4937 W. 26th Street, Cicero, IL
year: 2013
Cicero Town Hall of Horrors is one of those haunts that it took us a long time to actually get to, given that the lines for it were always very long. However, he happened to get lucky last year and went on a day during the week, right when they opened, so we got right in. Given our great experience last year, we could easily see why the lines were so long, so we made sure to include the Town Hall in our plans for 2013.
2013 held some cool surprises for us, including the addition of the basement to the haunt, as well as an all-new layout. For those who don't know, Cicero Town Hall of Horrors is so named because it occupies the former town hall/police building, which is actually really abandoned, and HAUNTED! Okay, we probably made one of those things up - we'll leave it to you to decide which. The haunt has a huge number of rooms on multiple levels, and the actual structure and layout of the town hall building is used to great effect. Visitors are never quite sure exactly where they are, and that makes for a more intense experience. Real bathrooms, old offices, and even cells are used throughout, and they add an extra dimension of realism to the entire affair. As mentioned, the entire layout was different this year, and in our opinion, even better. The jail cells which formed the middle portion of the haunt last year were part of the waiting area this time around, and an entirely new entrance was also set up. When it was time to enter, visitors were ushered into a waiting area in front of three doors, and each group was sent in through a different door. It not only helped to separate patrons, it also added to the suspense of the moment, as visitors never really knew what was waiting for them behind their particular door. Some highlights of the haunt this year included an elaborately detailed voodoo room, complete with flickering lights, voodoo symbols on the walls, eerie chanting, and a creepy child that jumped out at visitors. It was an excellent way to start the haunt out. |
Commentary |
In addition, there was a room with a giant, skull-headed creature
who walked towards visitors - it was well over 8 feet tall and was
really effective, given that it emerged out of the fog in an open space
and was suddenly in front of everyone.
Other standouts included an Egyptian themed room with life size mummies, a cannibal kitchen in a real kitchen in the building (which smelled very authentic), a very cool room that looked like a sheriff's office, complete with the headless corpse of a policeman surrounded by photos of criminals on the walls, a room with a live actor who charged at visitors, only to be stopped by a plexiglass wall, and a huge clown figure against a wall that hid a really cool clown surprise!
Special mention must be made of the new area in the basement, which looks very abandoned all on its own. Visitors walk through dusty, cluttered hallways past crumbling walls and peeling paintwork, as well as disused offices. Live actors dressed as psych patients wander the halls, mumbling to themselves and occasionally screaming at the visitors. When we arrived in the basement via a small staircase, we were greeted by a creepy girl who just stared at us and then followed us as we walked through. It was underplayed and quite effective, and another example of how the real surroundings added to the atmosphere.
Our favorite scene this year featured a giant vampire-like creature that was also present last year but in a different location. While it was effective last year, this year it was the centerpiece of a vampire themed room with life size coffins along the walls, simulated candles, and blood red lighting. The vampire creatue was set up ion such a way that it appeared to float towards visitors from somewhere up in the ceiling, and the strobe trained on its face made it seem at through it was dripping some type of liquid from its fangs. It was a sight worthy of more elaborate setups at places like Universal Studios.
We were also happy to note that the large white maze from last year had been removed completely. While we liked it, it did cause a lot of backup with visitors unable to figure out where they were going. This was changed in favor of a long inflatable tunnel which led to the exit. However, the fun didn't stop there, as more creatures awaited visitors in the alley that led back to the entrance, including some really cool red-eyed creatures inside of the garbage cans.
Overall, we can't say enough positive things about Cicero's Town Hall of Horrors. We can easily see why the lines get so long, as it's a lot of fun to experience, it's a long haunt (almost 25 minutes) with a lot of rooms, enthusiastic actors, creative sets, and enough variety to keep people entertained throughout. Additionally, the area around the haunt features great homemade food, drinks, and desserts, and on select nights a DJ plays tunes while people wait in line. You can really see the effort that the operators put into the haunt, and it's one haunt we'd highly recommend to anyone. If you can only make on haunt per season, make it this one. Bring the family and have a nice, enjoyable night out and try not to lose your appetite inside the haunt so you can enjoy some great eats when you get out!
Other standouts included an Egyptian themed room with life size mummies, a cannibal kitchen in a real kitchen in the building (which smelled very authentic), a very cool room that looked like a sheriff's office, complete with the headless corpse of a policeman surrounded by photos of criminals on the walls, a room with a live actor who charged at visitors, only to be stopped by a plexiglass wall, and a huge clown figure against a wall that hid a really cool clown surprise!
Special mention must be made of the new area in the basement, which looks very abandoned all on its own. Visitors walk through dusty, cluttered hallways past crumbling walls and peeling paintwork, as well as disused offices. Live actors dressed as psych patients wander the halls, mumbling to themselves and occasionally screaming at the visitors. When we arrived in the basement via a small staircase, we were greeted by a creepy girl who just stared at us and then followed us as we walked through. It was underplayed and quite effective, and another example of how the real surroundings added to the atmosphere.
Our favorite scene this year featured a giant vampire-like creature that was also present last year but in a different location. While it was effective last year, this year it was the centerpiece of a vampire themed room with life size coffins along the walls, simulated candles, and blood red lighting. The vampire creatue was set up ion such a way that it appeared to float towards visitors from somewhere up in the ceiling, and the strobe trained on its face made it seem at through it was dripping some type of liquid from its fangs. It was a sight worthy of more elaborate setups at places like Universal Studios.
We were also happy to note that the large white maze from last year had been removed completely. While we liked it, it did cause a lot of backup with visitors unable to figure out where they were going. This was changed in favor of a long inflatable tunnel which led to the exit. However, the fun didn't stop there, as more creatures awaited visitors in the alley that led back to the entrance, including some really cool red-eyed creatures inside of the garbage cans.
Overall, we can't say enough positive things about Cicero's Town Hall of Horrors. We can easily see why the lines get so long, as it's a lot of fun to experience, it's a long haunt (almost 25 minutes) with a lot of rooms, enthusiastic actors, creative sets, and enough variety to keep people entertained throughout. Additionally, the area around the haunt features great homemade food, drinks, and desserts, and on select nights a DJ plays tunes while people wait in line. You can really see the effort that the operators put into the haunt, and it's one haunt we'd highly recommend to anyone. If you can only make on haunt per season, make it this one. Bring the family and have a nice, enjoyable night out and try not to lose your appetite inside the haunt so you can enjoy some great eats when you get out!