1940 George Street, Melrose Park, IL
years: 2010-2012
Eleventh Hour is a professional pay haunt that we have been going to since 2009. It is actually four haunts in total - three houses and a corn maze, all for one price. The basic fee is $23, with a VIP upgrade for $36 that gives you a shorter wait, and a $44.50 online rate that gives you preferred parking, a t-shirt, a free beverage, and NO WAIT!
While the prices may seem a bit steep, keep in mind that there are four haunts here, so if you take your time it can easily be an hour or more to go through them all. Also, if you play your cards right you can get there early and beat the line, so there's no need for the VIP pricing. Additionally, Eleventh Hour usually offers a 2 for 1 $36 ticket if you purchase before opening weekend. See hauntedillinois.com for details. Usually we wind up doing the corn maze first. While I personally ma not a big fan of corn mazes, especially when you wind up going around and around in circles, the Eleventh Hour one is not bad. It's got some comical actors in it, who not only scare you, but also taunt you, making for an enjoyable experience as long as you don't get lost, as I often wind up doing! Following the corn maze, visitors are taken to the first haunt, which looks like an old, abandoned house, complete with wooden slats on the sides. There is usually some wait entertainment here as well. Once inside, visitors find themselves in an elaborate room with candles and photos on the walls, and are greeted by a live actor who introduces the haunt to them. For 2010 and 2011 it was a tall gentleman with a clock painted on his face, and for 2012 it was Betti - "with an 'I'" as the actor pointed out. When the intro is over, a tap on the staircase opens it to reveal the passageway that leads deeper into the house. The first room is a library of sorts, complete with secret passageway. From there, visitors travel through a wide variety of elaborate sets, from Victorian dining rooms with full formal dinner setups, to an electrical room with sparking equipment, to a mad dentist's office, to a creepy child's room (the 2012 version of this room had a tiny little child hiding in a dresser drawer - very well done)! As mentioned, all of the rooms are well designed and feature many props, including full living room and kitchen setups and more. Additionally, the live actors are all excellently made up, and are very enthusiastic in their roles. They do not break character even when the unexpected happens (such as the time Horror Tourer Paul leaned against a "wall" and stumbled into a different room via a trap door, only to emerge through the back of a fake refrigerator that a live actor was leading visitors through). It was quite hilarious, and the actor, although I am certain he did not expect this, never broke character. Rather, he chased Paul all the way into the next scene! A very interesting portion of the haunt is outside - visitors walk along a pathway that surrounds an outdoor garden filled with tombstones, statues, and live actors. The lighting is dim, making it hard to see what's real and what's not, and the outdoor setting really adds to the atmosphere. |
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Eleventh Hour clearly goes for the detailed set look, which is our favorite type of haunt. It's the kind of haunt that creeps you out just walking through it, regardless of whether or not there are live actors in it. Overall, the first portion of the haunt is excellent, and it lasts about 20-25 minutes. If that was all there was, it still would be in line with the prices that other haunts charge for just a single house. However, there are still two more portions of the haunt to go through.
The second portion of the haunt is made up to look like underground catacombs, much like the catacombs in the sewers of France. Simulated dirt and stone walls house skulls, bones, and various bodes, and the walls are lit by simulated torches. It's a very nice effect. There are a number of animated props here, including chained skeletons, and the scenery is such that it's something you want to slow down and experience.
The final portion of the haunt has varied themes. In recent years, we've seen it as primarily a partially dark maze, with lots of twists and turns and not a lot of actors, as well as a crazy carnival setting, complete with ringmaster and various carnival freaks. Our most recent visit found it set up this way, and several of the actors stood out. One of the best was a freak character in a top hat who kept running and leaping from section to section, sometimes up on a platform looking down on visitors, and other times appearing right in front of them. As the lighting was dim and his costume was dark, it was hard to see detail, some he sometimes appeared as a menacing silhouette. We are not that this was the intention, but it was excellent, nonetheless.
Overall, Eleventh Hour never fails to impress. We were initially reluctant to go due to the higher price, but once we did we knew it was quality, and not an overly hyped, overly expensive generic haunt as is sometimes the case. No matter what your haunt persuasion- whether you are a fan of detailed scenes, comical scares, dark mazes, outdoor setups, clever actors, or of everything - there is something at Eleventh Hour for you. It's no wonder they are one of the longest running haunts in the Chicagoland area.
Make your plans for Halloween season early, and be sure to include Eleventh Hour in them. If you can only make one "big" haunt per year, make it this one - visit the Eleventh Hour, before your time is up!
The second portion of the haunt is made up to look like underground catacombs, much like the catacombs in the sewers of France. Simulated dirt and stone walls house skulls, bones, and various bodes, and the walls are lit by simulated torches. It's a very nice effect. There are a number of animated props here, including chained skeletons, and the scenery is such that it's something you want to slow down and experience.
The final portion of the haunt has varied themes. In recent years, we've seen it as primarily a partially dark maze, with lots of twists and turns and not a lot of actors, as well as a crazy carnival setting, complete with ringmaster and various carnival freaks. Our most recent visit found it set up this way, and several of the actors stood out. One of the best was a freak character in a top hat who kept running and leaping from section to section, sometimes up on a platform looking down on visitors, and other times appearing right in front of them. As the lighting was dim and his costume was dark, it was hard to see detail, some he sometimes appeared as a menacing silhouette. We are not that this was the intention, but it was excellent, nonetheless.
Overall, Eleventh Hour never fails to impress. We were initially reluctant to go due to the higher price, but once we did we knew it was quality, and not an overly hyped, overly expensive generic haunt as is sometimes the case. No matter what your haunt persuasion- whether you are a fan of detailed scenes, comical scares, dark mazes, outdoor setups, clever actors, or of everything - there is something at Eleventh Hour for you. It's no wonder they are one of the longest running haunts in the Chicagoland area.
Make your plans for Halloween season early, and be sure to include Eleventh Hour in them. If you can only make one "big" haunt per year, make it this one - visit the Eleventh Hour, before your time is up!