purchase one of these collectibles.

Take a gander at what this eye-popping poster looks like, below

Meet the Grady twins

They say trouble comes in twos. And that's certainly true with these twin terrors, the Grady sisters, who haunt The Overlook Hotel and the thoughts of Danny Torrence. You don't need "the shining" to be able to view these twins. Simply visit Spirits on Sproat. But beware of the following facts:

• Known for: Haunting the Overlook Hotel
• Shameful secret: Daddy always gets mad when they ax a question
• Pet peeve: Danny Torrence never shows up for playdates
• Favorite limerick: “There was an old woman who lived in room 237…”

Meet Clavicle

It's hard to look up to a skeleton. After all, he doesn't even have any flesh on the bones. But if you visit Spirits on Sproat, you'll definitely have to look up to our skeleton Clavicle – that's because he's about 15 feet high. Here's the dossier on Clavicle:

• Also known as: The biggest friggin’ skeleton ever
• Catch-phrase: “I’ve got a bone to pick with you”
• Dirty little secret: Likes to walk around with no clothes on
• Tired of hearing his mom say: “You’ve got to put some meat on those bones”

Spirits on Sproat opens tonight

The big day is finally here – Spirits on Sproat officially opens our 2020 season tonight, from 7 PM to 11 PM. Stop by our front and back yard haunt and get in that Halloween mood.

Just be sure to remember to wear a mask or face covering and practice 6 feet of social distancing during your visit.

Prepare to wear a mask and socially distance when you visit Spirits on Sproat this year

Heads up, fans of Spirits on Sproat. You'll be required to wear either a facemask, Halloween mask, or both (so long as your nose and mouth are covered) if you plan to visit our yard display this season. Please do not forget to bring one of these with you for each person in your group.

We also expect you to appropriately social distance while on our property (meaning maintain 6 feet of separation between you and people not in your group). Additionally, we are not allowed to have more than 50 visitors at one time in our backyard or front yard; if too many people start congregating in either the front or back yard, we may ask you to disperse, wait out front, or come back at another time.

We don't want anyone getting sick or taking unnecessary risks while visiting Spirits on Sproat this year. We also don't want local authorities to shut us down because a few people didn't want to play by the rules. So please be prepared to follow these rules, which we are required to comply with by the state of Illinois and the village of Oak Lawn. Thanks to all for your cooperation, patience, and understanding. Let's make it a fun, safe, and healthy Halloween season!

PS – Don't forget that we officially open on October 2. You can view our full schedule here.

Your favorite Halloween house returns October 2

Great news, Halloween fans – Spirits on Sproat plans to return in less than four weeks! We officially open on October 2 and will have several new props and figures on display this year. For the full 2020 schedule, click here.

Note, however, that we've instituted rules to protect against the coronavirus:

• Any visitors to our home haunt will be required to wear a face mask or Halloween mask (or both, so long as your mouth and nose are covered). 
• We can also only allow crowds no larger than 50 people. 
• Please maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet away from other visitors, too. 
• Be aware that our dates and times of operation this year are subject to change due to the pandemic (if, for example, the state of Illinois rolls back to phase 3, we may be forced to close the backyard portion of our haunt). Check our website and Facebook page for the latest updates to the schedule.