Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Commentary - The Massacre Haunted House July 2015 - Montomgery, IL



Last but certainly not least comes the final haunt that was part of our Chicago Frights​ weekend of fun - The Massacre Haunted House​ in Montgomery, IL.

Always one of our favorites, the Massacre was excellent as usual. There were some new additions and changes, but the feel and the heart of the Massacre remained the same, which is perfectly fine with us.

The acting was outstanding as well - if you like humor with your scares, you can't beat the Massacre!

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Walkthrough - Village Cemetery Yard Display 2014 - Glenwood, IL





FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/village-cemetery-2014.html

Village Cemetery is one of our favorite local haunts. We look forward to seeing this one every year, and it's easy to get to for us as it's right down the street from Horror Tourer home base.

As one might expect, Village Cemetery is - wait for it - a cemetery display. The property has a lot of space and it is used quite effectively. From tombstones to crypts to coffins to a hearse being pulled by a couple of skeletons, Village Cemetery has a little of everything.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Commentary - Thanatophobialand 2014 - Lockport, IL









FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/thanataphobialand-2014.html

One of our all time favorite yard displays has to be Thanatophobialand in Lockport, IL. This display has a great  mix of the eclectic and the historical, the creepy and the educational, with some just plain old odd things thrown in for good measure. There's definitely something for everyone here, and there is a lot to see, so plan on spending some time if you visit.

The 2014 setup was the best we've seen in all of our years of visiting. It reminded us of why we love coming here year after year, and why we eagerly anticipate seeing what's new each time we do visit. If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, or something that's quirky without being too creepy or weird, or even if you like your haunts sprinkled with a dose of oddball humor, check out Thanatophobialand. It's one our or top haunts of 2014!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Walkthrough - Monsters on Morris Yard Display 2014 - Homewood, IL





FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/monsters-on-morris-2014.html

If
coffins are one of your favorite Halloween things, you'll love Monsters
on Morris. The central theme of the entire display is coffins of
various types, from wooden ones, to metal ones, to ones that look like
they've been used and dug up just for this display. There are about a
dozen coffins in this setup, many of them arranged in clever scenes.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Walkthrough - Monsters on Morris Yard Display 2014 - Homewood, IL





FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/monsters-on-morris-2014.html

If
coffins are one of your favorite Halloween things, you'll love Monsters
on Morris. The central theme of the entire display is coffins of
various types, from wooden ones, to metal ones, to ones that look like
they've been used and dug up just for this display. There are about a
dozen coffins in this setup, many of them arranged in clever scenes.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Walkthrough - Resurrection on Rosehill Yard Display 2014 - Lemont, IL





FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/resurrection-on-rosehill-2014.html

Resurrection
on Rosehill is a new favorite of the Tourers. We first visited this
haunt in 2013 and really enjoyed it, so we made a return visit in 2014.
This haunt is a bit different than many yard displays, as instead of
having all of the items confined to s front or back yard, this haunt
places setups on either side of the long sidewalk in front of the house,
and places corn stalks all along the path, forcing visitors to make a
long walk down the sidewalk, with their view of either side obscured by
the giant rows of stalks. This makes it easy for any actors to jump out
and scare people, which they do quite often!

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Walkthrough - Mack Manor Yard Display 2014 - Fox River Grove, IL

FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/mack-manor-2014.html

Mack Manor is another new haunt for the Tourers in 2014. One thing that definitely separates Mack Manor from most yard displays is that it is almost entirely made up of blow up Halloween decorations.Visitors turn in from the main road and can drive up one side of the driveway, then turn and drive down the other one. There is so much to see that it pays to take your time, and since the driveway is set back into the a wooded area, it gives a sense of isolation as well. If the display was on the creepy side the location would certainly enhance it. As it is, though, it's more fun than frightening, and that's OK. It's a great display to take the family to, especially for younger kids or older folks who might not want to get out the car and walk. You can view the entire setup from the comfort of the car. This one is worth a look!

Friday, June 26, 2015

Walkthrough - Circus Carnevil Yard Display 2014 - Mount Prospect, IL





FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/circus-c...
INSTAGRAM: thehorrortourers
TWITTER: @horrortourers
BLOG: http://thehorrortourers.blogspot.com

Ironically,
the best items in this yard display were on the porch, and none of them
had anything to do with the circus. All along the front porch was a
long banquet table filled with various human entrails and other
disgusting items for "dinner", and in the front windows was a fully lit
miniature Halloween town, composed of lots of little houses and other
items. It was like a Christmas village only for haunt enthusiasts, just
like us!

Overall, the quality of this display is not easily seen
from the road, and one might quickly drive past without taking the time
to take a closer look. We almost did ourselves, but we're glad we took
the extra time and we'll be looking forward to seeing what's new for
2015!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Walkthrough - Haunted Hollows Yard Display 2014 - Elgin, IL



FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/haunted-hollows-2014.html

Another day, another brand new, highly recommended yard display for your enjoyment. This one's called Haunted Hollows and it's located in Elgin, IL. We finally managed to make our way out here and we're happy to say it was well worth it!

A large, detailed display with varying themes, lots of animated and static figures, great lighting, and even a large all-metal horse AND dragon - you don't see that every day!

This one made our 2014 Hall of Fame in the Yard Display Category.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Walkthrough - Curse of the Mummy Yard Display 2014 - Chicago, IL

Curse of the Mummy is a small yard display located in Chicago.
The main part of the display, and the part for which it was named, was a large section off to the side that featured -you guessed it - a mummy.

This section consisted of a large crypt-like structure that served as a tomb for the mummy. It was eerily lit by red lights and some spotlights reflecting off of the background. As visitors got close, sensors triggered the mummy, who then began to rise out of his tomb to confront them. Overall, it was quite an effective effect, and despite the fact that there was not a lot to look at here, what was on display was creative and entertaining. We look forward to seeing the 2015 version!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Walkthrough - Dark Shadows Home Haunt 2014 - Orland Hills, IL


FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/dark-shadows-2014.html
INSTAGRAM: thehorrortourers
TWITTER: @horrortourers

As a yard display, Dark Shadows already ranks up there with some of the better ones, but that's not all Dark Shadows offers. The real fun comes from the home haunt portion, which is located in the garage. Although the garage is small, the haunt seems rather large, and a number of different and varied scenes are found within. The layout and some of the rooms change every year, but one of our favorite scenes, which features a jungle setting, a wooden bridge, and a large snake, is always there. We must say that the operators do a good job of actually making a garage seem like a jungle, at least for a few moments. There is even some great misty fog that rolls through the jungle area - good stuff!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Commentary - Evil Intentions Haunted House 2014 - Elgin, IL





If you are looking for a haunt that gives you chills and creepy feelings
as opposed to a laugh or some minor scares, look no further than Evil
Intentions. In all of our years of haunt touring, we can honestly say
only a select few haunts have actually given us the creeps, and the only
one in recent memory is Evil Intentions.

FULL REVIEW: http://www.horrortourers.com/evil-intentions-2014.html