Spook Hollow
Entrance to Spook Hollow, October 2023
StatusActive
GenreHaunted event
Date(s)October 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28
FrequencyAnnually, October
VenueIndependence Park, 613 Lasalle Blvd, Marquette Heights, IL 61554
Location(s)Marquette Heights, Illinois
Coordinates40°37′23.36″N 89°35′59.41″W / 40.6231556°N 89.5998361°W / 40.6231556; -89.5998361
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1979 (1979)
FounderMarquette Heights Men’s Club (MHMC)
AttendanceMore than 10,000 per year
Filing status501(c)3 not-for-profit agency (EIN 47-4469639)
Websitespook-hollow.com

Spook Hollow is an annual haunted event held at Marquette Heights, Illinois to celebrate Halloween.[1] The six day event runs the last three weekends of October.[2]

History

Spook Hollow began in 1979. WCBU reported that Spook Hollow started as a free activity for employees laid off from Caterpillar.[3] The Peoria Journal Star reported that it was initially called "Spooky Hollow", a post-Little League activity on a woodsy path near the baseball fields.[4]

It is hosted by the Marquette Heights Men's Club of Central Illinois (MHMCCI), a non-profit group.[5][6] All funds raised from the event are donated back to the community, such as local police, fire departments, local scout groups, city library, food pantries, and scholarships.[3][5][7] The group estimates it invests between $50,000 and $100,000 per year back into the community.[2]

In 2017, the group donated a Ford Utility Police Interceptor SUV to the Marquette Heights police department.[7] The SUV features the Spook Hollow logo as a decal on its hood and rear.[7][4] At the time, the $44,352 donation was the largest single donation the men's club had ever done.[7]

The event runs for six nights during the last three weekends of October. Ticket gates are open from 6:30pm to 11pm, but the event remains open until the "until the last person makes it through".[1][8] The event has approximately 200 volunteers including actors, makeup artists, and support staff.[2] The event draws over 10,000 people each year.[4][7]

The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[2] but resumed in 2021.[9]

Attractions

Spook Hollow claims to be the longest running "Outdoor Haunted Attraction" in Illinois.[1][3][10] The event is not recommended for children under 13, but staff will allow all ages to enter.[1][11][12] Participants gain access to all three events for one admission price.[11] Attractions change yearly with different themes, details, props, and layouts, but the overall event structure of the manor, trail, and industrial factory have remained the same.[4] The tour takes about an hour.[4] As of 2023, general admission is $30 and a speed pass is available for $45.[1]

M.C. Manor

The narrative for this attraction is that an old man named Montgomery Crescent, or M.C., lives in a rundown mansion. M.C. is named after the Men's Club.[4]

Spook Hollow Trail

A haunted trail attraction loops through the woods of Independence Park.[10]

M.C. Nightmare

This industrial themed haunt was added in 2013.[10] Independence Park is the site of an old coal mine, and the narrative of the attraction weaves in the name of the real historic Crescent Coal Company.[1][10][13]

Awards

  • Scare Factor 2010 - Must-See Haunts, #2 in Illinois[1]
  • Scare Factor 2017 - #13 in the U.S.[1][14]
  • Haunted Illinois 2018 - Top Ten Haunted House[1]
  • Haunted Illinois 2021 - #3 Top Ten Haunted House[1]
  • Haunted Illinois 2021 - Top Ten Halloween Event[1]
  • “Level 2” certification - Illinois Ghost Seekers Society[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Spook Hollow". spook-hollow.com. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Darronté (2020-09-21). "Spook Hollow Haunted House canceled this year, expected to return in 2021". CIProud.com. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  3. 1 2 3 Holtz, Jody (2021-10-21). "Spook Hollow returns to Marquette Heights for another spooky Halloween season". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bruch, Thomas (2017-10-11). "Spooks and frights galore at Spook Hollow, the haunt of Marquette Heights". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  5. 1 2 "Home". www.mhmcci.com. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  6. ↑ "Marquette Heights Mens Club Of Central Illinois - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Kravetz, Andy (2017-03-23). "Marquette Heights Men's Club donates SUV to Police Department". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  8. ↑ "Spook Hollow 2016". CIProud.com. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  9. ↑ Kate, Annie (2021-10-14). "As Halloween looms closer, famous attraction 'Spook Hollow' prepares for record numbers". CIProud.com. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Bibb, Liz (2014-10-05). "Longest-running outdoor haunted attraction in Illinois kicks off 35th year in Marquette Heights". Pekin Daily Times. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  11. 1 2 "Spook Hollow". Enjoy Illinois. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  12. ↑ Strahan, Maggie (2022-09-30). "Haunted locations to visit in Central Illinois this fall". CIProud.com. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  13. ↑ Stratton, Christopher (2004-06-01). "LLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ABANDONED MINED LANDS RECLAMATION CULTURAL RESOURCES EVALUATION: CRESCENT COAL COMPANY MINE NO. 2 (GROVELAND COAL COMPANY MINE NO. 2) CREVE COEUR, TAZEWELL COUNTY, ILLINOIS" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-10-13.
  14. ↑ Vlahos, Nick (2017-09-13). "Nick in the AM: Marquette Heights haunted house rated as Illinois' best". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved 2023-10-13.
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