4300 Park Avenue, Brookfield, IL
years: 2010, 2012
The Tourers first visited this haunt in 2010 ande enjoyed it quite a bit. Due to long longs in 2011, we weren't able to get in, but we did manage to visit again in 2012. Located in Ehlert Park in Brookfield, IL, the haunt is housed in a small rectangular building containing numerous rooms based on a specific theme. Although not the largest haunt we have been to, the Brookfield Jaycees is a haunted house that emphasizes quantity over quality.
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For 2012, the theme of the haunt was Redneck Rampage, and as the title implies, the house was filled with redneck ghouls or varying descriptions. The outside of the house was done up like a porch on some shed in the back woods of Louisiana or something, complete with ratty old couch. One rather large redneck character greeted visitors at the door, then took their tickets. While waiting to usher them in, the ghoul would occasionally talk to the ghouls in the house, telling them of the fresh meat that awaited them. Also, he even asked us for our names, which the ghouls inside used to great effect to taunt us as we were walking through.
Inside, the haunt was done up like something out of the movie Deliverance, with wooden walls, spots of fog and mist, and even banjo music playing in the background. Almost all of the rooms were variations on the shack theme, from rooms that depicted outdoor settings (like an outhouse or a backyard) to rooms that looked like rooms within the shack (like the kitchen or the living room). Overall, there were about 8-10 rooms inside the haunt, most of them populated by either an unfortunate victim screaming to get out (and her hidden captor) or by crazy redneck ghouls who usually were hiding in the walls or even in the ceiling, just waiting to spook the unwary visitor.
The atmosphere inside was definitely creepy, particularly when we were walking from room to room and not finding any ghouls. From our visit in 2010, we knew that the specialty in trade of the Brookfield Jaycees Haunted House was the "jump out and scare" tactic, where visitors are shocked by some ghoul appearing out the blue. In 2012, some rooms had this but others didn't which kept us guessing throughout.
While the haunt is pretty short (only about 8 minutes or so), the details and the actor enthusiasm make it stand out. Unlike a lot of Jaycees haunts, most of the actors in this one are older teens and even adults. Many are tall, thus increasing the scare factor. All have well done costumes and makeup, and remain in character whether inside the haunt or patrolling the grounds outside. Additionally, many are sarcastic, throwing off one liners, teaming up to scare visitors, or taunting visitors by name. These little details make the haunt both creepy and funny at the same time, which we enjoy.
While some might find the single theme a bit repetitive, and the short length a bit disappointing, for the price and for the enthusiasm of the actors we'd definitely recommend this haunt. It's always a fun time, even if the time is brief. One important caveat, though - this haunt gets crowded quickly, and the line waits can easily stretch into the 1-2 hour range. We'd suggest getting there early or, if they are open, going on a weeknight. It'd be a shame to miss the haunt due to long lines, as we did in 2011.
Inside, the haunt was done up like something out of the movie Deliverance, with wooden walls, spots of fog and mist, and even banjo music playing in the background. Almost all of the rooms were variations on the shack theme, from rooms that depicted outdoor settings (like an outhouse or a backyard) to rooms that looked like rooms within the shack (like the kitchen or the living room). Overall, there were about 8-10 rooms inside the haunt, most of them populated by either an unfortunate victim screaming to get out (and her hidden captor) or by crazy redneck ghouls who usually were hiding in the walls or even in the ceiling, just waiting to spook the unwary visitor.
The atmosphere inside was definitely creepy, particularly when we were walking from room to room and not finding any ghouls. From our visit in 2010, we knew that the specialty in trade of the Brookfield Jaycees Haunted House was the "jump out and scare" tactic, where visitors are shocked by some ghoul appearing out the blue. In 2012, some rooms had this but others didn't which kept us guessing throughout.
While the haunt is pretty short (only about 8 minutes or so), the details and the actor enthusiasm make it stand out. Unlike a lot of Jaycees haunts, most of the actors in this one are older teens and even adults. Many are tall, thus increasing the scare factor. All have well done costumes and makeup, and remain in character whether inside the haunt or patrolling the grounds outside. Additionally, many are sarcastic, throwing off one liners, teaming up to scare visitors, or taunting visitors by name. These little details make the haunt both creepy and funny at the same time, which we enjoy.
While some might find the single theme a bit repetitive, and the short length a bit disappointing, for the price and for the enthusiasm of the actors we'd definitely recommend this haunt. It's always a fun time, even if the time is brief. One important caveat, though - this haunt gets crowded quickly, and the line waits can easily stretch into the 1-2 hour range. We'd suggest getting there early or, if they are open, going on a weeknight. It'd be a shame to miss the haunt due to long lines, as we did in 2011.