Frightmare Haunted House

Burbank, IL
Reviewed on: Monday, October 27, 2014

Most, if not all of us have visited this iconic Chicago institution at one time or another for the arcade games, go-karts, batting cages, or horror-inspired mini-golf. It is filled with happy haunts and driven to produce smiles on the faces of kids of all ages. But, come October, Haunted Trails closes a portion of its parking lot, turns out the lights, and distributes doses of screams.

Haunted Trails is designed for the entertainment of young children, so it makes sense that their seasonal haunted attraction would cater to this same audience. But, what Frightmare does well each and every year is makes the experience fun for adults as well.

No, Frightmare isn’t the scariest haunted attraction in town. No, it isn’t “extreme” or features any riske actors or actresses. What is Frightmare? Good, pure, clean haunted attraction fun, aimed at the very tradition of the industry. The scares are right-to-the-point, and send you screaming ahead to the next room to repeat all over again.

This year, Frightmare was themed after classic fairy tales, but with their spooky twists. Some scenes like the “Three Little Pigs” kept true to the original story. But, mix in some music by “Green Jello/y” and add in a well-positioned animatronic wolf, and you will find yourself like Little Red Riding Hood and scurrying off without any haste!

Although we at Haunted House Chicago never want to give anything away, and only tempt your appetite for more, we must tell you about the closing room. Themed after “Alice in Wonderland,” the design team has taken a space that isn’t exactly large and made it feel 3x larger! This is probably the biggest room we have seen in Frightmare history, and had us leaving with incredible smiles on our faces.

The Bottom Line: If you are an adult looking for a haunted attraction that will keep you up at night, this isn’t your stop. But, if you are just starting off in the world of haunted houses, or if you have children and are looking to give them an amazing Halloween experience, there is only one place that you should start your journey, and it is right here at Haunted Trails’ Frightmare.

2014 Scores:
Entertainment: 13 out of 20
Scare Factor & Fright: 5 out of 10
Acting: 5 out of 10
Sets & Room Detail: 6 out of 10
Costumes: 3 out of 5
Make Up: 3 out of 5
Sound: 4 out of 5
Lights: 3 out of 5
Props & Special Effects: 5 out of 10
Originality & Story Concept: 9 out of 10
Management & Owner Presentation: 5 out of 5
Website: 5 out of 5
Total: 66 points out of 100 points possible

– Official Haunted House Chicago Review Team Review