HellsGate

Amazing haunt, one of the best I've ever been to! The quality of the sets is fantastic, decorated floor to ceiling. I also love that the external facades are fully built out to meet the theme. The haunted trail part is also great cause they use tons fog and lighting effects to make it super creepy. There are also tons of animatronics and actors, probably a couple hundred throughout the haunt, there are no dead areas and the actors seem to put a good effort in though I wish they would banter a bit more. I also like that there are actors roaming the queue area. I really like that the theming feels cohesive, there are different themed areas but they all fit in the overarching universe. Even the gift shop here is top notch! Walkthrough took just under 40 minutes which is plenty long for a haunt. The main downside to this place is visiting on a Sat before Halloween, I waited 2.5 hours before getting into the haunt, that's WITH the instant access pass. Before I could use the pass, I still had to wait 1.5 hrs for the shuttle bus, then waited in another long line just to redeem the pass. Once I got the physical pass, it was just a 10 min wait in the instant access line. The General Access line had a 2-3 hour wait, and VIP had a 1 hour wait. I prefer this over Massacre Haunted House.

I have had the pleasure of visiting Hellsgate at least 5 times and it gets better every single year. The interior is beautifully done from hardwood floors to crown molding. It is everything a haunted house should be. The actors are just amazing, its not a bunch of "Get out!"s or random snarls, there is thought behind the action and dialogue. The queue line actors are always the fun to interact with and will keep you entertained until you enter the mansion. It is a challenge to not just marvel at the beauty of this evil old mansion as you meander the various rooms but the entities within will keep you on your toes.

Fun! Would 100% go again! I screamed more than I ever had before!

This is one of the most thought out experiences ever. I use the word experience because that’s what it is. It is not just your normal haunt, it is an adventure. Scenes and storyline were executed perfectly and the experience is top notch. Definitely worth checking out.

I go down to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios every year (and have been doing that for the last 20+ years) so it's typical difficult for me to fully enjoy more "local" haunted houses. HellsGate is definitely an exception to that! It's a great story with some great decor and actors. It's by far my favorite haunted house I've done outside of Halloween Horror Nights and IMO the best in the Chicagoland area.