West Main street, Glenwood, IL

Haunted Estates* is a new yard display that is located in Glenwood in Chicago's south suburbs. We are not sure of the exact address, but it is large and can easily be seen from the road when driving west on Main street through downtown Glenwood. This display was first created in 2011, and contains a large number of life size figures and other props. It is a welcome addition to the growing number of yard displays and hone haunts appearing in Chicago's south suburbs, and  joins the ranks of displays like Haunted 4 Life, Haunted Saloon, and Misdom Manor. Although relatively new, Haunted Estates has some unique features, as well as a lot of land to expand on. We are already looking forward to 2013! Note: All photos in this review were taken by the haunt owner and are used with permisson.
*Haunted Estates is not the real name of the haunt. According to the owner, the haunt doesn't actually
have a name yet. We at Horror Tourers got the name from a plaque located on the front of the
display and are using it to aid in describing it.

year: 2011
tourers: bryan, Laura
costs: free
chainsaws: 4/5

2011 was the first year for this display, and it was certainly an eye catcher. It is located just off of Main Street in Glenwood, and can easily be seen from the road. It was a nice sight to see as the Tourers drove towards the Homewood area.. This year's display featured a lot of life size figures, including a pumpkin-headed figure guarding the front door of the house, a headless bride and groom, a hanging scarecrow and skeleton-headed figure, and victim of a spider attack.

Additionally, the display featured some creative tombstones, including the Rotte (rot) family, and Mr. Yul B. Next. Some of these tombstones were effectively made out of styrofoam coolers and lids - a very inventive way of utilizing them, and something we at the Horror Tourers have not seen anywhere else. Smoke effects and good lighting enhanced the many figures, and it location close to a bust street made for an effective display. We were very glad we stumbled across it and hoped that it was not just a one time display, as it was definitely a great addition for Halloween in the south suburbs.

photos

year: 2012

tourers: bryan, laura

costs: free

chainsaws: 4/5

2012 saw a welcome return of this display, and the Tourers were determined to fit it into their schedule. The large number of haunts the Tourers had on their list for 2012 meant that they didn't get to this one until Halloween night, which only added to the effectiveness of the display itself.

2012 brought back some old favorites from 2011, including the gravedigger, the headless couple, pumpkinhead on the door, and Mr. M.T. Box, as well as some new items. New figures (to us) included another ghoulish couple (with heads) on the front lawn, a wolf with a heart in its mouth, a rather elegantly-dressed female figure hanging from a tree, and a full size vintage hearse complete with skeleton driver. All of these figures appeared to be at least partially homemade rather than simply store bought, which added to the uniqueness of this display. All of the figures and displays were accented by a fake wrought iron fence that surrounded them, accentuating the vintage atmosphere of the display.

Overall, the 2012 setup was excellent, and one that we regret not being able to see sooner or more often. It really has gotten off to a great start over the past couple  of years, and is definitely worth a visit, especially if combining it with some of the other displays in the neighboring areas. The figures are whimisical as well as creepy, and the display has enough creative touches to set it apart from similar displays. We look forward to future developments!

photos

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