Patch's Best 2024 Halloween Yard Haunts: Will, Kendall, Grundy, DeKalb
WILL-KENDALL-GRUNDY-DEKALB COUNTY, IL — If you’re looking for new zombie graveyards, body parts, floating ghosts and devil’s playgrounds to explore for Halloween, you’ve come to the right place. Patch has assembled its annual scary yard tour for 2024, created by some of Chicagoland’s most imaginative and demented exterior decorators.
Given the scary yard tour’s past history of breaking the internet, we have organized the 2024 list by county. So click on the link for the list of scary yards near your house, or go crazy and visit them all.
GET ON THE LIST: We LOVE reader submissions, so we’ll be updating the list every FRIDAY leading up to Halloween. So send in your pictures and tell us why your yard haunt is worth a drive-by to [email protected]. Read more about how to get on the list. If you participated in years past and didn’t get an email from us, send Patch your info.
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Also, check out these lists for more scary yards throughout the Chicago area: Chicago Haunt Builders, Haunted Illinois Directory, Illinois Haunted Houses and We Love Halloween. There’s free fun to be had in the days leading up to Halloween, so set your GPS for these spooky standbys and nightmarish newbies. See what other counties are doing:
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Check out these slick yard haunts in Will, Kendall, Grundy and DeKalb Counties:
Bolingbrook
309 Inner Circle Drive, Bolingbrook – The Hanck family keeps growing their display and adding more every year. They aren’t even done decorating yet.
Frankfort
Harvest Haunt, 7901 Harvest Drive, Frankfort – Nothing says Halloween quite like corn and animatronics. The yard is lit from dusk to 10 p.m. through Oct. 31. is a cemetery and corn field display with animatronics ( more on weekend) that will start on Oct first and run through Halloween. Starts at dusk until around 10 at night. Will be handing out standard candy on Halloween.
“Smokey Shadows,” 7427 James St., Frankfort
Haunts On Jon-Kill Lane, 20248 S Jonquil Lane, Frankfort – The McMahon family has been decorating their yard, expanding their collection each year. People are welcome to roam through their side yards. The haunt features Our family has been doing this for about seven years and the collection gets larger each year, featuring dozens of terrifying animatronics to give a jump scare, a frightening circus and creepy cemetery. “We really enjoy doing this and really hope more come out to see us.”
Scare At Joe’s, 7538 W. Benton Drive, Frankfort Square – Mike and Joe Wlodarek family friendly haunt has been a fixture in Frankfort Square for 11 years. They will have a kids scavenger hunt with five other homes in the square.
Old Benton Cemetery at 7344 w Benton Dr, Frankfort – This slick yard haunt features professional special FX on the weekends, It’s stop #1 Frankfort Square Haunts Tour (13 houses within 2 miles, 9 walkable from this house). See the Frankfort Square Haunts Map Link.
GHOULS ON GLASGOW, 19821 S. GLASGOW, FRANKFORT — Kyle Showalter started with a single Michael Myers prop and his lawn o’ ghouls has escalated ever since. This yard haunt attracts thousands of people every Halloween season, who come to gaze upon the three dozen or more eye-popping props. Warning: Sometimes Showalter’s neighbors like to dress up like monsters and terrorize the looky-loos. The Showalters are accepting donations for the Illinois Chapter of the TEARS Foundation. The yard is lit daily from 6 to 10 p.m. daily. Read the story on Patch.
Homer Glen
12311 Thorn Apple Dr., Homer Glen – Come if you dare for quite the scare. Beware what may be lurking near and you might just get a treat. More put out on Halloween night. Going on now till Nov 1, Sunday through Thursday dusk till 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday dusk till 11 p.m. Come if you dare for quite the scare. Beware what may be lurking near and you might just get a treat. More put out on Halloween night.
Joliet
616 Terry Drive, Joliet – The Walden house is unique because 95 percent of their decorations are cut out and hand painted. The display display lights up at 6:30 and shuts off at 11 p.m. “We are very proud of our work, and our neighborhood children look forward to every year. It is our eighth year and with something new added each year,” Lisa Walden said.
Brink Drive Cemetery, 109 Brink Drive, Joliet – The front yard has been taken over by witches and a 12-foot-tall gravedigger to help hide the sacrificed bodies. A 9-foot-tall werewolf protects the cemetery as the 12-foot-tall reaper hovers up high, featuring lights and animatronics.
Mac’s Haunted Manor, 1619 Avalon Ave., Joliet
The Witches Garden, 513 CORNELIA ST., JOLIET — Thomas Lancaster is a self-taught local artist for more than 30 years. His mom, Georgina Hunter, an amazing artist, taught him how to make monsters as a kind. “Everything featured in my yard I have made except for the skeletons. I have a working skeleton fountain, the headless Horseman on top of a life-size horse. Neon glowing dancing skeletons. Some animatronics and a ton of lights witches, and more. I have over 30 life-size monsters in my yard. The skeletons are swinging their partners round and round a skeleton square dance. Thomas has also added a 15-foot-tall phantom. He’s currently working on a pumpkin man playing a guitar. Lights go on 4 until 9 Monday through Thursday; weekends until 11 p.m.
Crabapple Hollow, 345 Crabapple Drive, Joliet – Emily and Greg Kazak have always enjoyed visiting homes on the scary yard tour with their young children. This year, Patch inspired them to try their hand at putting together a yard haunt. They started Sept. 9. Animatronics will be running nightly, weather-permitting, with fog machines and music. Having younger children, they consider their display “family-friendly” although this giant crow kind of scares us.
Lockport
16048 W Pennyroyal Lane, Lockport – This home haunt claims to have the most MASSIVE ghouls set up in the Sagebook subdivision. There’s an entirely new setup this year featuring “Trick” the pumpkin, who sings and tells jokes to kids, (weather permitting). Also, the weekend before Halloween, the haunt says it will have the biggest, baddest animatronic ghoul up and lit. Sounds of ghosts and howling wolves add to the chilling effect. Lights turn on 6:45-ish through 11 a.m.
Haunt On Willow Walk, 16560 Willow Walk Drive, Lockport – This is Jason Unterborn’s first year on the Patch tour o’ scary yards. Jason has been decorating for five years. All his stuff is up. The lights are on at dusk until about 10 p.m. The display won’t be up and running if the weather is bad. On Halloween, Jason and his family like to dress up and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters and bring out other props that are usually only inside the house.
ST LUCIFER’S GARDEN OF LOST SOULS, 312 EDINBURGH DRIVE, LOCKPORT — Every Halloween season, Nancy Gonzalez’s front yard sprouts lost souls. Her third year on the scary yard tour, she’s been turning her lawn into a graveyard, which features a walk-thru display with spooky music. There is no gore, so young children will love whistling through this graveyard enjoying the static and animatronic props. A donation box is up for the TLC Animal Shelter in Homer Glen. The yard haunt is open daily from 6 to 11 p.m. Visitors are welcome day and night. Featured on WGN and Fox 32.
New Lenox
“Haunted Haz Mat,” 2837 Taylor Glen, Drive New Lenox – We love this display for all of its boogery green splendor! Nick’s dad has been decorating for over 30 years of every home they’ve lived everywhere from California to New Lenox. “This is the first year he has gone all out with a specific theme.” Nick says his parents will be passing out all the big candy on Halloween.
The Old Hickory Haunt, 350 Old Hickory Road, New Lenox – The O’Neills are at it again with a few additions, featuring multiple animatronic creatures, 20-ft inflatables, graveyard and spiders galore. Yard will be lit up from about 5-10 p.m.
Nightmare on Lenox Street, 248 Lenox St., New Lenox – This frightful and delightful yard features a potpourri of a live monster or two, skeletons, clowns, zombies and an insane asylum – now in its tenth year. Lots of lights and scary sounds. Come ready for a scare. Runs daily 6:30 to 10 p.m. through Halloween.
Muirfield Manor, 1795 Muirfield Drive, New Lenox – This haunted walk-thru and scary yard is lit and ready for visitors.
Oswego
RAVEN HILLS CEMETERY, 224 PRESIDENTIAL BLVD., OSWEGO— This awesome display is all lit up with strobe lights and features animatronics, projector special effects and fog machines. There’s a free walk-thru haunt from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Features a swamp and cemetery, as well as a traveling carnival/freak show. The Dienoffs are planning a special surprise on Halloween. “We always give out candy (of course), toy bags for kids, treats for the adults, and even treats for the dogs.”
Plainfield
“Coroner’s Corner,” 25001 Armstrong Lane, Plainfield — As dusk falls, the chilling whispers of the undead beckon you into a nightmarish realm. Step into the Carnival of Clowns, where laughter turns to terror, and wander through the Spooky Skeleton Cemetery, where the restless rise from their graves. Experience the Zombie Invasion, where the living and the dead collide, and brave the haunting depths of Werewolf Way, where shadows lurk at every turn. With spine-tingling animatronics and eerie homemade props, this is not just a display—it’s a haunting experience that will linger in your nightmares. Are you ready to face your fears? Join us… if you dare.
“Nevermore,” 2107 Glenridge Ct. in Plainfield – Located in the Pheasant Ridge subdivision, Don Mackowiak has his yard decked out with animatronics, static props, fog machines on the weekends, music and flashing lights. Not too scary but scary enough. The yard is lit Monday-Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m.
Pumpkin Riot, 1702 Whispering Oaks Drive, Plainfield – Brian and Kate Hunter have changed up their display to give people the greatest experience possible. New this year is “Riot Jack” the pumpkin monster. The display also features an evil pumpkin patch infested with scorched witches and giant pumpkin creatures who overlook the whole display. The Hunters will be handing out an assortment of candy and treats this Halloween.
The Carnival On Crossing, 22505 Prairie Crossing, Plainfield – People are welcome to drive by any time on non-rainy days to see Tricia and Johnnie’s greatest show on earth, featuring animatronics, carnival tent curtains, pennants/pinwheels and flashing carnival lights. For Halloween they are giving away cotton candy to go along with the circus theme. You can see videos of their decorations on YouTube and TikTok. Who’s your favorite clown?
Massacre on Meadow, 4517 Meadow Ln, Plainfield – Steve Simpson’s creative haunt has grown in size each year. We also think his HOA needs to lighten up. Candy will likely just be the normal “fun sized” Halloween candy.
Shorewood
300 Greenfield Road, Shorewood – There’s a lot going in this yard including an inflatable Ursula with moving tentacles, a large feline that moves his head back and forth, a 12-foot animated reaper that talks, glows and moves his head side to side, projected floating skulls, hanging brooms and a window display with witches and a flaming cauldron and lots of lights.
Sycamore
Caravia Family Light Show, 2307 Dustin Drive, Sycamore – The Caravia family’s yard haunt in DeKalb County is waterproof so they don’t shut down for rain. This Halloween-themed light show features several props and monsters all synced to music.
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