Nightmare Haunted House 2021

Nightmare Haunted House
Minooka, Illinois
Visited on: Friday, October 22, 2021

Vital Signs:
Year opened: 2014
Number of seasons to date: 8
Square footage: 3-car garage
Number of actors: 15
Setting: Indoor/Outdoor

Over the last few years, we at Haunted House Chicago have been made aware of a bit of a reputation we have earned because we don’t typically conduct visits/reviews for home haunts. To clear the air, we are HUGE fans and supporters of home haunts, and of everything Chicago Haunt Builders does. The simple truth is that there are only so many operating days in the season, and there are hundreds of home haunters! So, our priority is typically on the commercial, professional, and volunteer-based walkthrough-style attractions. However, our eyes were opened in 2019, when we were educated that there are some home haunts that actually have walkthroughs. Our eyes immediately perked up and we completed our first experience. I think it is fair to say that we were hooked!

Although the pandemic sidelined us last season, we returned this year and were invited to another walkthrough-style home haunt in the suburbs of Minooka named, The Nightmare Haunted House. Operating since 2014, the owners have experience with acting at some of Chicago’s biggest attractions and decided to execute their own performance out of their home.

As we parked in a seemingly harmless neighborhood, we made our way to the house that was adorned with graves, props, lighting, fog. Like you would find at any haunted attraction, we were greeted by a team of 4-5 roamers who twirled around us like we were lambs to slaughter! Here, we first met a couple of clowns named, Skittles, who shared her namesake candy with us, as well as Chainy, who showed us her namesake accessory in short order!

Before we could blink, Skittles had us lined up and ready to enter the attraction. This is a relatively new experience for us and crosses over into a new area of fear. After watching all those horror movies like Texas Chainsaw, Last House of the Left, and House of 1,000 Corpses, I think we certainly had our warning about staying out of homes that weren’t ours. But, we were invited… so it has to be safe, right?

As we entered inside, we could hardly tell that we were in someone’s house or garage, as the walls and scenes were typical of that you would see in a traditional haunted attraction. We traversed through a funeral home/coffin setting, met with a gorgeously outfitted plague doctor, bumped bodies with Carl, dredged through the jungle, and even got lost inside a claustrophobia tunnel! Of course, what haunted adventure could be complete without a chainsaw exit?

Monsters of Note: Skittles, Chainy, and Harold D. Scary

Bottom Line: No, this isn’t a big-time attraction that has billboards and radio ads. No, the attraction won’t last 45 minutes. But, that’s exactly what makes this so special. It is small, intimate, fun, filled with great frights, and showcases just how much passion these owners have for our favorite holiday. Now for the biggest shock of all: this attraction is FREE! Want to go 5 times? Just get back in line! How can you pass up that deal? AND if you are feeling so inclined, you can donate to the charity they are collecting for. Seems like a no-brainer! Make sure you make your way to Minooka this season to experience this fine offering!

Additional Note: For additional home haunts and yard displays as promoted by Chicago Haunt Builders, please click on this link.

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