17404 Deer Creek Drive, Orland Park, IL
Year: 2014
Shurley House is one of those haunts that is always on our "must do" list - it's an elaborate front yard and house display located in Orland Park, Illinois, that features an ever-growing lineup of characters and props. Also, on select nights, live actors are present to lurk amongst the props and scare visitors.
We've been going to this display for years, and we always look forward to returning. This year we made several trips, just to see the setup on nights with actors and without. It's good either way, but the actors are excellent at blending in to the surroundings and popping out when you least expect it. Some of the standout sections of the display include a giant crypt in the corner that looks as though it's really made out of stone, and includes gargoyles and large faux stone statues, a "Bates Motel" setup complete with actor dressed as "Mother" on certain evenings, and even a life size horse drawn hearse. The fun doesn't stop at the front lawn, though, as the display continues all the way up to and inside of the house. A large archway towers over the walk that leads to up the porch, making it seem as if visitors are entering a cemetery of some sort, and the bushes all along the walk are lined with props (and sometimes actors), all waiting to catch someone unawares. All of the many large windows at the front of the house are filled with various props or projections. From the top windows, spectral images hover and move back and forth, while in the lower windows, life size figures abound. These change yearly, and the lower right window often features a single theme. In years past we have seen a turn of the century funeral setting and an Egyptian tomb setting circa 1922. This year featured a vampire that looked suspiciously like Bela Lugosi. This is definitely one of those displays that you want to take the family to. There's always a lot of activity surrounding the setup, from actors to props to actual visitors, and it's fun to spend some time looking at all of the scenes and figures. It's more theatrical than gory, so it's safer for smaller kids, and for those who might not be thrilled with some of the more macabre features of a Halloween display. Go check it out! |
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