HellsGate Haunted House 2021

HellsGate Haunted House
Lockport, Illinois
Visited on: Saturday, October 9, 2021

Vital Signs:
Opened: 2016
Number of seasons-to-date: 5 (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: 100
Setting: Outdoor/Indoor
Fun Fact: New for 2021, a brand new outdoor midway area after the attraction! Take fun photos, eat some amazing food and drinks, play some midway-esque games, and celebrate Halloween with others around you!

In their fifth season, HellsGate Haunted House has been giving patrons a once in a lifetime experience in Lockport, Illinois. For those that have yet to embark on this adventure, let it be known that your journey here is different than any other attraction. Parking is not available on the actual attraction property, but rather, patrons are required to take a bus ride from a local parking lot that will shuttle you to and from the grounds. This certainly makes the experience of just getting to the ticket booth an adventure in itself!

After making our way to the attraction and arriving at the landing, we began our trek. The immersion was immediate. On our short path to the entrance of the first part of the attraction – the woods, we were confronted by countless tortured souls and wait staff who have been possessed by the darkness. To guide us along our journey, the always wonderful gypsy named Buna was there. With her witty banter, she made it an entertaining trip as she commented and appeared in various places along the tour!

Once at the woods entrance, we began making our way through the trail. The monsters of the swamp and the forest definitely made their presence known. With an encounter with the Imp, to catching the witches casting their spells, there was no safe space to hide within these tormented woods. One big advantage that the monsters here have is the moonlight. Hiding deep in the shadows lurking within the dark, they strike at the perfect time and from multiple places, always keeping our group on our toes.

Following the dimly lit flickering pathway, we made it to the Lost Souls Cemetery. Here, actor attacks were even more ruthless, coming through the trees, behind mausoleums, but most of all, crawling through the dirt straight for our group! Talk about coming out of their graves, these actors were brutal and were not scared to get down and dirty! The energy, the true darkness, that you feel as you made your way closer and closer to the mansion is palpable.

We would also like to mention the extra attention to detail the crew here has placed. Typically, an outdoor path or trail allows nature to create most of the mood. But, not at HellsGate. Even a stroll through the woods has its own little flavor courtesy of this incredible design crew. Building in fallen trees that guests have to walk through and accenting with the sights and sounds of bees buzzing about, the treat of nature is even another accent HellsGate has to keep you on your toes!

After escaping the cemetery, we came to a road that took us up to the iconic iron gates of HellsGate itself. With the weight of the darkness at its highest point, the mansion appears out of the fog and looms in the background. With perfectly flickering torches and countless actors surrounding the mansion, they direct us towards the entrance. With playful banter, they are doing their best to contain the true darkness within them.

Once inside, we enter the great room filled with floor to ceiling detail. Before we knew it, lightning struck, and thunder bellowed from within. The darkness is here forcing all those within the room to quiver. The lights go out and in an ever-epic opening scene, we meet, The Twins. Telling us of the evil and darkness within these walls, we are quickly sent through a secret passageway that took us into the mansion itself.

Moving into the study, our group was given additional information, but more than anything, we were mesmerized by the amount of detail. Now showcasing a second-floor walkway, we watched as Mother traced back and forth, waiting for us to enter the darkness. From the dimly lit flickering candles, to the bookcases, even down to the baby coffins sitting on the shelves, there is no stone left unturned.

As we set off through the house, we made our way through the kitchen, library, hallways, trophy room, and even the greenhouse! The chaos from the evil within had these actors in a frenzy. Make sure you look up too, you never know who may fly above you!

Special mention about the newly emphasized greenhouse. Designed in the same style of floor-to-ceiling décor, the illusion is real as the room is covered with flora AND fauna. (Well, specifically arachnids!) “Feed me, Seymour,” never felt so real before!

One of our favorite rooms that we always enjoy visiting is the doll room. For those that have a fear of dolls, this may not be the room for you! With tiny baby dolls to life-size ones, you never know which one will come alive. In addition to the dolls, you make your way through a life-sized dollhouse, which is a replica of the mansion itself. Add in a tea party with some friends, and this room just makes you scream and sends chills down your spine!

Our tour continued with additional twists and turns, up the stairs until we made it to the attic. Our group, being split up, was sent through another secret passage that led us to the infamous slides! Taking that drop down, we found our way below into the basement and to the caverns under HellsGate.

Weaving through the laboratory, with numerous experiments occurring around us, we are taken deeper into the depths below. Arriving to one of the most notable portions of the attraction, the key room. Here, patrons are given 30 seconds to locate the key to HellsGate, if successful, their money is refunded, and they get to take a photo in front of the Chapel. While this portion isn’t scary, it makes your heart race and an overall fun experience for your group to enjoy!

Continuing our journey through the caverns below HellsGate, we came upon the dragon caves. Here, you are fully immersed into a whole new world, from the lighting to the fog, the Dragon Queen is there waiting to welcome you to her lair. From every angle, massive dragons fill the area and call out to their Queen.

After escaping the dragons, we found our way out through the portal and back to the land of the living. As we exited the attraction, we found ourselves in the gift ship, with HellsGate merchandise and local artist artwork for sale, it’s a place to stop and shop around.

But our journey didn’t end here, after leaving the gift shop; we were thrown for a surprise when we entered the midway. Completely redone for 2021, this area will make your jaw drop! Here, patrons can experience an overall Halloween adventure. From a concession stand, to multiple photo opportunities, to fun midway games, this place has it all. Add in some tables and chairs and patrons can hang out here all night and watch some horror movies play on the full-size screen. In addition, the pumpkin tree is one of the most iconic features of it all. With the perfect photo backdrop and built in fireplace, you don’t want to miss out!

Monsters of Note: Buna, Mother, and the Twins

The Bottom Line: Being closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the creative team behind HellsGate. In fact, it made them come back bigger, badder, darker & scarier for 2021! With the new outdoor midway addition and new spins on the rooms within the attraction, HellsGate has proven why they have been named HHC’s Top Haunted Attraction in 2018 & 2019! We can only expect even more from them in the years to come!

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