Region's haunted houses planning scares, gallons of blood

Evil clowns, demented doctors, glowering slashers, escaped lunatics and chainsaw-wielding maniacs lurk in the shadows, waiting to pop out.

Northwest Indiana's haunted houses are again packing in fright-seekers who wander through dimly lit hallways in the hope of shudders, shivers and scares.

Haunted Hills Haunted Attractions in Merrillville, the Haunted Forest in Cedar Lake and Criminally Insane in Crown Point are among the haunted houses springing up this Halloween season to offer Region residents some eerie atmosphere and frightful thrills. They draw long lines, collectively employ hundreds of seasonal workers and attract Halloween enthusiasts from across Chicagoland.

The Haunted Forest

The Haunted Forest, which opens Friday, is handing out ponchos this year because of all the fake b