11430 193rd street, Mokena, IL
year: 2013
Sunny Acres is an elaborate yard display that we stumbled upon in 2012. We were looking for another haunt and spotted some creepy looking things in the distance so we thought we'd check it out. We didn't realize we were actually at a display that we had slated for later in the season, though. The first time we went there there were live actors, but we liked it so much that we made a point of going back so we could see them.
Since we enjoyed Sunny Acres so much, it was a "must do" on our 2013 list. Alas, the time we visited there were no live actors, but there were plenty of things to see, as well as a nice lighting setup that enhanced the creepiness factor. One of the things we like the most about Sunny Acres is that it is often difficult to tell if a prop is a live actor or not. In 2012 there was a clown who stood so still that he fooled almost everyone into thinking he was just a prop. This year, we were on the lookout to make sure there were no surprises! A nice addition this time around was a sign at the front proclaiming a vacancy at the Sunny Acres "Dead" and Breakfast - a nice touch! In addition, there was a cemetery with clever tombstones, such as "Anne Chovy." There's also an executioner, a partially dismembered clown on a brightly colored torture wheel, a mad scientist, a clown in an electric chair, and even a zombie crawling out of the bushes. All in all, despite the lack of actors, there was enough variety and cleverness to keep us interested, plus the moody greenish lighting all through the display helped set an effectively unsettling mood. We'd recommend Sunny Acres to anyone who enjoys clever yard displays. Our advice is to go when the sun is going down to get the full lighting effect, and since you never know when the live actors will be present, be sure to keep an eye on those "props" so you won't be surprised!
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