HellsGate Haunted House 2022

HellsGate Haunted House
3101 Canal Street
Lockport, IL 60441
https://www.hellsgate.com/
Visited on: Friday, October 7, 2022

Vital Signs:
Opened: 2016
Number of seasons-to-date: 6 (closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic)
Number of attractions: 1 (but a 3-part adventure)
Size: 2 acres (trail/cemetery) and 14,000 square feet (mansion)
Number of actors: 150
Setting: Outdoor/Indoor
Parking: Free, off-site (bus transportation from parking to property)
Fun Fact: Enjoy the outdoor midway area after the attraction! Take fun photos, have some food and drinks, play some midway-esque games, and celebrate the season! A few familiar faces have made their way to the mansion after escaping from their cages at Statesville Haunted Prison!

As the years have passed, this haunted attraction’s name has become one that all the Chicagoland area has come to know, HellsGate Haunted House, located in Lockport, Illinois. Being part of Haunted House Chicago’s Top 13 list, as well as being named both Best New Haunted Attraction and Haunted Attraction of the Year in previous seasons, this is not just your average attraction, it’s an entire epic adventure. It all begins by a journey down a long dark road, that you can only enter by bus. Yes, you read that correctly, parking is not available on the grounds, rather guests must park at a different parking lot and are shuttled to and from the grounds of HellsGate. If that alone doesn’t get your blood flowing, what will!

Every time we come to visit HellsGate, we are ready for the unexpected and to see how much work and growth has happened in the off-season. 2022 was a season that we were eagerly anticipating, not just for the new rooms and designs, but to see the new family that was created on these grounds. For those that aren’t aware, the minds behind the creation of HellsGate also helped to put on another well-known attraction in the Chicagoland area, Statesville Haunted Prison, which closed its prison gates forever at the end of the 2021 season. With an escape from the prison, many of their well-known characters made their way to this new place. Here, these prisoners are now engulfed by the darkness that the grounds and mansion are feeding to them. With this in mind, you can only imagine the excitement we had on our faces, when we came across some of those iconic faces: Fluffy, Heretic, Slider Jesus, and of course, Sharky – all with new wardrobes to show how this place, this darkness, has slowly began to take them over. As we patiently waited, we also were visited by HellsGate’s lovable gypsy, Buna who warned us of the darkness growing darker and more profoundly throughout the grounds.

Once we made our way through the mania of the new residents, our entrance to the first part of the attraction loomed before us – the woods. Slowly trekking through, the pathway was filled with tortured souls, witches casting spells, and the Imp. With fog lurking throughout, there was no safe space to hide and the shadows from the moonlight overhead played with our minds as we continued our journey. Leaving no spot safe, the actors here struck with perfect timing and attacked at multiple points throughout our group.

After surviving the woods, we approached the Lost Souls Cemetery. The pathway lit dimly as the flickering lights guided our way, creatures lurked behind every tree, rock, mausoleum, and even in the dirt! The intensity that these actors portrayed throughout made the darkness truly feel that it was taking over the cemetery and getting darker as we embarked even further. Weaving throughout the trail, through the graves, and even having to trek through a bee infested tree! Using the moonlight, fog, and natural elements, the actors here were patient with their attacks, but were also relentless. Just when we thought we turned a corner and were safe, we were struck again.

Nearly escaping the cemetery, a small road continued us on our journey as we came face-to-face with the iconic gates of Moorstone Manor, otherwise known as HellsGate. With flickering torches guiding us, a surplus of actors ran amuck in front of the mansion and began to deliver us tales of the darkness that was housed within its’walls.

As we awaited entry to the house, the booming sounds from within could be heard. Once inside, we gathered in the great room filled with the ever so large bookshelves and floor to ceiling detailed scenery, including the fireplace and staircase. As thunder bellowed above and lightning struck, actors murmured throughout about the darkness. Just before we could hear what else they had to say, the lights went dark and there appeared, The Twins. After watching this iconic opening scene, guests were forced to exit through a secret passageway that took us into the depths of the mansion itself.

Making our way into the study, our group continued to be amazed at the floor to ceiling detail, there’s so much to see, you don’t even know where to look! As we looked up at the second-story balcony, Mother traced back and forth watching and waiting for us to enter the darkness.

Weaving our way through the kitchen, library, hallways, trophy room, and even the greenhouse, chaos ensued. The actors within were in a frenzy, this darkness proceeded to grow darker and deeper within all of them. Actors were everywhere, if you don’t want to miss a thing, make sure you look in all directions – you never know where someone may crawl or even fly overhead! The details in all of these rooms were precise, with perfectly pinpointed lighting, fully immersing you into each room.

As our tour continued, we happened upon on of our favorite rooms, the doll room. From tiny to life-size, no space is left safe from the gazes of dolls here. In addition, not only are you surrounded by dolls, you actually make your way through a life-sized dollhouse. As you journey through, your eyes are not fooling you, this doll house is an exact replica of the mansion itself. But don’t be so distracted by the detail that you forget to stop and participate in a tea party with The Twins, otherwise, you just might become one of the dolls yourself!

With additional twists and turns through secret passageways, we made our way up to the attic which led us to the ever talked about slides! As our group lined up, we patiently waited till it was time to go and with the explosion ahead of us, we found ourselves deep in the basement and the underground of HellsGate.

Encountering the laboratory, with numerous experiments occurring around us, we are taken deeper into the depths below. New for 2022, instead of patrons searching for the key within the walls of HellsGate, members of the staff have been given them, if you find the “Key Master” for the evening, you must ask for the key and answer their questions correctly. If successfully answered within 10 seconds, your tour is free!

Continuing through the caverns below HellsGate, we came to the dragon caves. With massive dragons looming above you, they call to their Dragon Queen below. The darkness here fills us and just when we think we escape her lair and turn the corner, we were taken aback by what was before our eyes.

Side Note: Now, for us at Haunted House Chicago, one thing that always makes us excited is when our jaws drop and hit the floor at some of the new scenes that we get to experience along our adventures throughout each season. This year, HellsGate did exactly that…we’re pretty sure that our group just stood there in awe of what was in front of our eyes because we were SPEECHLESS.

Entering the darkness, and we mean literal darkness. You are fully immersed into a nest and web of egg sacks, stalagmites, and mirrors, with no hint at any color, but blackness. With the most perfect strobe effect, the iconic centerpiece of that room looming above sent shivers down our spine. For years, the darkness has infected all that lie within the mansion, woods, and cemetery, but here, it is growing, far beyond anyone’s control. Even more, the floor beneath your feet gives you that squishy/spongy feeling, be careful where you step!

As our journey through Moorstone Manor came to an end, we found ourselves in the gift shop. Here HellsGate merchandise items can be purchased as well as local artist artwork for sale. After leaving the gift shop, patrons get to enjoy their time under the stars at their midway. Filled with concession stands, photo opportunities, fun midway games, smoke bubbles, and actors roaming about. Here, we encountered Dirt Baby, his fun antics with all patrons was beyond comical and left us never wanting to not leave. With some added picnic tables, patrons can hang out here all night and watch some horror movies play on the full-size screen.

Monsters of Note: Sharky, Mother, Fluffy, Dirt Baby, Slider Jesus, Heretic, Bruises, and as always Buna.

The Bottom Line: From the very beginning, HellsGate has been an adventure for all that come to experience it. From the woods to the mansion, all the way to the Midway and everything else in between. The detail and acting here is above and beyond words and just an overall fully immersive experience that everyone needs to be a part of. If you haven’t yet made your way here, this is most definitely the year to do it!

But, don’t just take our word for it, check out media from our visit: