Spirits on Sproat wraps up its 20th anniversary year in monstrous fashion

Darkness falls across the land--the midnight hour is close at hand, which signals the end of the Halloween season and the conclusion of Spirits on Sproat's fantastic 20th anniversary. Thanks to everyone who visited our haunt and wished us well this October. We were open a record 23 nights (with no rainouts--the first season that's ever happened for us) and had a blast sharing our Halloween spirit with you all. 

There's still one night left to experience the awesomeness that is Spirits on Sproat. C'mon out tonight (we'll be open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and celebrate All Hallows Eve with us as we draw the curtain on another great year as Chicagoland's favorite Halloween house. 

As is tradition, here is our official Spirits on Sproat video for 2024. Enjoy!

Meet the Grim Reaper

Not to be confused with The Angel of Death (who's flying around in our backyard somewhere and also covering his skull face with a black hood), The Grim Reaper likes to look about with flashing eyes and scope out the scene. Don't let your eyes meet, however – he might just harvest your soul prematurely. Here are some more interesting tidbits about this dude:

• Movie appearances: “Monty Python’s Meaning of Life,” “The Seventh Seal,” “Transformers 15” (the one where everybody finally dies thanks to his uncredited cameo)
• Nickname: Scythe for sore eyes, Mr. Buzzkill
• Secret wish: That the average human lifespan was at least 50 years longer (his feet are killing him)

Meet Patchy the plundering pirate

Ahoy, ye mateys and say hello to Spirits on Sproat's newest member of the skeleton crew, Patchy the plundering pirate, who hit the jackpot without ever playing the lottery. Patchy facts:

• Favorite Vegas casino: Treasure Island
• Favorite restaurant: Long John Silver’s
• Favorite game: Spin the bottle
• Personal heroes: Captain Hook, Blackbeard, Jack Sparrow, Nick Fury 
• Arch enemy: Whoever invented Bitcoin

Meet Cooper the Stormtrooper

He got demoted to private by The Emperor, but with enough licking of Vader's boots and by doing some extra droid patrols, Cooper the Stormtrooper should be back in command of his troops soon. Visit Spirits on Sproat and give him the salute this October. The 411 on Cooper? Read on:

• Catch-phrases: Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner, these aren’t the droids we’re looking for
• Secret shame: Always wears white after Labor Day
• Suffers from: Bad aim, no front fly
• Expected lifespan: About six seconds in any Star Wars movie

Spirits on Sproat featured in new Chicago Tribune article

The Chicago Tribune spotlighted Spirits on Sproat today in a nice writeup by journalist Jessi Virtusio. Click here to read the story.

Meet Moe, Larry & Curly the clown trio

These clowns stand head and shoulders above nearly everyone else yet by themselves they're pint-sized Bozos. They're not going to pass the audition at Second City anytime soon, but they've got a few comedy bits up their sleeves if you listen to them closely. Here's the fine print on Moe, Larry & Curly, Spirits on Sproat's latest circus freaks:

• Nickname: The bozo totem pole
• Favorite games: Whac-a-mole, pull my finger, Poke-eye-mon
• Voted in high school: Worst class clowns
• Proudest moment: Winning the world chicken fight championship in 1967
• Favorite Band: Iggy Pop and the Stooges

Meet Dead Ned the Dullahan Knight

This galloping ghost escaped from Medieval Times and trotted his hellish steed straight over to Spirits on Sproat, where we can't seem to get rid of him. Dead Ned likes to taunt the crowd with his terrifying monologues, but we wish he'd just go back to reciting Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet (look it up). Common knowledge about Dead Ned includes the following:

• Often confused with: The headless horseman, Ghost Rider, zombie Paul Revere
• Sick of his mom telling him: Calm down—don’t lose your head
• Little-known fact: Once bowled a perfect game rolling his skull
• Hates: The Kentucky Derby after being disqualified for lacking a pulse

Meet Oakley the angry apple tree

He could've been a starting pitcher for the Cubs. Instead, the Wicked Witch of the West planted him forever in a haunted forest. But he got pretty good at throwing apples at passersby. So on your way to Oz (or Spirits on Sproat), don't crowd the plate or tick Oakley off, or you could get beaned by a big red delicious. Eager to discover more about Oakley? Chew on these tidbits:

• Claim to fame: Throwing apples at Dorothy & friends in The Wizard of Oz
• Bet you didn’t know: His cousin Elmwood was the evil tree in Poltergeist
• Horror movie he’s most scared of: Saw
• Catch-phrases: “I’m tree-mendously pissed off,” “Leaf me the hell alone,”      “How do ’ya like them apples?”

Killy Idle

Every musical group worth its salt needs a good ivory tickler, even a punk metal band like The Reapers, our in-house band of bone-men. Spirits on Sproat is proud to present the Granny-winning artist Killy Idle, keyboard player extraordinaire and one fiendish fashionista. Here are the vitals on Killy:

• Better known as: Thrice dead keyboard player in The Reapers punk metal band
• Can’t stand: Brown M&Ms, demanding groupies, roadies from hell, Bon Jovi
• Cause of death: Overdosed on red hair dye
• Catch-phrase: Play it again, Samhain

Spirits on Sproat now open every night through Oct. 31

Chicagoland's favorite Halloween house is now open every evening through Halloween: 14 straight nights. So make your plans for a first or repeat visit to Spirits on Sproat any date between tonight and Oct. 31.

Our hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays, Saturday, and Oct. 31. All other nights we'll be open 7-10 p.m. (weather permitting)

A reminder to post your videos and photos of your visit to Spirits on Sproat across Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and social media, and remember to tag them (use the hashtag #spiritsonsproat or @ tag @spiritsonsproat). We'll award two Fast Pass tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn to the best video posted by Oct. 25.

We also still have Spirits on Sproat T-shirts and posters for sale and tickets to Midnight Terror available. And two of our full-size props (Frankenstein and the Grim Reaper) are also available for purchase at discounted prices. 

Michael and Jason can't wait to see you and your brood at Spirits on Sproat!

Meet Gus the legless ghoul

At Spirits on Sproat, we're all about supporting the differently abled. So when Gus the legless ghoul crawled over to our lawn, we gave him a big thumbs up. But we warned him not to keep stealing gravestones or he'd have to go. Want to learn more about Gus? Read on.

• Famous for: Breaking new ground, trying to steal headstones that are too heavy for him
• Nickname: Cletus the slack-jawed yokel
• Dirty little secret: Got kicked out of his nursing home for wearing no pants
• Favorite song: Round and Round by Ratt

Enter the 2024 Spirits on Sproat video contest

Here's another great reason to visit Spirits on Sproat this year: You can win two Fast Pass admission tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn--a $110 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. Record video footage during your 2024 visit to Spirits on Sproat. We recommend you edit the video as needed. 
2. Post it to our Facebook page (at fb.com/spiritsonsproat) or post your video to TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter using the hashtag #spiritsonsproat
    by 11 p.m. October 25. (We'd also love for you to share photos taken during your visit, so post those, too.) 
3. Email us at spiritsonsproat@gmail.com links to your posted video(s) so we can easily find the content. Also, Share your posted video on your own social media timeline/feed (if you have one). Make sure the post is public.

We'll judge the best video and award the winner with two tickets, which they can pick up from Michael Myers himself between October 26 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 this October, please.
• We will contact the chosen winner privately via Facebook/Messenger by October 26 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 Chucky

Some kids like to cuddle up at night to a teddy bear or a Tickle Me Elmo. But one urchin you won't want to get tucked in with you at night is this Cabbage Patch Doll of the damned. Chucky's got only two settings above his battery compartment: Evil and Evil-er (relax, grammarians: little kids don't even know the latter is not a word).

• Secret shame: Has made millions in merchandising royalties, but still sleeps in a cardboard box
• Little known fact: Once lost a fight to Mini Me
• Voted in high school: Are you kidding? This half-pint never made it past preschool.

Meet Cremator

Don't like the idea of being buried six feet under or spending eternity in a mausoleum? Say hello to the Cremator, who can fulfill all your burning desires for postmortem peace. Come to Spirits on Sproat and see what all the fiery fuss is about. Bet you didn't know these facts about Cremator:

• Suffers from: Chronic heartburn, black lung, incurable goth-iness
• Secret shame: Refuses to show his face after a botched Botox lip flip
• Career highlight: Served as official mascot of the bubonic plague in 1347
• Voted in high school: Best dressed for a funeral

Meet the Poltergeist doll

There were lots of scary scenes in the horror classic "Poltergeist" from 1982. The evil tree sequence. The guy peeling away his face in the bathroom mirror. The mom getting surrounded by swimming pool corpses. But the most terrifying moment had to be when the clown doll under the bed came alive. Am I right, or am I right? Here's the lowdown on said clown:

• Famous for:  Terrifying the little boy in the film Poltergeist; hugging Malibu Barbie to death
• Favorite performers: Bozo, Krusty, Pennywise, Donald Trump
• Secret shame: A schoolyard bully once beat the stuffing out of him
• Secret fetish: Dust bunnies under the bed turn him on  

Meet Frankenstein

Here's a popular scary dude you wouldn't want to meet on a dark street: Meet Frankenstein. He's been hanging around Spirits on Sproat for so long, he's become a permanent October fixture.
Technically, the Frankenstein monster is his proper name. But we'll just call him Frankie. And we'll call you scared. 

Here are a few quick facts we bet you didn't know about ole' greenface:

• Beverage of choice: Jolt Cola
• Most quoted phrase: “A stitch in time saves nine.”
• Little known fact: Served as a portable generators during Oak Lawn's 12-day power outage in 1974

Meet Wanda Websworth

The itsy-bitsy spider this she-fiend is certainly not. She's big, bad, and sick of eating flies, so keep away. Say hello to Wanda, immortalized by The Cure in their song "Lullaby." Here's what we know about Ms. Websworth:

• Better known as:  The 8-legged freak, the wack arachnid, the wicked webmaster 
• Favorite band: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
• Wishes she could ensnare: Peter Parker
• Secret shame: Failed as a screenwriter because she couldn’t spin a good yarn 
• Catch-phrase: Stick around awhile

Meet Stiltz the Clown

He could've played center for the Chicago Bulls, but instead he joined a different circus. He's Stiltz, and he's not the sharpest tool in the drawer, although he's been known to use a few on his victims. Curious to learn more about this towering clown?

• Nicknames: Big Top, Slouchy,  Pennydumb but Clown Foolish
• Biggest failure: Can’t dab so merely swings his arms back & forth like a dufus 
• Famous for: Scoring a negative 25 on his IQ test
• Little known fact: Can’t tie his big red shoes so he had them glued to his feet
• Favorite foods: Ringmasters, trapeze artists, lion tamers, rope walkers

Check out these spooktacular Halloween yard displays

WGN Channel 9 Chicago today released its online list of Chicago-area Halloween displays worth visiting this season. Spirits on Sproat is included in the list. Check out the full article/list by clicking here. 

Midnight Terror Haunted House celebrates 10th anniversary

Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn marks a decade of dread this autumn as it prepares for its biggest and best season since first opening in the village 10 years ago.

Launched in 2014 by haunt owner and Marine veteran Justin Cerniuk, Midnight Terror has big plans to help commemorate the milestone and make 2024 the most monstrously memorable year for visitors yet.

For starters, the haunt is cutting prices all season long by over 40% on a limited supply of general admission tickets (must be purchased online at MidnightTerror.com). That means you’ll pay as little as $20 to get into Chicagoland’s #1 haunted house.

“We’re providing the best Halloween event value in Chicagoland by offering throwback prices similar to what we charged 10 years ago when we first opened. But act fast and get yours before these $20 tickets are all claimed,” says Cerniuk. “The good news is that after they’re gone, you can still save $5 by purchasing tickets online versus on-site at the ticket booth.”

As they do every year, Cerniuk and crew have reinvented key sections of Midnight Terror for 2024, from the festively decorated waiting zone to the final exit passages. Visitors can expect a more immersive experience as well as an all-new psycho circus area populated by malevolent clowns. The haunt has also hired a record number of costumed actors who are specially trained to terrorize patrons.

Your paid admission provides access to two interconnected, maze-like haunted experiences under one roof: Black Oak Grove, and the Factory of Malum. Every year, Midnight Terror expands the mythology built around its exclusive characters, including the malignant overlord Malum and the wraith-like Willow. This season will mark their concluding chapter; Midnight Terror will roll out an entirely new theme and fresh roster of monsters in 2025.

“It’s a fulfilling achievement to reach 10 years. We’ve built a major following, a strong tradition, and a stellar reputation over the past decade that I’m very proud of,” adds Cerniuk, who ran a popular yard haunt in Oak Lawn for 13 years before opening his commercial haunted attraction. “We’ve had over 200,000 visitors to Midnight Terror since we first opened. I love seeing so many of the same loyal faces return to our haunt every year, including fans who years ago were teenagers or young adults but who now bring their own youngsters to our haunt.”

Cerniuk is also excited to host four special events this year:

“Lights On Trick-or-Treating” on Oct. 26 from noon to 3 p.m., during which parents can bring their younger kids to tour the haunt while the lights are on and “scary mode” is turned off; friendly staff will pass out candy, take selfies, and award prizes to every child wearing a costume (all-ages admission is $12 per person; all children must be accompanied by an adult).
“Blackout” on Nov. 3 from 7-10 p.m., when all lights inside are turned off and visitors must rely on a glow stick to navigate the dark haunt (admission from $30).
“Clown Takeover” on Nov. 8 and 9 from 7-10 p.m., when the haunt’s theme switches to a “carn-evil” swarming with killer clowns (admission from $30).
“Christmas Fear” on Dec. 13, 14, and 15 from 7-10 p.m., which promises an unforgettable experience in Yuletide terror (admission from $30).

Attendees enjoy covered outdoor and indoor waiting as well as entertainment provided by a DJ and stilt walkers, photo opportunities before entering and departing, free Midnight Terror prizes given away every night, special 10th-anniversary merch, and more. You can get details on other promotions and discounts by signing up for the haunt’s official email list, Nightmare Fuel, at MidnightTerror.com.

Ranked as one of the best haunted houses in Chicagoland by TimeOut, a top 10 haunted attraction by USA Today, a top 10 haunt by ScareFactor.com, and one of the 10 scariest haunted houses in America by ScaryOverload.com, Midnight Terror has been featured numerous times on Fox 32 and comes highly recommended by Thrillist, NBC, the Chicago Tribune, Patch.com, Haunted House Chicago, Illinois Haunted Houses, and others. The haunt has also received more than 1,200 five-star reviews from visitors on Google and Facebook.

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. General admission per person starts at $20 online* and $35 at the onsite ticket booth; Fast Pass admission per person, which places you in a line that’s three times faster than the general admission line, is $55. Or you can purchase immediate access ($80 per person), which guarantees instant entry into the haunt.
*An additional fee starting at $2.88 is charged for each online ticket

Midnight Terror is wheelchair accessible and open, rain or shine, from:
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays: Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays and select days: Sept. 27-29, Oct. 6, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27-31, and Nov. 1-3, 8, 9

Visitors can park for no charge on-site or take a free shuttle to Midnight Terror; the shuttle departs from 9525 Tulley Ave., Oak Lawn, regularly during hours of operation (check the website for the latest shuttle schedules).

For more information, check out MidnightTerror.com or email info@midnightterror.com.

Spirits on Sproat returns Sept. 27 for 20th anniversary

Spirits on Sproat, one of Chicagoland’s most popular Halloween season destinations, is commemorating 20 years of frightful fun in 2024.

First opened in 2004, Spirits on Sproat in Oak Lawn began as a barebones outdoor exhibit with a handful of props. But over the years it continued to expand until it finally outgrew its front yard territory and enlarged to also include the back yard.

What sets our free home haunt apart from others is that, from the start, it was designed to be an outdoor museum of the macabre in which nearly every major horror icon from film, TV, literature, pop culture, and urban legend is represented. Spirits on Sproat now showcases over 120 full-size figures, most of which are home-made replicas of classic horror characters—from Frankenstein and Freddy Kruger to Medusa, Norman Bates, Slenderman, Leatherface, the Headless Horseman, and Art the Clown.

This is likely the only home haunt where you’re going to find characters that you never see at other yard displays, including Svengoolie, Elvira, Jack Torrence, Carrie White, Ash from the Evil Dead, Tar Man, Babyface, Maleficent, Fluffy the crate monster from Creepshow, and Alfred Hitchcock. We also have a reaper skeleton metal band, an evil clown corral, and a pirate skeleton crew.

Fresh figures for 2024 include Dead Ned the Dullahan knight; Moe, Curly, and Larry the clown trio; Heartburn Harry; Patchy the plundering pirate; the angry apple tree from the Wizard of Oz; and several more.

Spirits on Sproat—which has been featured multiple times on Svengoolie’s television program and was named a Hall of Fame Haunt by The Horror Tourers—is more than a fearfully festive destination that’s visited by thousands every autumn. It's also been called "educationally eerie" because it helps introduce OG horror legends to younger fans. We often get multiple generations of families coming by every year where dads, moms, and grandparents will explain to their youngsters who a particular character is and what movie they’re from.

Visitors also enjoy two unique scavenger hunt games that you can play on your smartphone or on laminated sheets provided at the haunt, humorous signage describing each character, creepy horror movie music mixed with sound effects, and light projection special effects.

The crowd-favorite feature of the haunt remains a knife-wielding Michael Myers and hockey-mask-wearing Jason Vorhees who specialize in scaring visitors, climbing roofs, taking selfies, and high-fiving younger kids. In 2024, Michael and Jason will be joined by special surprise guests who are guaranteed to thrill audiences.

To help celebrate its 20th anniversary, Spirits on Sproat will be open to the public this season for more dates than ever before: 23 nights. The display will operate Sept. 27-29, Oct. 4-6, Oct. 11-13, and Oct. 18-31 (weather permitting). Hours are 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and on Oct. 31; and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays and Oct. 21-24 and Oct. 28-30. All ages are welcome. 

Starting in 2024, we also accept electronic donations at spiritsonsproat@gmail.com via PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle.

Happy Halloween season!