Justin Cerniuk is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his Midnight Terror haunted house in Oak Lawn. (Photo by Dermot Connolly)
The Midnight Terror Haunted House, Oak Lawn’s biggest attraction during the Halloween season, is marking its 10th anniversary at 5520 W. 111th St.
“It has been 10 years doing it professionally, and 13 years doing it in my driveway in Oak Lawn,” said founding creator Justin Cerniuk, a Marine veteran who still lives in the village.
“About 200,000 people have come through it since we started. I’m not surprised it has lasted this long—I figured it would,” said Cerniuk recently as he prepared for another night of haunting.
As they do every year, Cerniuk and his crew have reinvented key sections of Midnight Terror for 2024, from the festively decorated waiting zone lined with coffins, skeletons and more, to the final exit passages.
“We have added an all-new psycho circus area with clowns,” said Cerniuk. Midnight Terror actually features two interconnected, maze-like haunts under one roof: Black Oak Grove, and the Factory of Malum. Every year, Cerniuk’s team of creators add to the mythology built around its characters, including the malignant overlord Malum and the wraith-like Willow. This season will mark their final chapter, with an entirely new theme already being planned for 2025.
“Visitors often come back more than once each year because no night is ever the same,” said Cerniuk. “We have about 100 actors circulating through the haunt, and they don’t work off a script. We give them the autonomy to mix it up.”
Midnight Terror has become known as one of the best haunts in the Chicago area, or even the Midwest.
“We’ve built a major following, and a reputation over the past decade that I’m very proud of,” said Cerniuk. Some people who first came as teenagers are now bringing their young children.
In honor of the anniversary, Midnight Terror is also cutting prices by more than 40 percent for a limited supply of general admission tickets. Prices now start at $20.
“The good news is that after they’re gone, you can still save $5 by purchasing tickets online versus on-site at the ticket booth,” said Cerniuk.
Midnight Terror is wheelchair accessible and open, rain or shine, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays: Oct. 25 and 26; and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 24, 27-31, and Nov. 1-3, 8, 9.
Covered outdoor and indoor waiting is offered, as well as entertainment provided by a DJ and stilt walkers, photo opportunities before entering and departing, and free Midnight Terror prizes given away every night as well as special 10th-anniversary merchandise.
Four special events planned include “Lights On Trick-or-Treating” from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 26, during which parents may bring younger kids to tour the haunt while the lights are on and “scary mode” is turned off; friendly staff will pass out candy, take selfies, and award prizes to every child wearing a costume.
“Blackout” will be on Nov. 3 from 7-10 p.m., when all lights inside are turned off and visitors must rely on a glow stick to navigate the dark haunt, and “Clown Takeover” on Nov. 8 and 9 from 7-10 p.m., when the theme switches to a “carn-evil” swarming with killer clowns.
Finally, “Christmas Fear” will be held Dec. 13, 14, and 15 from 7-10 p.m., promising an unforgettable experience in Yuletide terror.
More information may be obtained at MidnightTerror.com or info@midnightterror.com.