Enjoy Halloween chills and thrills all month long
Halloween may only be one night, but there are plenty of ways to get into the spirit of things and enjoy it all month long. Whether you're curious about Halloween's origins, local ghost stories or just want to tune in for some eerie music, scare up a good costume and check out these Halloween-themed activities and events ... if you dare.
Fright Fest
Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee, (847) 249-4636; sixflags.com
Times: 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1
Price: Regular admission $29.99-$54.99; children under 48 inches tall $34.99; 3 and under free. Check Web site for special prices, discounts and group rates.
The amusement park gets downright scary for its 19th annual Halloween celebration. Instead of the usual superheroes and Looney Tunes characters, the park is populated by ghosts, vampires, ghouls and aliens.
Along with several haunted houses you can pay to tour, such as the Mausoleum of Terror and the Rise of the Demon Scare Zone, there are also free nightly events of varying levels of creepiness. You can watch a hypnosis show and volunteer to get mesmerized yourself, gape at a parade of zombies signaling the closing of the park each night and see truly bizarre feats during a freak show.
Six Flags also will host Thrill the World at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, where guests can dance along to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in an attempt to break the record for most people simultaneously performing the Thriller dance worldwide.
Haunted Segway tour
Absolutely Chicago Segway Tours, 337 E. Randolph St., Chicago, (312) 552-5100; chicagosegway.com
Times: 6:30 and 8:45 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 31
Price: $65. Reservations required
Tour guides dress as ghosts and zombies for a tour of Chicago's greatest disasters and places reputed to be haunted. You'll visit the site of the Fort Dearborn Massacre, where an American force evacuating the fort during the War of 1812 was attacked by Native Americans. There is also the location of the Iroquois Theater Fire where more than 600 people died during a panicked attempt to evacuate an overcrowded Christmas matinee. Other destinations include the site of the sinking of the steamer Eastland, the "most haunted alley in the city" and the former home of Al Capone's yacht.
Trick or trees
The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. (630) 968-0074 or www.mortonarb.org.
Times: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25
Price: $11 adults, $8 ages 2-17, $10 seniors
A party appropriate for the wee ones, including a haunted maze, ghoulish games and crafts, and plenty of candy in the Children's Garden and Arbor Court. For an extra fee, see and learn about live bats or join a singalong with songs about bats. Be sure to wear your costume!
Fright Light
Laser show at Cernan Earth and Space Center at Triton College, 2000 Fifth Ave., River Grove, (708) 583-3100; triton.edu
Times: 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31
Price: $10, $5 for kids and seniors
Part of a 30-minute laser show playing in October, "Fright Light" takes spooky tunes and songs about ghosts or monsters, such as the "Ghostbusters" theme song and "Monster Mash," and pairs them with laser images. Sometimes you'll just watch geometric patterns, but most songs feature animation sequences to go with the lyrics. Adults who come in costume on Halloween pay the kids' price.
Seadog Haunted Tours
Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, (312) 822-7200; seadogcruises.com
Times: 6:15 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31
Price: $26.95, $14.95 for kids ages 4-12; free for kids under age 4
Seadog is known for its river architectural cruises, but this season the tours take on a spooky twist. Along with pointing out the features of the skyline, costumed guides highlight supernatural occurrences in the city's past. Guides discuss the ghost of Samuel Insull, one of the co-founders of General Electric and the inspiration for "Citizen Kane," who is believed to haunt parts of Chicago. Other topics include the Eastland Disaster, where 845 people were killed when a passenger tour boat rolled over while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. After the tour, you can catch a 10-minute fireworks display at Navy Pier at 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Guests are encouraged to come in costume.
Halloween traditions
"Halloween: Superstitions and Traditions" at Lake County Discovery Museum, 27277 N. Forest Preserve Road, Wauconda, (847) 968-3400; lcfpd.org/discovery_museum
Times: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1
Price: Included in regular admission: $6, $2.50 for kids ages 4 to 17, free for kids under age 4
The museum exhibit chronicles Halloween folklore and evolution from celebrations by the ancient Celts and Christians to the uniquely American holiday it is today. Vintage costumes, decorations and antique postcards on display showcase different aspects of the holiday.
"We start with things that we associate with Halloween like carving jack-o'-lanterns and wearing costumes and trace where they come from," said museum educator Seleena Kuester.
Ichabod rides
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Batavia Government Center Building, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia. (630) 406-8838 or albrighttheatre.com.
Times: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
Price: $10-$13
Ichabod Crane flees from a pursuing Headless Horseman in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," Albright Theatre Company's stage adaptation of Washington Irving's classic tale.