Niles Scream Park 2021

Niles Scream Park
Niles, MI
Visited on Saturday, September 25, 2021

Vital Signs:
Opened: 1973
Number of seasons-to-date: 48
Number of attractions: 6
Number of actors: 200+
Size: 44 Acres
Setting: Indoor/Outdoor
Fun Fact: Most of the cast and crew are volunteers

For many of us, 2020 was one of the longest-feeling years. For the first time since 1999 we, at Haunted House Chicago, missed a review season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, you can imagine how eager and excited we were to get back on the road and to visiting all the best attractions within 100 miles of Chicago.

We decided to kick-off our season of reemergence at an attraction that has certainly stood the test of time, Niles Scream Park, in Niles, Michigan. While the “Michigan” distinction may throw you off a little, we can report that the attraction is only 93 miles from Chicago, and we made it in just about 90 minutes.

Since 1973, Niles Scream Park has been entertaining and scaring patrons from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and beyond using a backbone of extremely passionate, and knowledgeable, volunteers. Hailing as the oldest attraction in our region, and one of the oldest in the country, Niles Scream Park is no fuddy-duddy. The masterminds behind the screams at Niles are constantly working to reinvent themselves, update technology, and maintain high levels of quality haunted entertainment. We have been honored to attend Niles each year since 1999 and can report that Niles is nearly always packed with hungry patrons just waiting for their chance to create some nightmares.

What makes Niles even better? They have donated over $2.1 MILLION dollars back to the community and non-profit organizations that support the surrounding area. What is the better than that?!

For those that haven’t been to Niles Scream Park before, this is not a 20-minute experience. Please plan at least 3 hours, if not the entire evening, for the experience. There are 5 main attractions, 4 escape rooms, as well as an entire midway of entertainment, movies, selfie stations, and concessions. AND if you are over 18 years old, there is an extremely unique experience just for you!

Our 2021 visit was on a warmer than normal evening in late September. As dusk quietly filled the sky with darkness, our journey began. Each year, the team behind Niles takes two of their “smaller” attractions, rebuilds them, and constructs new concepts. This year’s themes: Nuclear Nightmare and Gruesome Gallery. We first made our way through Nuclear Nightmare, which took us through all the nightmares of a biohazard dystopian future. Featuring plenty of infected zombies and victims, let’s just hope real-life never gets to that point! Immediately following was the Gruesome Gallery, which focused on a collection of exhibits at a museum that have been cursed with dark magic. Halls were adorned with wax figures which certainly set the scene with suspense!

After making it through the two smaller houses, we made our way across the midway to the classic hayride, the Dark Terror-tory Haunted Hayride. Patrons set in a custom-build wagon with stadium seating, pulled by a real farm tractor. With over 40 scenes and vignettes, the wagon is equipped with a soundtrack and narrated recording treating us to our very own “haunted backlot” tour. This year’s theme brought us classic literature scenes from Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, Wizards, Mystical Magic, Moby Dick, and more! Filled with plenty of laughs and knee-slapping, this is THE quintessential “classic” Halloween attraction for kids of all ages!

We took a side trip to experience, “Hooded”, Niles’ very own 18+ attraction. Here, patrons are left to their own minds as a burlap bag is placed over their heads, and they are forced to navigate through a maze in the dark. The big twist? The actors CAN touch you, which takes fear to an all-new level. Even though there is a waiver, don’t worry, there’s no fear of pain or torture here. This is a safe, and fun way to expand your Halloween scare experience to a new place, diving deeper into your psyche! This is a fun and quick experience, and one of our favorites! If you are up for the challenge, we highly recommend.

Our penultimate attraction of the evening was the grand-daddy that started it all: The Niles Haunted House. Before all the others, this was the original attraction that put Niles on the map. With multiple paths, and an extreme throughput capacity, there is good reason that this attraction is nicknamed, “The Big House.” Each year, the team here re-themes the attraction building new and exciting twists and turns. This year included an incredible “itsy bitsy spider” introduction scene, which set the scene perfectly for the adventure ahead. Get ready for 360-degree entertainment, moving floors, detailed catacombs, shaking bridges, and a variety of scenes from all versions of your nightmares!

Finally, as we typically do, we left the Field of Screams for last. With over 3,000 linear square feet (6/10 of a mile), this is one of the longest walkthroughs in the region. Taking us over 25 minutes to get through, there are more scenes in this attraction alone, then some haunted houses have in their entire building! Mazes, abandoned carnival areas, swamps with real water, floating barges, “waterworld,” detailed graveyards, cabins, and more and more and more! While the Big House put them on the map, the Field of Screams is the new headliner, and we can’t recommend it enough!

Monsters of Note: Nancy, Death, and Bikini Betty. Does Cordelia count?

The Bottom Line: Niles Scream Park is a MUST for your yearly Halloween plans. It has something for everyone, covers all levels of fright, and is produced by amazing people that want to make sure every one of their valued guests scream, smile, laugh, and have a great time!

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