Evil Intentions Haunted House 2021

Evil Intentions Haunted House
Elgin, IL
Visited on: Saturday, October 23, 2021

Vital Signs:
Opened: 2005
Number of seasons-to-date: 16 (13 years in Elgin)
Number of attractions: 1
Size: 50,000 square feet
Number of actors: 70
Fun Fact: This attraction is housed in the former Elgin Casket Factory

For 16 years, Evil Intentions Haunted House has been gracing the Chicagoland market as one of the most unique haunted attractions in the area. Previously located in Elk Grove Village & the Ditka Dome in Bolingbrook, they started out small. But for the past 13 seasons, this attraction has grown immensely and has taken up residence in one of the scariest, creepiest, and actually haunted locations – inside the former Elgin Casket Company in Elgin, Illinois.

Being named Haunted House Chicago’s Best Haunted Attraction of the Year in 2017, as well as being a constant on our Top 13 list since 2013, Evil Intentions has made their name well-known across the industry, including receiving many other accolades from across the nation. After spending 10 seasons in their original building, the Casket Crew had to move and re-create their show in a whole new portion of the building in 2019. Boasting more floors and a larger space to dream, Evil Intentions went back to the drawing board to design the next iteration of their dark nightmare.

For us at Haunted House Chicago, we were sidelined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, we were excited to step back inside the doors of Evil Intentions to see what they have been working on not only in their off-season, but in 2020 as well! In the words of Samuel L. Jackson from Jurassic Park; “Hold onto your butts,” because ladies and gentlemen, you’re in for one hell of a ride in 2021!

With the feel of a completely new attraction all over again, we were fully whisked away into a world of darkness. Entering the queue instantly immerses you into a new world. The room gets darker, the red-light looms over you, and actors are in every shadow just waiting for you. In the air, on the ground, around the corners, climbing the chain-link fence, and even in a coffin rolling conveyor belt, actors were relentless in doing whatever necessary to take patrons out of their comfort zones.

Once we entered, we were escorted into a freight elevator, ready to take us deep into the belly of the beast. Weaving in and out of narrow halls and up multiple flights of stairs, we found our way into the woods. Through a perfectly sitting layer of fog, we witness some cult activities in a setting that sent goosebumps down our spine!

As we continued our journey, we experienced several classic scenes that were revamped, reworked, expanded, and twisted in the Evil Intentions-way. From a visit with the monks and a walk through a Satanic ritual, to a life-size church, complete with custom stained-glass windows and a fog-filled cemetery home to creepy grave-keepers. The scenes just continued to get bigger and better!

Now, if everything you’ve experienced thus far hasn’t raised your heart rate, just wait until one of our favorites: the hooded mannequin room. If multiple dark-hooded figures in the shadows aren’t your thing, you better close your eyes and hold on tight to your loved one, for you never know who will show themselves in the darkness. Mainstays like their famous casket maze were welcomed like old friends, but with a new spin on things. Add in a whole 3^rd level as well, including the jail cell cages and actors lurking everywhere, there is no end in sight when it comes to this attraction. Just when you think the show is about to end, you’re sent back into the rabbit hole again.

While the building itself, the scene, and overall atmosphere is dark, eerie, and uncomfortable, what brings this house together are the actors. Filling three floors of fear, actors are needed to make this show what it is, and Evil Intentions delivers. The actors and actresses were relentless, hungry, and ready to leave it all in that house. From the moment we entered a room, until we were two rooms out, they NEVER stopped. Attacking from all angles, hanging from the ceiling, and even crawling on the ground, these actors brought their blood, sweat and tears to this show.

For us, missing the 2020 season was bittersweet, but the changes that Evil Intentions has made in the last 2 years have been enormously impactful. It was definitely evident that for 2021, it is a whole new ballgame and Evil Intentions is ready to swing for the fences.

Monsters of Note: The Witch, Cupcake, Clank, Dusty, and Linus

The Bottom Line: Evil Intentions has once again proved that the veterans behind this attraction have come together and found a bright light in the darkness, creating a legendary haunted experience. If we were left speechless, there’s no telling what patrons must feel when they complete their adventure. If you are looking for dark, dirty, creepy & actually haunted, haunted house that will leave you checking your closet and under your bed, look no further than Evil Intentions.

Don’t just take our word for it, check out these images from our visit: