5755 W. 97th street, oak lawn, il

Midnight Terror is a combination yard display/garage haunt located in Oak Lawn Illinois. The yard display has a number of static and animated props, as well as creepy lighting effects and fog. The garage itself is very well put together, with a wooden front facade that looks like an old porch, complete with chicken wire, as well as some winding twists and turns within. Additionally, the haunt features a number of live actors who provide wait entertainment. Overall, for a free haunt Midnight Terror has it all, and provides some pay haunts with a run for their money.

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

2011 was the first year that he Tourers visited this haunt. They discovered it by accident when touring the Oak Lawn area, and were certainly glad they did! Outside of the haunt was a medium-sized yard display, complete with creepy demonic figures, smoke, lighting, and other effects. The display made the most use of the limited front yard space and showcased several handmade monster figures we had not seen before.

The real draw of this haunt was the actual haunted house setup, which is one of the best home haunt facades we have seen, The entire outside of the garage was transformed into a shack, complete with wooden paneling. Visitors were admitted in small groups, and the patron flow was well managed so no one got bunched up. Inside, the garage (which was small), was divided into numerous rooms featuring an array of live actors. One of the best rooms was one in which the monster you were approaching was clearly seen right next to you, but was unable to get to you because of a wall in between. Visitors were then forced to walk around the wall and straight towards the monster. Knowing what was coming but not knowing when it would happen was most impressive, and added to the genuinely creepy feel of this haunt.

One other room held a cool surprise-  in the creepy operating room setup, a crazy doctor distracted the visitors while a monster crept out from under the operating table and grabbed at them. Guest tourer Bill was very surprised by this, and we all found it most effective. The ending of the haunt provided the obligatory creepy chainsaw guy, who chased visitors from the back of the garage to the front.

Overall, this haunt rated five chainsaws. From the originality of the designs, to the use of space, to the engagement level of the actors, it proved to be a welcome visit, and one we would be sure to make in the future..

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year: 2012
tourers: bryan, Paul, Laura
costs: free
chainsaws: 6/5

2012 saw the return of some old favorites and some improvements to the Midnight Terror haunt. Just when we all thought it could not get any better, it did! The yard display was expanded, with a few new props and the return of some old ones, including Bryan's favorite - the red headed demon figure. The smoke and lighting effects were also present.

Wait entertainment this year consisted of the guy from Saw, who stayed in character the entire time and provided a number of great scares while we waited to get into the garage haunt. Also, there was a popcorn machine and hot chocolate available for a small donation. It was nice to have a hot drink and some popcorn while warming ourselves by the fire that was lit outside.

The garage itself was decorated even better than 2011, with the facade being more elaborate, including a covered waiting area and a moving picture featuring an entire family that slowly turned into zombies while you watched.

Inside was much the same as 2011, although there were a few changes, most notably at the end. The lurking horror was still present, and visitors were still forced to walk straight towards him, knowing he was waiting at the end of the corridor. A strobe light temporarily blinded visitors just before the lurking horror attacked, making the anticipation even greater.

Overall, the 2012 setup was excellent, and we enjoyed the atmosphere almost as much as the haunt itself. Midnight Terror continues to excel year after year, and it rides high on the list of the Horror Tourers favorite haunts!

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walkthrough

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