The spooky season is upon us, and we’ve gathered some of the top spots to put you in the mood for all the spooks, ghouls and scary stories a Starved Rock Country Halloween has to offer.

Fright Trail, Cedar Point

All the jumps and screams of the Fright Trail at Cedar Creek Ranch are outdoors, which can make for some extra scares.

The natural moonlight, chilly fall breezes and the vastness of the outdoors all add to the atmosphere.

This fall will be the ranch’s 14th year offering the Fright Trail, and it’s grown over the years.

“We were always a bit into Halloween as a family. We started out real small doing a small walk, and it just evolved into this big thing on the ranch,” said Paul Williams, owner of Cedar Creek Ranch.

It takes a team of 15 people, some volunteers and year-long planning to put on the all-ages production.

“You walk through each scene and the timber of Cedar Creek Ranch. We have several different scenes plotted throughout the timber, the woods and then we have actors and characters in each one of those scenes,” Williams explained.

Each year is a different theme – the details of this year’s are being finalized.

“People love it because it’s live acting and the scenes are intense. There’s a plot and theme to each scene,” Williams said.

“It’s the atmosphere,” added Nick Croissant, head captain at Cedar Creek Ranch. “You’re literally walking through a horse trail in the middle of the woods.”

The Fright Trail is the last three weekends in October at the ranch, 249 E. Route 71 in Cedar Point. For more information, visit fright-trail.com.

Nightmare Haunted Attraction, Princeton

The Nightmare Haunted Attraction at the Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton is entering its 21st year of startles, scares and screams.

Once the lights go out, barns on the fairgrounds will be filled with ghosts, demons, skeletons, clowns and just about anything imaginable to generate a scare. There are plenty of effects – from fog machines to lighting and sound effects – to take visitors to a new scene at every turn. With a combination of animatronics and live actors, guests will be kept on their toes.

The haunted house is open Fridays and Saturdays in October. Follow the attraction on Facebook for updates throughout October.

Insanity Haunted House, Peru

Insanity Haunted House is 10,000 square feet, and that’s a lot larger than Pete Pavia’s childhood yard where his love of providing scares started.

“There was a haunt near my house as a kid and I just always wanted to do it,” he said. “One day I decided I was going to do it and did a yard haunt, then went from a yard haunt to building a haunt in my garage to me jumping in with both feet to build a haunted house.”

Pavia spent his first two years at a mall in St. Charles and for the last eight years has been located in the Peru Mall, 3940 Route 251 in Peru. The indoor location allows him to work on his builds year-round – which he does.

“I build all year long. I have the next five years’ builds already planned,” he said.

It also means if you encounter a line, you don’t have to stand outside to wait. He estimates several thousand people walk through each year.

Insanity Haunted House has been named the No. 1 haunted house the last three years for overall experience by HauntedIllinois.com. Last year, it was rated in the Top 5 scariest attractions in Illinois.

“You’ll come into contact with 20 or 30 different actors through the course of your journey,” Pavia said, adding there are different scenes.

The haunt isn’t recommended for children under the age of 13.

For dates, times and tickets, visit insanityhh.com.

Awesome Ottawa Tours, Ottawa

If you’re a history buff who also likes dark stories, you’ll want to check out the “Graveyard Stories: Heroes, Hobos, and Murderers, Unearthed” tour by Awesome Ottawa Tours.

Owner Tom Aussem launched Awesome Ottawa Tours in 2018, starting with the popular Ottawa Obscura Bike Tour and expanding annually to offer nine unique tours today. The tour company was named a Travelers Choice Award winner by Trip Advisor in 2024.

Aussem spends an extensive amount of time researching his tours.

“Locals don’t know these things about Ottawa,” he said. “I don’t talk about things that are easily found or commonly known.”

This drive/hike tour embarks on a chilling expedition through the annals of Ottawa’s history and the dark and intriguing past of its inhabitants.

Aussem explains the unsettling truth behind the final resting places of the county’s most notorious murderers and dives into the depths of their crimes and the secrets surrounding their demise. Also, he delves into the mystery of a Confederate burial and the compelling tale behind its existence. Guests also will visit the La Salle County Asylum graveyard and hear the stories of those laid to rest there. The journey concludes at the oldest pioneer graveyard in Ottawa, where Aussem laments the stories of those who have nearly faded into obscurity, their legacies preserved amidst the weathered headstones and fading epitaphs, according to the tour’s website.

“The thing that most people are amazed by is how deep and vast the history of Ottawa is,” he said.

Some of the graveyards are in remote locations and require short walks on uneven ground.

Tours are seven days a week February through December, by appointment. All tours are an hour and a half long, but scheduled in two-hour increments to allow for questions. The van can hold up to 13 passengers. For more information, visit awesomeottawatours.com.

Haunted Camp at Camp Tuckabatchee, Ottawa

In the summer, Camp Tuckabatchee is a youth camp dedicated to outdoor education and connecting children with nature. During the last three weekends of October, it transforms into the Haunted Camp, where guests can weave through the grounds to encounter actors and frightful visions. A not-scary session is available for younger children.

For 2025 information and updates, follow Camp Tuckabatchee on Facebook.

A non-haunted mansion

Experience the excitement, traditions and suspense of 19th century October nights during the Hegeler Carus Mansion’s limited-time “The Mansion Is NOT Haunted” tours.

Running Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, these immersive ticketed events cover the macabre history of the Victorian era. Costumed guides will introduce you to haunting customs and superstitions from the heyday of the gilded age. Was being buried alive a real cause for fear? Who might you find lurking about in a Victorian cemetery, and why?

Appropriate Victorian dress for guests is encouraged but not required for entry. This is an approximately one-hour tour. General admission tickets are $40 a person or $140 for a four pack. Pre-registration is required. Persons under 18 are allowed with an adult; the tour is not recommended for children younger than 10 years. For more information or to reserve a spot on the tour, visit hegelercarus.org/events/the-mansion-is-not-haunted-tour.

Julie Barichello and Ryan Searl contributed to this article.