I haven’t gone to a haunted house in probably almost ten years, and was hesitant when my sister suggested that we head up to Dungeon of Doom at the Lake County Fairgrounds. Sure, they were great fun and really scary when I was 10, but I became way too cynical and disenchanted as a teenager. They were all the same, pulled the same tricks, and got more giggles than screams out of me. But I went anyway, knowing it would probably be a waste of my $10.

Dungeon of Doom is no lame-ass haunted house. The line is ridiculously long, but they keep you occupied with creepy demons that sneak up with you in line and some great props along the way. The haunted house itself is a great huge maze and takes at least 15 minutes to walk through. Even with my snotty attitude, they got at least 3 good screams out of me. Some of the rooms have very graphic setups, so I wouldn’t recommend bringing any little ones along. We brought our 10-year-old sister along, which I might not have done had I known. But she didn’t really understand the content of the more gruesome rooms and still had a good scary time. I don’t want to give anything away, but the very last room is awesome. A very cool psychological scare.

It’s a bit pricey at $10, and is quite a haul if heading out there from the city (we were already in the burbs for my dad’s birthday) but I still think it is worth the trip.