The best thing about this haunted house was the line was the shortest…read more It was pretty ok. There weren't many actors in the space. The props were really good though. We did get a good scare right at the end by an actor but that was about it. Since it is so crowded that even though they space you out at the beginning...you end up walking in a complete single file line which takes the scare factor away as well. I'd recommend this house if you have time at the park but not if only have enough time for one or two.

In short: if you're at Six Flags with kids, it's safe to bring them in here…read more I don't mean for this review to be mean, but after paying $35 on top of a full-priced Six Flags ticket and hanging out in 38-degree weather for 45 minutes to get in, I want to be scared, please! :) I went to this particular haunted house at Fright Fest years ago and remembered it being absolutely terrifying, so when I visited this weekend, I was truly ecstatic to step back into the Massacre Medical Center to get freaked the hell out. I'll start with the fabulous things about this space, which are the aesthetics: the decorations are absolutely on point, and the whole place really looks like a hospital-turned-asylum, which is a really intriguing concept. Unfortunately, there are more negatives than positives: There were probably 7-8 scarers in the whole haunted house, and the scariest thing they did was burn everyone's eardrums by wailing. Six Flags Fright Fest is so expensive and freezing, and everyone's waiting in line for so long, so it's sad to experience a cheap walkthrough where people are just screaming and breathing deeply from behind a railing. However, if you have children, this is a good experience for them, because they most likely won't be too terrified of it.

Definitely scary. Lines are nuts, but they move pretty fast. Too scary for me... wouldn't go again,…read morebut it was an interesting experience for sure.

The atmosphere was cool and the decorations were very detailed but overall it was not too scary. If…read moreyou are in the front of the group you will most likely get more jump scares, the back didn't get much at all. They send in big groups at a time and there were moments where we were standing still. There were many parts where the walkway was very skinny. Lastly, after we got through the first two houses we had to stand in line AGAIN to get into the last haunted house. Overall, had a good time but I don't think it's worth $40.

This was my favorite Haunted House at Fright Fest, but know it was not a maze at all…read more The rooms had mannequins and actors and you didn't know which was which until someone popped out to scare the crap out of you. There was a room filled with porcelain dolls that probably would have made my grandma cry because you know they are "worth something". This was the first time I have see dolls used in a haunted house and I LOVED it!

The quality of this haunted house at Six Flags Fright Fest 2018 is definitely higher than any of…read morethe others, and I wonder if it's because this one's budget was probably backed a bit by CBS/Lionsgate, if not entirely. I have to admit, I have no interest in seeing this movie (sorry!) but this haunted house, advertised as a "maze," was intriguing. We waited in line for probably an hour, maybe an hour and a half, in 38-degree weather, because we were THAT interested. It was definitely worth the wait, because visually, this is probably all I'd ever want to see in a haunted house: rooms where I'm not sure if the characters I see are actors or mannequins until someone jumps out, gorgeous decorations from floor to ceiling, and even a full-on creepy doll-themed room: I'll TAKE IT. I'm a big fan of haunted houses, though, so I was a little disappointed when the word "maze" was plastered over all of the advertising for this throughout the park, but there wasn't anything that really made it a maze. Otherwise, if you're going to wait in line for a haunted house at Six Flags Great America's Fright Fest this year, this would be my top choice! I assume it won't be here next year because this is pretty much a full-on ad for a movie that just came out that will most likely not do well (again, SORRY, but... yeah). So if you're at the park, it's worth the wait!

There is no bad seat in the house. The quality of the productions is always good, and the prices…read moreare reasonable.

My friend surprised me with tickets to see Ruthless! at the Citadel Theatre, and I didn't even know…read morethis hidden gem existed! There was ample parking when we arrived, and the entrance to the theatre was clearly marked. We were immediately greeted by a gentleman at the ticket counter who was absolutely wonderful. I wish I had remembered his name--he was so warm and welcoming and made us feel genuinely happy to be there. The seats were very comfortable, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of legroom. I really appreciated not feeling cramped, as I often do in many other theatres. The live music, lighting, sound, acting, and singing were all top-notch. I was incredibly impressed by my experience here and can't wait to return for another show!

Not a bad festival if you're in the neighborhood. It's quiet and peaceful compared to the ones in…read moreChicago so that is nice. I wish they would've put the carnival part with the food together. They had them on separate side of the train tracks which made it confusing even though they had signage glinting to the food and drinks. I think it would make it easier to have fun with friends and keeping an eye on the kids while they play.

I just had my first Ragdale visit. Nestled among some of the North Shore's most spectacular…read morearchitecturally significant homes, when I pulled into the entrance I knew this was no Girl Scout's away camp. The Ragdale grounds make up 50 acres of open prairie and gardens with charming buildings and houses that have been donated and converted specifically for the purpose of hosting creatives of the highest caliber. Meeting a friend in residence for lunch, I waited in the Barnhouse while she finished up the leg of her giant ant sculpture. There was an eerie yet peaceful quietness throughout all of Ragdale - a respect for those working on their next planned masterpiece. After lunch we toured the grounds where I saw a broken giant's necklace sculpture in the breathtaking gardens, and peered into the window of the Friend's Studio accommodating a grand piano and dance space. We toured the main floor of the beautifully restored historic Ragdale House, then traveled on foot through the grasslands to a tucked away prairie art studio for a view of her ant sculpture in the making. Ragdale is most known for its art and writing residency programs, but they also offer workshops and classes for young students, special events, and public architectural tours. If you haven't yet discovered this hidden gem, you can visit their website (www.ragdale.org) for the next public tour. I assure you it's an experience you won't forget.

I have to write a shout out right away to Angela for the VIP tickets!! Thank you again, Angela!! We…read morehad a great time at the festival!!! It was a gorgeous day for drinking beer!!! Sun shining, not too hot and not a cloud in the sky!!! Everts park is also a TERRIFIC little park for hosting festivals, as I have now been to Inferno Fest in addition to the Craft Beer Fest. The circular layout is PERFECT for making sure you don't miss anything, and the little gazebo in the middle with an acoustic band jamming some classics...just blissful!! My friend and I arrived at 11:45AM b/c the VIP ticket entry was an hour earlier (12pm) than regular admission.....excellent, right? Well, one small issue is that when the gates opened and we walked around, about half the vendors were still setting up and told us the beer they had wasn't cold yet :-( bummer. So we walked around to the tents that were set up and ready and proceeded to drink!!! The quality of vendors at the event was AWESOME!! As mentioned by Michael and Ashley, Two Brothers was there as well as Bells, Oskar Blues, Rogue, Allagash, Lake Bluff Brewing Co., Lagunitas, Stone, Central Waters, Ale Syndicate,Goose Island and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting. As far as variety goes though, mostly ALL the beer that was served at the festival was common and widely available everywhere in the Chicagoland area. My oh my have the times changed!! I remember around 2003 when Fat Tire first came to Chicago in those big half liter bottles....it was the biggest and best thing around!!! Now, if you're not serving high quality craft beers at your restaurant/bar or selling it at your liquor store, you're WAY behind the times. So, take for instance Bells....I was so stoked to see what kind of new or rare beers they were going to bring to the fest...but I was a bit disappointed to see that they were only serving up the Two Hearted Ale and a heavier stout. I mean, nowadays you can get the Two Hearted Ale just about ANYWHERE. I want to say that the only beers I had not tried that were at the festival was the Oskar Blues Imperial Ale and the Allagash Curieux, an 11% Tripel Ale that was aged in Jim Beam barrels....Holy Cow this one really went straight to the dome and was more like a full beer's worth rather than a 3 oz sampler. Oh and there was a Root Beer, Beer that I found to be quite good considering I don't normally like to venture out of the norm. One last thing, and it's not a complaint. But, a couple times I forgot to put a ticket into the vendor box after receiving a sample. In fact, towards the end, I was making sure to put a ticket in for each sample in order to try and keep track of my drinks.....definitely not a bad thing, but from the vendor's perspective for next year, they should try and make sure people are honest by collecting a ticket each time. I gotta say that, even for a seasoned craft beer drinking pro like myself, using all 25 tickets was NOT an easy task. I just hope no one at the fest overdid it, because I know for a fact I went home and took a little cat nap on my porch swing and watched the sun go down :-) Can't wait to check out the Highwood Craft Beer Fest next year!!! What a great event!!!

My fiancé and I volunteered for the festival and couldn't be happier with our decision. We arrived…read moreat 10am and helped set up the festival: set up chairs, hung signs, stuffed VIP lanyards, etc. Around noon, when the gates were opened to the VIPs, we told the director we wanted to pour beer for any brewery who didn't have their own pourers. Well, the beer heavens smiled upon us, because we ended up pouring for Two Brothers Beer all day! The festival was so much fun, there was a great turn out, as well as some delicious beer and food (Bridie McKennas!). We made a new friend as well, Max from Finch's Brewery. It was a lot of fun pouring beer for all of the festival goers, but even more fun sampling all the beers for ourselves!

My husband and I felt this was an excellent production of one of my favorite musicals, "The Sound…read moreof Music." The singing, acting, costumes, set design and choreography were outstanding! Thank you for a wonderful time!!

Haylofters. What to even say about this theatrical establishment. As a teenage actor back in the…read moreday this place was almost like a second home to me. Since moving acting was not the same for me and I eventually retired after high school from theater acting. Such a strong sense of community and bonding that I'd never forget. Somewhere in there storage is my name on the set piece from my time acting in plays here. I haven't lived in Wisconsin for over 10 years, but for sure before I die I want to stay a few months in these lands again while being in one final show on this sacred stage. P.S. the theater is haunted. But not malicious. The costume storage lead into the tunnel systems. Honestly this building should be historical landmark.