Karnival of Karnage 2021

Karnival of Karnage Haunted House
Belvidere, Illinois
Visited on: Saturday, October 23, 2021

Vital Signs:
Year opened: 2005
Number of seasons to date: 16
Square Footage: 14,000 sq. ft.
Number of actors: 25
Setting: Indoor
Fun Fact: They are 100% volunteer

Housed at the Boone County Fairgrounds, Karnival of Karnage is a love letter to classic, old-school haunted attractions. Instead of focusing on animatronics and over-the-top scene designs, they narrow-in on the art of the scare. Using styles developed by the Jaycees of yesteryear, the KOK Team delivers an interactive and “in-your-face” performance to keep the scares targeted and primal. The tour is rounded out with a healthy dose of fun and entertainment keeping guests on their toes and smiling!

We began our journey through a classic haunted attraction scene that you don’t see much these days: spiderweb walkway. While it is a simple effect, it is incredibly effective in immediately displacing guests and throwing their initial comfort zone out the window!

After making it through the spiders, we landed in the opening rules room/forest of fright. Here, we learned more about the attraction, the history, and the team behind the scenes, all while getting some laughs -especially at the actor that kept playing in the sand at our feet! We were incredibly excited to learn that Karnival of Karnage is built in less than 30 days by a team of 100% volunteers. After the season is over, they only have 7 days to take it down and store it for next season! Also, that they heavily support and donate money each year from their proceeds to the Shriners!

When it was time to leave, the actress announced our names to the attraction and set us off into the dark. Making our way through the attraction, we traversed through the graveyard, church, orphanage, school, and one of our favorites, the kitchen. Here, the chef was serving up a solid performance AND lady fingers. It was a true treat to enjoy this cafeteria food!

The dining room was another memorable experience, as we were invited to join Bunni for a feast… except we were the main course!

Of course, we can’t help but mention our buddy, Mr. Happy, who made sure to spread his extra disposition in several helpings!

The second half of the attraction was circus/clowned-themed with a dose of 3D fun! After getting the scope of the next part of our adventure, Karni Mari, worked the crowd before sending us marching into our certain doom inside the funhouse. While it was great to see some old-school 3D artwork, our favorite was digging through the red-and-white curtain maze – complete with friends! You never know who you will find around each turn!

Monsters of Note: Lollipop, Mr. Happy, Bunni, Monkey, and Karni Mari

Bottom Line: Almost like a trip in the DeLorean, it is great to be able to experience a classic attraction like this each year. Even though their style may be more traditional to the root of the haunted house industry, they are always progressing, growing, and developing their show. Our team fully agreed that this was their best year yet, and we can’t wait to check it out again in 2022 to see what they do next!

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