Pennywise Pranks Kids At Mr. Krickl's Halloween Garage Haunt

OAK LAWN, IL —Is this “It” for Billy Krickl’s haunted garage on Halloween? For 18 years Mr. Krickl has stuffed his garage with hay bales, recreated mini-worlds based on teen slasher movies and made kids work for their candy by scaring the snot out of trick-or-treaters. And while the weather on Halloween looks like it’s going to be frightful, that’s never stopped the neighborhood kids before — hundreds in fact — from visiting Mr. Kickl’s hanted garage in rain and snow.

Mr. Krickl claims to be running out of ideas to punk the neighborhood youngsters on Halloween. He welcomes ideas for new tricks. He’s handed the reins over to his son, Andy, a junior at Richards High School. Andy has cooked up a scheme for this year’s haunt. We won’t give it away, but it involves 150 red pool noodles. Michael Myers will be lurking around, as well as Pennywise from It.

“My son put in a specialty order for the actual costume and mask,” Mr. Krickl says. “It looks just like the movie.”

Last year Mr. Krikl’s haunted garage drew 1,000 trick-or-treaters. This one-day-only yard haunt will be open from 3 to 8 p.m. on Halloween at 10520 S. Kildare Ave, Oak Lawn. Older teens won't find it scary, but youngsters brave enough to battle their way through pool noodles while being harassed by Pennywise will be rewarded with some candy from Michael Myers. This is definitely worth driving your kids over.

Also, Mr. Krickl will be accepting at-will donations for Park Lawn, where his youngest son, Henry, participates in programs. Mr. Krickl will personally match all donations.