WILL-KENDALL-GRUNDY COUNTY, IL — If you're looking for new zombie graveyards, body parts, floating ghosts and devil's playgrounds to explore for Halloween, you've come to the right place. Patch has assembled its annual scary yard tour for 2022, created by some of Chicagoland’s most imaginative and demented exterior decorators.
Given the scary yard tour’s past history of breaking the internet, we have organized the 2022 list by county. So click on the link for the list of scary yards near your house, or go crazy and visit them all.
GET ON THE LIST: We LOVE reader submissions, so we'll be updating the list every FRIDAY leading up to Halloween. So send in your pictures and tell us why your yard haunt is worth a drive-by to lorraine.swanson@patch.com. Read more about how to get on the list. If you participated in years past and didn’t get an email from us, send Patch your info.
This year, your Patch editors will be selecting the best decorated yard haunt and awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to the winner.
Also, check out these lists for more scary yards throughout the Chicago area: Chicago Haunt Builders, Haunted Illinois Directory, Illinois Haunted Houses and We Love Halloween. There's free fun to be had in the days leading up to Halloween, so set your GPS for these spooky standbys and nightmarish newbies. See what other counties are doing:
Check out these slick yard haunts in Will, Kendall and Grundy Counties:
1426 BERTA DRIVE, CREST HILL — Katie and Manny’s yard haunt is known as the "Halloween House." This is their second year on the list. “We had so much fun following last year’s guide and getting to get out and see all the local yard haunts that it inspired (and challenged) us for bigger and better things this year. We feel like we’re finally ready to join the tour.” The couple has some inspired props. We love the creepy X-ray skeleton. Lights go on around 6-ish through Oct. 31.
GHOULS ON GLASGOW, 19821 S. GLASGOW, FRANKFORT — Kyle Showalter started with a single Michael Myers prop and his lawn o’ ghouls has escalated ever since. This yard haunt attracts thousands of people every Halloween season, who come to gaze upon the three dozen or more eye-popping props. Warning: Sometimes Showalter’s neighbors like to dress up like monsters and terrorize the looky-loos. The Showalters are accepting donations for the Illinois Chapter of the TEARS Foundation. The yard is lit daily from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Read TJ Kremer III’s story on Patch.
7901 Havest Drive, Frankfort – Shuts down around 10:30 p.m.
401 N East St. Gardner — We love Rebecca Wheeler's levitating witch. Display will be up through Oct. 31. Photo ops and treats for kids. People are welcome to get out and look, just don't go past the tape. Excellent.
HALLOWEEN HOUSE, 513 CORNELIA ST., JOLIET — The skeletons are swinging their partners round and round in Thomas Lancaster’s skeleton square dance. This year, he’s added a 15-foot-tall phantom.
COUNT KUHAJDA'S HAUNTED HAUS, 1112 NICHOLSON ST., JOLIET — Mark and Nancy Kuhajda have been spooking their block for over 20 years (now we're hungry for a bowl of Count Chocula) and receive over 1,000 visitors each Halloween season. This elegant front- and backyard haunt offers a kid friendly amusing walkthrough. There are no actors to terrify your kids. The front yard features mostly traditional Halloween fare. Belly up to the demon bar where a deceased bartender introduces visitors to the haunt. The backyard features the house band the Dead Beats. The cemetery and props are based on Universal Studios and sci-fi related characters. All figures and tombstones are handmade. The Kuhajdas will once again be accepting donations for American Veterans Service Dog Academy, a great organization that trains rescue dogs as companions and service dogs for veterans. Haunt hours are 7 to 9 p.m. Friday; 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 3 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
ST LUCIFER'S GARDEN OF LOST SOULS, 312 EDINBURGH DRIVE, LOCKPORT — Every Halloween season, Nancy Gonzalez’s front yard sprouts lost souls. Her third year on the scary yard tour, she's been turning her lawn into a graveyard, which features a walk-thru display with spooky music. There is no gore, so young children will love whistling through this graveyard enjoying the static and animatronic props. A donation box is up for the TLC Animal Shelter in Homer Glen. The yard haunt is open daily from 6 to 11 p.m. Visitors are welcome day and night. Featured on WGN and Fox 32.
Morrow Cemetery, 314 MacIntyre St., Lockport – This year Robert and Catherine Morrow will be passing out tons of delicious goodies at their spooky cemetery. Lights go on typically 5 p.m. and shut off at 3 a.m.
16048 W Pennyroyal Lane, Lockport – This home haunt claims to have the most MASSIVE ghouls set up in the Sagebook subdivision. Also, the weekend before Halloween, the haunt says it will have the biggest, baddest animatronic ghoul up and lit. (They’re still putting it up as of Oct. 7.) Sounds of ghosts and howling wolves add to the chilling effect. Lights turn on 6:45-ish thorough 11 a.m.
HOLIDAY HOUSE PROJECTIONS, 24361 SHAWNEE LANE, MANHATTAN — Michael Hesser's yard haunt is a technological marvel, done entirely with computers. Michael starts programming and editing weeks in advance, using a technique called 3D mapping creating 3D projections across the front of the house. The Hessers also have a Christmas show. The audio is broadcast over FM radio, so people can watch from the safety and comfort of their car. To keep things fresh, new scenes are added throughout the month leading up to Halloween. “We have received unbelievably kind letters from families from across Illinois letting us know our house has become a family tradition,” Hesser says. “The letters are usually addressed to ‘The Halloween House’ or ‘The Christmas House’ since we do displays for both.”
The Nightmare Haunted House, 509 E. Hunter Lane, Minooka – Nick Green offers a free, award-winning haunted home walkthrough and yard display with live actors, scares and fun for everyone. Green is collecting cash donations for Shorewood HUGS. This was voted the #1 Home Haunt in Illinois by the Illinois Top 5 Review Team, and the Illinois Top 10 Halloween Event by Haunted Illinois (Voters Choice). The yard is lit from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and until 9 p.m. Sunday through October, and from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31. A PG guided, low-fright tour offered at all times.
19910 Mokena St., Mokena – Stop by Mike Diamond’s yard haunt and join the skeletons for a game of “Ring A Round O’ Rosie.”
MONEE MANOR, 24066 S. CICERO AVE., MONEE — Take a drive down Cicero Avenue to where the streetlights end and the dark country takes over. This is the Berryhill family's ninth year of doing their country yard haunt. Last year they got more visitors than ever, when their house appeared on the Patch tour. Creepy animatronic and static ghosts await you, mostly homemade. Come see the huge graveyard with 10-foot pillars, skeleton stock chambers and basement zombies. Watch out for the MASSIVE rooftop spider and the elaborate toxic waste dump. The neighbors also do a great display. There's plenty of shoulder area to park and walk along the front of the property to get a closer look. Dusk to midnight through Nov 3rd. Monee Manor - Halloween Yard Display.
Nightmare on Lenox Street, 248 Lenox St., New Lenox – This yard haunt features a wide array of Halloween decorations, including lights, scary sounds and a live monster or two, skeletons, clowns, zombies and an insane asylum. Come take a look and come ready for a scare. Runs daily 6:30 to 10 p.m. through Halloween.
HAUNTED MANOR OF EVIL, 2867 FERRO DRIVE, NEW LENOX — Jeff Eggener has covered the exterior of his house entirely of wood. It looks like a real 13th Century dungeon. Everything is made by hand. Amazing. Read Patch editor TJ Kremer's story. This year, Jeff is accepting donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
2837 Taylor Glen Drive, New Lenox
Pumpkin Riot, 1702 Whispering Oaks Drive, Plainfield – Brian and Kate Hunter have changed up their display to give people the greatest experience possible. New this year is “Riot Jack” the pumpkin monster. The display also features an evil pumpkin patch infested with scorched witches and giant pumpkin creatures who overlook the whole display. The Hunters will be handing out an assortment of candy and treats this Halloween.
2205 Cedar Lakes Ct., Plainfield (Wesmere subdivision) – Kelly and Tom Zink have been decorating their yard for Halloween for over 20 years. Many of their props are handmade, including a 20 ft spider, a "working" guillotine, the monster mouth garage, and this year's addition, an Alien/Zombie crash site. They hope to have it up by Oct. 15. Walkers are welcome as the front porch is always decked out in a theme. This year it’s Creature Features. Lights typically go out at 10:30 p.m. On Halloween, the Zinks give out choices of full and giant size candy bars, as well as their very popular jello shots for adults. “I love Halloween.”
INFESTED OAKS, 1806 Whispering Oaks Court, Plainfield – Aubrey and David Appel have become a TikTok sensation with their display, which includes "Stranger Things"-themed decor — complete with Max, in the thrall of Vecna, floating over the yard. One TikTok video that shows Max floating garnered more than 14.5 million views and a response from Netflix, which called the Appels the show's "#001 fan for sure." Fans of the display are invited to try to solve the mystery: How is Max levitating? The "Infested Oaks" haunt will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 6. Lights will be off Monday through Thursday. Follow @horrorprops on TikTok for updates.
22521 S. Queens Court, Shorewood — Kevin Sauerwein’s large yard display comes with a variety of homemade pneumatic and motorized props. Guests are encouraged to park and come take a look at the display up close – if you dare. The haunt is lit Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 10 p.m.
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