4810 S. Leamington, Chicago, IL
year: 2013
The Haunted School was one of the most pleasant surprises of the entire 2013 season, and it proves that true haunters should leave no stone unturned.
2013 was the first year we visited this haunt, and to be honest, the only reason we actually went was because it was close to some others we were going to and it was only $3. The description of the haunt was pretty generic, and the low price actually made us a bit wary that it might be geared more towards children. However, we decided to take a change and it turned out to get very fun! The haunt was held inside a school hall, and in our experience we have found that school haunts tend to be creative. This one was no exception. Although it was not too long (only about 10 minutes), it was packed with some clever designs and live actors, which made for an enjoyable experience. The haunt consisted of a series of vignettes, all focusing on a specific theme, including a werewolf display, a mad scientist display, and more. Each display was laid out in a rectangular pattern with large black plastic bags separating each area. |
Commentary |
Cleverly, the plastic bag dividers had spaces in between them that allowed live actors to stealthily move from area to area and to pop out and surprise visitors. Additionally, each corner of the setup had some type of moving object that surprised visitors. Although the display was low tech, it was high on creativity and old school scares.
Perhaps the best part of the haunt was the live actors. There were several throughout the haunt, and the design of it made visitors unsure where they might pop out next. Actors would follow visitors from room to room, disappearing and reappearing when people least expected it. The best live actor by far was Mike Myers, who was part of the very first room that visitors entered. In this room were various life size movie monsters, both static and animated, and hidden in the back corner was Mike Myers. The room was set up in such a way as to make it seem like he was a prop as well, but the moment visitors passed him he came to life, coming out of the display and following them from room to room. He was always just out of sight, and managed to wind up in front of visitors when he was behind them just a moment before. Additionally, after he had disappeared for a while, he suddenly appeared at the end of a corridor with a flashing strobe light. Since visitors were being chased by another live actor from behind, and since Mike Myers had appeared several times already, his appearance here was quite unexpected.
Overall, the Haunted School was an excellent haunt in the classic mold. There were no huge, elaborate setups or giant set pieces, no fancy wall or floor decorations, just some good, clever prop displays and some great live actors. It was the best $3 we've ever spent on a haunt, and we're looking forward to seeing more in 2014.
Perhaps the best part of the haunt was the live actors. There were several throughout the haunt, and the design of it made visitors unsure where they might pop out next. Actors would follow visitors from room to room, disappearing and reappearing when people least expected it. The best live actor by far was Mike Myers, who was part of the very first room that visitors entered. In this room were various life size movie monsters, both static and animated, and hidden in the back corner was Mike Myers. The room was set up in such a way as to make it seem like he was a prop as well, but the moment visitors passed him he came to life, coming out of the display and following them from room to room. He was always just out of sight, and managed to wind up in front of visitors when he was behind them just a moment before. Additionally, after he had disappeared for a while, he suddenly appeared at the end of a corridor with a flashing strobe light. Since visitors were being chased by another live actor from behind, and since Mike Myers had appeared several times already, his appearance here was quite unexpected.
Overall, the Haunted School was an excellent haunt in the classic mold. There were no huge, elaborate setups or giant set pieces, no fancy wall or floor decorations, just some good, clever prop displays and some great live actors. It was the best $3 we've ever spent on a haunt, and we're looking forward to seeing more in 2014.