Amlings Flowerland, located at 8900 W. North Ave. in Melrose Park, - TopicsExpress

Amlings Flowerland, located at 8900 W. North Ave. in Melrose Park, was the home of the oldest & most popular haunted house in the entire Chicagoland area. When it first opened in 1950, it actually was a haunted pirate ship, & was later changed to a haunted house. The haunted house would open in late September and people would line up every night through Halloween. Thousands of patrons braved the house to experience gruesome displays, shrieks & howls, witches & ghouls. Also, hidden in the house, were live spooks, poised to spring at unsuspecting visitors. One of the more memorable freights was a gorilla that would lunge at people as they walked by his cage. After making it through the house, visitors were rewarded with a Amlings Brave Heart Award pin. Amlings Flowerland also featured during the month of October, carnival & stagecoach rides. For sale Inside the store were Halloween costumes, & decorations, including pumpkins to carve, or ones already decorated, eerily similar to those sold at Tom Naples Fruit Stand. Food & Hot cider was also available, to help stay warm on those cool Fall evenings. Amlings Haunted House closed in the late 80s, due to the extremely high cost of insuring the attraction.