Some Halloween Haunted Houses Have Opened, But Illinois Says It's Not Allowed Under COVID-19 Restrictions
New COVID-19 rules for Halloween in Illinois mean haunted houses are getting the news that they should close down.
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New COVID-19 rules for Halloween in Illinois mean haunted houses are getting the news that they should close down.
"We are not cancelling Halloween, but we do expect to see different type of Halloween celebrations than we've seen in prior years," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday afternoon.
"It is a very different time, and I don't expect to see mass crowds out trick-or-treating like we have in years past. It's not safe for the children, it's not safe for the adults," Lightfoot said Wednesday afternoon.
The little 7-year-old girl who was shot while trick-or-treating on Halloween was home from the hospital Tuesday – and we saw her for the first time.
The boy faces two felony counts of attempted first degree murder and two felony counts of aggravated battery.
Two children were put in the hospital by gunfire in four days. Police say both were not the intended targets.
Neighbors will be visiting a family in Crete Saturday morning to deliver them candy since the children missed out on trick-or-treating due to their rare, degenerative disease.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot had a mini-me trick-or-treating on Thursday.
Snow on Halloween is not typical, but not unheard of. Snow amounting to 3.4 inches in Chicago had never happened at all – until Halloween 2019.
No, you did not fall asleep Rip Van Winkle-style and wake up in February – it is, in fact, Halloween, and a Halloween with record-setting snow for the date in Chicago.
Spooky snow and rain is predicted throughout the day with low temperatures that could affect Halloween plans.
Halloween parties and parades were canceled this year for all elementary and middle school students.
Last year on Halloween, by night's end, at least 18 vehicles were damaged in Hyde Park and it wasn't just those cars being vandalized.
As you've heard by now, some scary Halloween weather is in order for Thursday.
Here are some of the indoor Halloween activities offered throughout the Chicago area.
"I think one of the tantalizing aspects of Albright's work is that it is both enticing and repulsive at the same time. The initial response may be 'oh that's gruesome' but the enticement is how he painted them."
Trick-or-treating will be postponed in north suburban Vernon Hills this year due to a forecast that calls for snow in the area.
The goal is to make sure kids living in shelters have outfits to wear this Halloween.
Even though the word "dead" is in the Day of the Dead, it's a matter of life. It truly is about the living and those of us who remain here remembering the memory of those who are no longer here."
Animals ranging from sloths and porcupines to bears and hippos enjoyed festive pumpkin treats.
The annual "Spooky Zoo" returns on Oct. 26 in conjunction with the zoo's Fall Fest celebration.
It's the last week to visit the Botanic Garden's "Night of 1,000 Jack-O'-Lanterns."
Get into the Halloween spirit with the "Arts in the Dark" parade in The Loop this Saturday.
"Our main goal is to primarily make sure that things don't get out of control."
Nearly 1,000 pumpkins will be on display at Navy Pier during the month of October as part of the new "Pier Pumpkin Lights" program.
Organizers for Lollapalooza are helping fund the next generation of headliners.
Edgar Quero hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Sunday in the rubber game of their first crosstown series this season.
A fire at the vacant old Balmoral Park racetrack in Crete, Illinois, sent smoke billowing over several south Chicago suburbs Sunday morning.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Two people were rushed to the hospital from the scene of a fire in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood early Sunday morning.
In a move aimed at curbing the growing problem of "teen takeovers," D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is threatening to bring charges against parents if their teens violate the local curfew.
State Rep. Josh Turek and State Sen. Zach Wahls squared off Thursday over which candidate can flip Iowa's open Republican-held Senate seat, as millions in outside spending reshapes the primary's final stretch.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin say their concern is there may be more emergency exit doors than flight attendants in the event of an evacuation.
Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) is suing the city of Chicago, its inspector general's office, and the Board of Ethics, accusing them of defamation.
The Supreme Court has maintained mail access to the abortion pill mifepristone, setting aside for now a lower court order that blocked abortion providers from prescribing the widely used drug through telehealth and shipping it to patients.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
At least 80 deaths have been reported in a new Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda, authorities said.
Engineers at Northwestern University have created a wireless polygraph to detect stress.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
The Chicago-born house music track, which began as a personal poem in 1982 and became a defining anthem of the city's house music scene, has been selected for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has your 5:30 p.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Organizers and local leaders say the event was meant to highlight the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Chicago.
Meanwhile, a drone attack on a nuclear facility in the United Arab Emirates has America’s Gulf allies on edge. Olivia Rinaldi reports.
Two Navy jets collided in midair, then plummeted to the ground at the air show southwest of Boise.
The Volo Museum in Illinois got a lot of attention for a speeding ticket from New York City for “K.I.T.T.” from “Knight Rider.” Now, the talking car, or at least the actor behind it, is proclaiming its innocence.
A woman appeared in court Sunday on charges that she stabbed her 2-month-old daughter to death in a home on Chicago's Southwest Side.
One person was killed and five others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash on the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago's western suburbs early Sunday.
A fire at the vacant old Balmoral Park racetrack in Crete, Illinois, sent smoke billowing over several south Chicago suburbs Sunday morning.
Organizers for Lollapalooza are helping fund the next generation of headliners.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Pothole complaints continue everywhere, but especially on one street in the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Edgar Quero hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 on Sunday in the rubber game of their first crosstown series this season.
Murakami added his 17th homer in the fifth, a two-run shot to center off Jameson Taillon that traveled an estimated 428 feet.
Chris Brady had six saves for Chicago and has six shutouts this season.
Carson Kelly hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs stopped a five-game White Sox winning streak with a 10-5 victory over their crosstown rival.
Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
A court hearing was held Sunday for a woman charged with stabbing her 2-month-old daughter to death in a home on Chicago's Southwest Side.
A motorcyclist was found with a gunshot wound on the Eisenhower Expressway on Chicago's West Side Saturday night.
The ages of the victims range from 19 to 55, according to Chicago police.
A Davison Township police chief released body camera video showing how a senior "water wars" prank brought an officer within milliseconds of opening fire on a student.
A man was found shot to death Thursday morning in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood.