New Path, Theme at Lions Club's Haunted Woods

The Orland Park Lions Club have once again raised the bar on their Halloween Haunted Woods.

"The house is an abandoned factory, and the woods are the nearby town," said Lions Club member Jen Wlodarski, who headed up building this year's haunt. "A lot of has been moved around to startle people in different places. So it'll feel similar in areas, but we want people to not expect the same things."

The haunt takes place in the woods just south of the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 LaGrange Road. Tickets are $12, with $2 off for bringing a can of food. The haunt runs 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the last tickets sold at 10 p.m. Children 5 and under can go through for free if accompanied by a ticketed adult.

On Saturday from 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m., a "Trick or Treat" walk through the haunt will be held that us more child-friendly.

A $17 VIP ticket will be available for people who would like less of a wait in line.

The Haunted Woods is an all-volunteer effort with proceeds going right back to people in need in the community, and has been a tradition in the village for 23 years. The effort has spawned a production company called Prepared to Scare Productions.

Ideas are gathered throughout the year to make the haunt unique for each Halloween.

"The response has been awesome," Wlodarski said. "We've had two awesome weekends. This one is usually our busiest so we hope it stays true to form."

Volunteers come from within Lions Club, scout troops and area high schools to make the haunt happen.

"They really kicked it up this year," Wlodarski said about the volunteers. "They show up in make and costumes ready to go. Some have figured out how to put pins and zippers on the face. It's really impressive this year.

Find out more about Haunted Woods online.

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