This Whimsical Amusement Center In Illinois Features A Spooky-Themed Playground That Kids Will Love

Imagine a place where Halloween never ends, and family fun is served with a side of playful spookiness. Welcome to Haunted Trails, Joliet’s year-round celebration of all things delightfully eerie!

Nestled in the heart of Joliet, Illinois, Haunted Trails Family Entertainment Center & Picnics is a hidden gem that’s been serving up scares and smiles for decades.

This isn’t your average amusement park – it’s a ghoulishly good time that’ll have you and your little monsters howling with laughter.

As you approach the entrance, you’re greeted by a towering castle facade that looks like it was plucked straight out of a Tim Burton fever dream.

The weathered stone walls and gothic spires set the tone for the adventure that awaits inside.

Don’t worry, though – this isn’t the kind of haunted house that’ll have you sleeping with the lights on for weeks.

Haunted Trails strikes the perfect balance between spooky and silly, making it an ideal destination for families looking for a unique day out.

Once you step through the castle gates, you’re transported into a world where every day is Halloween, minus the sugar-induced tantrums and uncomfortable costumes.

The first thing that catches your eye is the sprawling outdoor area, a playground that looks like it was designed by the Addams Family’s fun-loving cousin.

Towering slides emerge from the mouths of giant monster heads, their cartoonish expressions more goofy than gruesome.

Kids scramble up and down, their laughter echoing off the plastic fangs – it’s a dentist’s nightmare, but a child’s dream come true.

Nearby, a group of youngsters are engaged in an intense game of mini-golf.

But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill putt-putt course.

Each hole is a miniature haunted scene, complete with tiny graveyards, pint-sized haunted houses, and even a scaled-down Loch Ness Monster lurking in a water hazard.

It’s like someone shrunk a Universal Studios Halloween set and added golf balls.

As you watch a particularly enthusiastic young golfer line up his shot, you can’t help but chuckle as his ball ricochets off a plastic tombstone, narrowly missing a ceramic garden gnome dressed as Dracula.

Who knew that improving your short game could be so entertainingly macabre?

Moving deeper into the park, you come across the go-kart track.

But these aren’t just any go-karts – they’re “Ghost Karts,” each one decorated with spectral decals and glowing accents.

The track itself is a winding path through a comically creepy landscape, complete with foam tombstones, plastic skeletons, and the occasional animatronic zombie that pops up to startle drivers.

It’s like “Mario Kart” met “The Munsters,” and honestly, it’s a crossover we didn’t know we needed until now.

As you watch racers zoom by, you can’t help but notice one dad who’s taking the competition a bit too seriously.

He’s leaning into every turn, a look of intense concentration on his face as he attempts to overtake his giggling 10-year-old daughter.

It’s a valiant effort, but in the end, youth (and a significantly lighter body weight) triumphs over experience.

The dad graciously accepts defeat, high-fiving his victorious offspring as they exit their karts.

It’s moments like these that make Haunted Trails more than just an amusement park – it’s a place where family memories are forged, one goofy ghost ride at a time.

As the afternoon wears on, the rumbling in your stomach reminds you that all this spooky fun works up quite an appetite.

Luckily, Haunted Trails has you covered with their on-site eatery, aptly named “The Ghoul’s Galley.”

The menu is a playful twist on classic amusement park fare, with each item sporting a Halloween-inspired name.

You can’t help but grin as you peruse the options.

There’s the “Frankenfurter,” a hot dog that’s been given a monstrous makeover with green relish and a bun that’s been scored to look like stitches.

For the pizza lovers, there’s the “Vampire Slice,” a cheesy triangle adorned with red sauce that’s been artfully dripped to resemble blood (don’t worry, it’s just marinara).

And for dessert?

How about a “Witch’s Brew Float,” a concoction of fizzy soda and ice cream that comes in an almost unnatural shade of purple.

As you place your order, you overhear a young boy tugging on his mother’s sleeve, earnestly explaining that he needs the “Zombie Fingers” (breaded chicken strips) because “real zombies are gluten-free, Mom!”

The cashier, clearly used to such culinary negotiations, manages to keep a straight face as she rings up the order.

With food in hand, you make your way to the picnic area, a charming space that looks like the result of Martha Stewart deciding to redecorate a mad scientist’s laboratory.

Checkered tablecloths adorn tables that are interspersed with bubbling cauldrons (don’t worry, they’re just for show) and friendly-looking scarecrows.

It’s the perfect spot to refuel and plan your next move.

As you munch on your Frankenfurter (which, despite its appearance, is actually quite delicious), you can’t help but marvel at the attention to detail that’s gone into every aspect of Haunted Trails.

Even the trash cans are themed, designed to look like hungry monsters eager to gobble up your garbage.

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It’s this kind of commitment to the bit that elevates Haunted Trails from a simple amusement park to a fully immersive experience.

With your energy restored, it’s time to explore some of the indoor attractions.

The arcade beckons, its neon lights and electronic beeps a siren song to gamers of all ages.

But this isn’t just any arcade – it’s the “Creature Feature Arcade,” where classic games have been given a monstrous makeover.

Pac-Man has been replaced by “Werewo-Man,” a furry fellow who chases ghosts through a maze that looks suspiciously like a spooky forest.

The claw machine is now the “Kraken’s Catch,” with tentacles instead of a metal claw grasping for prizes.

And don’t even get me started on “Dance Dance Resurrection” – let’s just say it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “dancing with the dead.”

As you wander through the rows of games, you spot a grandfather patiently teaching his young granddaughter how to play skee-ball.

Or rather, “skull-ball,” as it’s called here, with grinning foam skulls replacing the traditional wooden balls.

The little girl’s face lights up as she manages to roll a skull into one of the higher-scoring holes, and her grandfather’s proud smile is warmer than any jack-o’-lantern.

It’s a touching reminder that while the themes may be spooky, the heart of Haunted Trails is all about bringing people together.

Next up is the Haunted House, the park’s piece de resistance.

Now, before you start having flashbacks to that time you accidentally wandered into the “extreme” section of a Halloween horror nights event, let me assure you – this haunted house is more Scooby-Doo than Stephen King.

As you approach the entrance, a sign cheerfully proclaims, “Beware! Mildly Scary Things Ahead!”

It’s a haunted house that knows its audience, designed to provide just enough of a thrill to be exciting without traumatizing the younger visitors (or the more easily startled adults – we’re not judging).

Inside, you’re greeted by a series of comically creepy scenes.

There’s the “mad scientist’s lab,” where a wild-haired animatronic figure in a lab coat frantically pushes buttons on a control panel covered in blinking lights and silly labels like “Zombie Juice” and “Bad Hair Day Potion.”

In the “witch’s kitchen,” a mechanical crone stirs a cauldron while surrounded by ingredients with labels like “Eye of Newt (Actually Just Grapes)” and “Toe of Frog (We Promise It’s Not Real).”

The “graveyard” features tombstones with pun-tastic epitaphs like “Here lies Fred, he’s clearly dead” and “RIP Barry D. Hatchett – He couldn’t quite hack it.”

As you make your way through the house, you can hear the delighted shrieks and giggles of other visitors echoing through the corridors.

It’s the sound of people having fun being just a little bit scared, like when you watch a mildly spooky movie with a bowl of popcorn on a cozy night in.

Emerging from the Haunted House, you find yourself back in the main area of the park, where a new attraction catches your eye.

It’s the “Monster Mash Bounce House,” a massive inflatable structure that looks like Dracula’s castle got a serious case of the wiggles.

Children are bouncing around inside, their laughter mixing with the squeaking of the inflatable walls to create a symphony of pure joy.

You watch as a young boy, dressed in a Superman t-shirt, takes a running leap and bounces so high he almost touches the ceiling.

For a moment, he really does look like he’s flying, and the look of sheer delight on his face is enough to make even the most jaded adult crack a smile.

As the day begins to wind down, you realize you’ve barely scratched the surface of what Haunted Trails has to offer.

There’s still the laser tag arena (cleverly dubbed “Phantom Phasers”), where families engage in good-natured battles amidst a glow-in-the-dark landscape of friendly ghosts and cartoon monsters.

And let’s not forget the bumper cars, or as they’re known here, the “Crash-ket Cases.”

These whimsical vehicles, each decorated to look like a different movie monster, careen around the track in a chaotic dance of rubber and plastic.

You can’t help but laugh as you watch a mom in a Frankenstein’s monster car playfully chase her giggling kids, who are driving a Dracula mobile and a Wolfman wagon respectively.

It’s organized chaos at its finest, a perfect metaphor for family life if there ever was one.

As the sun begins to set, casting long shadows across the park, you notice something magical happening.

Twinkling lights begin to flicker to life, strung between the attractions like a web of stars.

The spooky decorations, which looked charmingly kitschy in the daylight, now take on a more ethereal quality in the gathering dusk.

It’s as if the park is transforming, becoming a truly enchanted place as night falls.

Families gather for one last ride or game, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the lights.

You overhear snippets of conversation – kids excitedly recounting their favorite parts of the day, parents making promises of “next time,” and grandparents chuckling over shared memories.

It’s a reminder that places like Haunted Trails are about more than just rides and games – they’re about creating moments that will be cherished long after the last ticket has been used and the last prize has been won.

As you make your way towards the exit, you pass by the gift shop, amusingly named “The Phantom’s Flea Market.”

Inside, shelves are stocked with an eclectic mix of spooky souvenirs and quirky keepsakes.

There are t-shirts emblazoned with groan-worthy puns like “I had a skele-ton of fun at Haunted Trails!” and plush toys of cuddly versions of classic movie monsters.

You watch as a little girl clutches a stuffed werewolf to her chest, solemnly informing her amused parents that she’s naming it “Fluffy.”

It’s clear that the magic of Haunted Trails will be going home with many visitors, in one form or another.

As you finally step out of the park, the cool evening air is a refreshing contrast to the excitement of the day.

You can’t help but feel a sense of contentment, the kind that comes from a day well spent in pursuit of nothing more complicated than fun and laughter.

Haunted Trails may be themed around spooks and scares, but what it really offers is something far less scary and much more valuable – a chance for families to come together, let loose, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

In a world that can sometimes feel all too serious, Haunted Trails stands as a testament to the power of playfulness, reminding us all that it’s okay – even necessary – to embrace our silly side now and then.

So the next time you find yourself in Joliet, Illinois, why not take a detour into the delightfully spooky world of Haunted Trails?

After all, life’s too short not to spend a day pretending you’re part of the Addams Family.

For more information about operating hours, special events, and to plan your visit, be sure to check out Haunted Trails’ website and Facebook page.

And don’t forget to use this map to find your way to this wonderfully wacky world of family fun!

Where: 1423 N Broadway St, Joliet, IL 60435

Who knows?

You might just discover that you have a hidden talent for ghost golf or a unexpected knack for zombie dodging.

Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a hauntingly good time!