HellsGate Haunted House 2019

HellsGate Haunted House
Lockport, IL
Reviewed on: Saturday, October 12, 2019

It is no secret that HellsGate Haunted House is one of the newest attractions in the Chicagoland area. Playing off of a variety of haunted attraction “urban legends,” the talented crew and minds behind the scenes of this haunt have created something that quite possibly could appeal to everyone looking to be scared during the Halloween season. They assembled a list of all the key items such as:

-Shadowed backstory
-Multi-level haunted house hidden in the woods
-Surrounded by a cemetery
-Filled with secret passages and slides
-Opportunity to get your money back

In 2016, they brought their vision to life and I’m not sure any of us were ready for what they had in-store. We at Haunted House Chicago were so impressed, we named them the Best New Haunted Attraction for 2016. But, that was just the beginning. Last year, in only their third season of operation, they were so good, that we named them the Best Haunted Attraction (Overall) for 2018.

HellsGate Haunted House has all the components that a haunt-goer could ask for from an attraction: Movie-quality 360-degree scenes, some of the best acting experienced anywhere, theatrical elements, outdoor components, and a way to play on whatever fear you might have! We can certainly say there is truth in their advertising; this place is absolutely an adventure!

Your journey starts from the moment you park your car and board a bus that takes you down a long, dark road, to the grounds of HellsGate. We love this Disney-esqe aspect, as it forces you to leave one world in order to enter another, only heightening the mystery! Even once you arrive at the landing, there is no sneak peek of what you are about to experience; only a line of other patrons waiting to enter the darkness.

As the shadows of flame bounce off of the face of our superbly talented gypsy-actress, Buna, we embark into the darkness with only a faint smile slowly fading away. Trekking through the forest and cemetery, following our path within the darkness, we are pleasantly surprised by the number of creatures with perfect patience and movements like creatures right out of a horror movie. Just as the silence starts to engulf us, another creature surprises us from seemingly out of nowhere.

We pass through incredibly detailed man-made features such as the mausoleum and swamp, and even through the inside of a bee-infested tree! But, that’s not all we see. These incredible features are also surrounded by phenomenal natural features including large rock formations, forests, and water. The illusion is certainly fully complete!

Just as we thought it couldn’t get any better, our trail leads us to a clearing holding two very large wrought-iron gates. Behind those gates, stands the picture-perfect quintessential haunted house. The best part? We don’t get to just look at it, the darkness within is ready for us and we cannot wait.

Quickly we are whisked in the house where the staff tells us of the darkness within the walls and of how it is rapidly spreading. We are then introduced to the Twins, and given the backstory on why the house is here and how this darkness came to be. While all of your senses are already fully engaged, all of this is happening in one of the most-gorgeously adorned foyers that we have ever experienced! AND if that room wasn’t good enough, wait until you experience the newly re-designed study!

Patrons experience all of the rest of the house including the kitchen (now run by the pigs themselves), the conservatory/garden (complete with running water), and of course the doll room and Twins bedroom. But, what makes these beautifully adorned playgrounds work? The actors and actresses that reside within them. Many attractions allow for a set-and-reset time between groups, but not here. The cast is constantly and consistently acting, and in character. Actors can be heard doing their routine long before one even enters a room, and we can hear it long after we leave. In fact, thanks to the amazing design, there are several opportunities for patrons to see parts of the horrors they just experienced… or even worse, foreshadow what lies ahead.

Let’s talk about story. Yes, this place is beautiful. But, one of the main reasons we love it is the story behind the house; it is not just a story set within the past, but also a story in the present and the future. The house has a history, and we are starting to notice from season to season that the plot is continually progressing and evolving. Now in their 4^th season, HellsGate is getting darker, the halls are narrowing, and the humans are starting to disappear. You can even see new sections of the house expanding and appearing, such as the addition of three full-sizes dragons in the basement, and the expansion of an already-detailed attic. Things are changing, the darkness is growing, and we are eager to see how this plot will thicken.

The Bottom Line: If we wrote out what happened scene-for-scene, it still wouldn’t pay justice to the incredible work the cast and crew have created and continue to evolve. It IS an adventure, and must be experienced first-hand. If you haven’t seen HellsGate Haunted House, this is like something you have never seen before. AND if you have seen this haunt before, then you must come back to see how things have changed! A standing ovation from Haunted House Chicago!

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