This year has brought many twists and turns that no one would ever have expected. However, one thing that has remained somewhat the same is Halloween. The decorations, new and classic movies, and costumes are still some of the main focuses of the holiday, but many popular haunted houses, like Reaper’s Realm and Fright Fest, have been closed for the season. To some people’s surprise, though, there is one local haunted house that has been up and running since the beginning of October: Criminally Insane Haunted House in Crown Point.
The Criminally Insane Haunted House operates in the Old Lake County Jail right off of the square. Volunteer actors get into realistic makeup and costumes to create a one-of-a-kind experience. Tickets are $10/person, and the event runs at night from 7:30-11 or 12, depending on how many guests stand in line. 500 tickets were sold on the second weekend within the first hour, and the line was wrapped around the sidewalk to the next few blocks! Proceeds from ticket sales return back to the jail for restoration and protection purposes.
Seniors Katie Bilka and Nina Rodriguez, and junior Isabella Aranda have volunteered as actors for the haunted house this season. Bilka and Aranda played bloody nurses and doctors in the Toxin-Laboratory, while Rodriguez manned an almost 8 ft tall puppet in the Puppet Room. Aranda said, “I really enjoyed volunteering because I was with Katie 😉 and because it’s fun to see how other people get scared.” Other places of interest included Trustees, Witches area, and The Swamp.
The Haunted House still operates until the last weekend in October, so if you haven’t already, go check them out on Facebook at Criminally Insane Haunted House for more details!

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Aranda, junior