Featured Artist of the Week - Raven's Grin Inn

The Haunted Raven's Grin Inn in Mt. Carroll, IL is our Featured Artist of the Week.

Say what?  An Inn?  A Haunted Inn?  As an artist?

Well, sure, why not.  Because it's not just the building, but the Caretaker, Mr. Warfield, and any other surprise guests, wanted or unwanted, that count as the artists.

This is not, I repeat, IS NOT, a normal haunted house with scary monsters walking around jumping out at people.  It is nothing like that, do not expect that.  This is like an oddity house.

Is it haunted?  It could very well be.  Is it spooky and eerie?  Most definitely.  Is it scary?  It could be.  Do real ghosts and paranormal things occur?  Many say so.

It's hard to explain the look of the house from the outside without really ruining the experience, but there is a volkswagon beetle melded into it, it seems to have all sorts of odd shaped windows and doors, there are unusual sculptures and beings and things to behold, it's something to stand back and absorb. 

But, then, you meet the Caretaker, Mr. Warfield, and he's just as difficult to describe as the house!!  He's eccentric, spooky, funny, odd, hard to figure out, and definitely eerie.

While trying to figure out the Caretaker, one is seated in the parlor, and parlor is equally as hard to describe - and figure out - as the Inn exterior and Mr. Warfield himself.  Again with surprises lurking everywhere and oddities and spooky oddities and even some down right scary oddities strewn throughout the room - from floor to ceiling - LITERALLY.  This room is hard to absorb and digest as there is so much to see - and so much to experience.

The Caretaker begins the tour with some rather unique stories, some funny, some confusing, some downright scary, some befuddling, and definitely some that make you go "hmmm?"  Are they true?  Possibly.  Are they scary?  Possibly.  Are they all a figment of the unusual mind of the Caretaker?  Could be?  Is the house itself an entity?  Highly possible.

After some story telling, the tour then moves through the house.  Some of the house is exactly what you'd expect, remnants of an old hotel, an old restaurant, and an old B&B..........but a very odd and disturbing and creepy old place for sure.  And then other parts of the house are definitely NOT what you'd EVER expect inside a house - EVER.

The tour goes from the main floor up a flight (or two), down a flight (or two or three), into a labyrinth of tunnels out of some Texas Chainsaw or Wrong Turn movie, and eventually outside.......and then back inside.  When you leave the house, you can't quite figure out where you've been or how you got there.

This is a house of oddities - and potentially a legitimate haunted house.

The tour takes anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours depending on the tour size and how things are going with the tour group, and the Caretaker, who seems to just sort of ad-lib the entire adventure.  And I think adventure is the right word for it.

I really can't give a detailed review because that would simply ruin the experience completely.

But, what I can tell you is, this is NOT the typical Halloween haunted house with people just dressed up and making noises.  This is, more cerebral, this is the type that gets freaky and eerie when you think about it - and when you absorb your surroundings.  When it's all in your mind!!!!

Mt. Carroll is in the NW corner of Illinois.  The house is not hard to find with GPS coordinates - plus the webpage provides some directions.  It is behind some businesses, so you have to watch for it - but it's not hidden.

Like anything spooky - the best times to go are off-season.  But, going in October is perfectly fine as well.

My only 3 recommendations are :

1) go with friends
2) do NOT expect a typical Halloween jump-out and scare house - it's not that, and it doesn't claim to be
3) if you happen to know someone from that area, asked them about the lore beforehand as well

Link - http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com/RGI/index.html