5700 S. Archer Road, Summit, IL
Year: 2014
Dark Summit has been one of our favorite haunts since we first started visiting it several years ago. We are always impressed by the enthusiasm of the actors, who remain in character regardless of what's going on around them, and who often act as though visitors are simply an interruption in their "normal" routine. Thus, as always, we were eagerly anticipating our 2014 visit.
When we arrived we were greeted by the customary gaggle of odd female circus type characters. True to form, they were simply crazy, and provided some highly interesting wait entertainment. Often it was hard to tell when they were being serious or not, even when one of the haunt operators was talking to them. They are over the top, and certainly not to everyone's tastes, but they definitely provide some very odd entertainment while outside! Dark Summit has always primarily had a circus theme, and this year was no different. One of the best parts was the opening, where visitors are greeted by the "man" who runs the circus. He talks about how visitors are now his to do with what he wishes and then visitors are led into the haunt. However, this year was a bit different. This time, his ownership of visitors was challenged by a female who appeared from the opposite side of the room. As these two entities argued with one another, visitors were left wondering exactly what was going on. They soon found out as they were given a choice between "seeing the show" and joining the actors "for dinner" - a forced separation. We were not expecting this, and opted to remain together in the show section. Following this we were treated to various scenes, including zombies behind bars, a creepy clown room, a mirrored and striped maze room where we were led through by a crazy live actor, and another clown room at the end which was the most intense of them all. Although we stayed together initially, there was a segment with a revolving door where we wound up going into separate areas. I (Bryan) was treated to my favorite scene of the haunt - some corridors with two creepy little girls in them who sang nursery rhymes and taunted me along the way. Unfortunately, for this visit it was a bit difficult to remember the details of many of the scenes, as the actors tended to surround us in each area and scream at us, making it difficult to look around and also increasing our desire to move on.
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CommentaryMAP
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The area that was the best was the one I personally saw with the two little girls - it was understated and not in your face, and made for a creepy segment. However, my two compatriots didn't see this scene, but instead saw another with a screaming actor. While I personally don't mind some screaming if it's done well (as in the final clown room, where a giant clown on stilts, another on top of boxes, and a third with a hula hoop all converged on visitors from all sides and provided a really unnerving final experience, others may not like the intensity or volume. Each person in our group of three had a different experience, but we all (particularly a first time visitor in our group) agreed that the volume was a bit too loud and the variety a bit too low this time around.
Again, we have always enjoyed Dark Summit, specifically because of the actor enthusiasm and the creativity of some of the rooms. However, this time it felt like there was something missing. Many of the rooms seemed the same - an open space with multiple shouty actors - and we missed some of the more elaborate sets of past years (such as the voodoo room which was always done with great flair). While we still enjoyed Dark Summit as a whole, in all honesty we'd have to say that we didn't enjoy it as much as in previous years. Here's hoping that next year will being a return to the core things that have always made the haunt fun for us!
Again, we have always enjoyed Dark Summit, specifically because of the actor enthusiasm and the creativity of some of the rooms. However, this time it felt like there was something missing. Many of the rooms seemed the same - an open space with multiple shouty actors - and we missed some of the more elaborate sets of past years (such as the voodoo room which was always done with great flair). While we still enjoyed Dark Summit as a whole, in all honesty we'd have to say that we didn't enjoy it as much as in previous years. Here's hoping that next year will being a return to the core things that have always made the haunt fun for us!