Spirits on Sproat wraps up its 20th anniversary year in monstrous fashion

Darkness falls across the land--the midnight hour is close at hand, which signals the end of the Halloween season and the conclusion of Spirits on Sproat's fantastic 20th anniversary. Thanks to everyone who visited our haunt and wished us well this October. We were open a record 23 nights (with no rainouts--the first season that's ever happened for us) and had a blast sharing our Halloween spirit with you all. 

There's still one night left to experience the awesomeness that is Spirits on Sproat. C'mon out tonight (we'll be open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and celebrate All Hallows Eve with us as we draw the curtain on another great year as Chicagoland's favorite Halloween house. 

As is tradition, here is our official Spirits on Sproat video for 2024. Enjoy!

Meet the Grim Reaper

Not to be confused with The Angel of Death (who's flying around in our backyard somewhere and also covering his skull face with a black hood), The Grim Reaper likes to look about with flashing eyes and scope out the scene. Don't let your eyes meet, however – he might just harvest your soul prematurely. Here are some more interesting tidbits about this dude:

• Movie appearances: “Monty Python’s Meaning of Life,” “The Seventh Seal,” “Transformers 15” (the one where everybody finally dies thanks to his uncredited cameo)
• Nickname: Scythe for sore eyes, Mr. Buzzkill
• Secret wish: That the average human lifespan was at least 50 years longer (his feet are killing him)

Meet Patchy the plundering pirate

Ahoy, ye mateys and say hello to Spirits on Sproat's newest member of the skeleton crew, Patchy the plundering pirate, who hit the jackpot without ever playing the lottery. Patchy facts:

• Favorite Vegas casino: Treasure Island
• Favorite restaurant: Long John Silver’s
• Favorite game: Spin the bottle
• Personal heroes: Captain Hook, Blackbeard, Jack Sparrow, Nick Fury 
• Arch enemy: Whoever invented Bitcoin

Meet Cooper the Stormtrooper

He got demoted to private by The Emperor, but with enough licking of Vader's boots and by doing some extra droid patrols, Cooper the Stormtrooper should be back in command of his troops soon. Visit Spirits on Sproat and give him the salute this October. The 411 on Cooper? Read on:

• Catch-phrases: Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner, these aren’t the droids we’re looking for
• Secret shame: Always wears white after Labor Day
• Suffers from: Bad aim, no front fly
• Expected lifespan: About six seconds in any Star Wars movie

Spirits on Sproat featured in new Chicago Tribune article

The Chicago Tribune spotlighted Spirits on Sproat today in a nice writeup by journalist Jessi Virtusio. Click here to read the story.

Meet Moe, Larry & Curly the clown trio

These clowns stand head and shoulders above nearly everyone else yet by themselves they're pint-sized Bozos. They're not going to pass the audition at Second City anytime soon, but they've got a few comedy bits up their sleeves if you listen to them closely. Here's the fine print on Moe, Larry & Curly, Spirits on Sproat's latest circus freaks:

• Nickname: The bozo totem pole
• Favorite games: Whac-a-mole, pull my finger, Poke-eye-mon
• Voted in high school: Worst class clowns
• Proudest moment: Winning the world chicken fight championship in 1967
• Favorite Band: Iggy Pop and the Stooges

Meet Dead Ned the Dullahan Knight

This galloping ghost escaped from Medieval Times and trotted his hellish steed straight over to Spirits on Sproat, where we can't seem to get rid of him. Dead Ned likes to taunt the crowd with his terrifying monologues, but we wish he'd just go back to reciting Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet (look it up). Common knowledge about Dead Ned includes the following:

• Often confused with: The headless horseman, Ghost Rider, zombie Paul Revere
• Sick of his mom telling him: Calm down—don’t lose your head
• Little-known fact: Once bowled a perfect game rolling his skull
• Hates: The Kentucky Derby after being disqualified for lacking a pulse

Meet Oakley the angry apple tree

He could've been a starting pitcher for the Cubs. Instead, the Wicked Witch of the West planted him forever in a haunted forest. But he got pretty good at throwing apples at passersby. So on your way to Oz (or Spirits on Sproat), don't crowd the plate or tick Oakley off, or you could get beaned by a big red delicious. Eager to discover more about Oakley? Chew on these tidbits:

• Claim to fame: Throwing apples at Dorothy & friends in The Wizard of Oz
• Bet you didn’t know: His cousin Elmwood was the evil tree in Poltergeist
• Horror movie he’s most scared of: Saw
• Catch-phrases: “I’m tree-mendously pissed off,” “Leaf me the hell alone,”      “How do ’ya like them apples?”

Killy Idle

Every musical group worth its salt needs a good ivory tickler, even a punk metal band like The Reapers, our in-house band of bone-men. Spirits on Sproat is proud to present the Granny-winning artist Killy Idle, keyboard player extraordinaire and one fiendish fashionista. Here are the vitals on Killy:

• Better known as: Thrice dead keyboard player in The Reapers punk metal band
• Can’t stand: Brown M&Ms, demanding groupies, roadies from hell, Bon Jovi
• Cause of death: Overdosed on red hair dye
• Catch-phrase: Play it again, Samhain

Spirits on Sproat now open every night through Oct. 31

Chicagoland's favorite Halloween house is now open every evening through Halloween: 14 straight nights. So make your plans for a first or repeat visit to Spirits on Sproat any date between tonight and Oct. 31.

Our hours are 7-11 p.m. Fridays, Saturday, and Oct. 31. All other nights we'll be open 7-10 p.m. (weather permitting)

A reminder to post your videos and photos of your visit to Spirits on Sproat across Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and social media, and remember to tag them (use the hashtag #spiritsonsproat or @ tag @spiritsonsproat). We'll award two Fast Pass tickets to Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn to the best video posted by Oct. 25.

We also still have Spirits on Sproat T-shirts and posters for sale and tickets to Midnight Terror available. And two of our full-size props (Frankenstein and the Grim Reaper) are also available for purchase at discounted prices. 

Michael and Jason can't wait to see you and your brood at Spirits on Sproat!

Meet Gus the legless ghoul

At Spirits on Sproat, we're all about supporting the differently abled. So when Gus the legless ghoul crawled over to our lawn, we gave him a big thumbs up. But we warned him not to keep stealing gravestones or he'd have to go. Want to learn more about Gus? Read on.

• Famous for: Breaking new ground, trying to steal headstones that are too heavy for him
• Nickname: Cletus the slack-jawed yokel
• Dirty little secret: Got kicked out of his nursing home for wearing no pants
• Favorite song: Round and Round by Ratt