The Haunted History of Hell's Gate

If you ever decided to look at the haunted history of Lockport, you will certainly find no shortage. However, today we are going to delve into the mystery of what happened at Hell’s Gate Haunted House in the 1990s and why they had to close their doors in 1992, and also highlight their revamp and reopen in 2016. Featuring an outdoor forest trail and cemetery and leading into a “funeral home” ending in a Giant Slide, Hell’s Gate is said to be scarier than ever. 

Hell’s Gate Haunted House opened in 1980 on the grounds of the “Lost Souls Cemetery” in Lockport, IL. 

Before we go any further about the haunted house, it is important to learn about the history of the land. According to the Hell’s Gate Website, the cemetery was opened by Captain John Flagg Moorstone after his family died on their voyage to America. This cemetery was built on the premise that he must give proper burial and resting places to the “unwanted persons” that the state of IL had in legal custody. This cemetery replaced smaller ones located at state prisons, sanitariums, shelters for abused women, and other state run facilities. Throughout his time owning the cemetery, Moorstone became almost infatuated with the dead that he would bury and insisted on having custody of the children of those who died; which he was granted. Meaning he was granted custody of 38 children, making them wear all black and live out their childhoods at the cemetary and the home he had on the grounds. 

Several strange instances took place around “Lost Souls,” including the burial of what was thought to be a group of pagan witches. Moorstone buried them in a natural cave adjacent to the cemetery in respect of their pagan beliefs. 

Throughout the decades that the cemetery was in operation, Moorstone is rumored to have secretly buried murder victims at the request of many IIlinois governors and also employed prisoners from the Joliet Correctional Facility. The shady happenings of the cemetery do not end there. You can find even more detail on the Hell’s Gate website. 

Due to the nature of what happened at the cemetery, it is referred to as Hell’s Gate because it is said to be where people enter the gates of Hell. 

Flash forward to 1980, a group of theater students opened the haunted house to be an exact replica of the Lost Souls Cemetery and the funeral home that sat on the grounds until 1939. 

For the next 10 years, the haunted house would garner a lot of attention and success, becoming one of the scariest haunted houses in IL at the time. They even would give a “money back guarantee” if people could make it through the entire haunted house and down the giant slide that was part of the house. It was said to invoke fear, so much so, it caused a customer to have a heart attack and die. 

However, the haunted house was forced to shut its doors in 1992 after 11 employees went missing while working at the haunted house during the third week of October 1992. 

The police investigated the incident but it remains unsolved to this day, as the only testimony was pronounced “invalid” since it was given by someone who was later committed to a mental health facility due to the trauma of losing his friends. The history of the land leaves much room for speculation and theories of what happened to those 11 workers, but there is little to no information about what actually happened in 1992. 

Owner Jack Fitzpatrick never gave up, he reopened Hell’s Gate in 2016 and it has seen tremendous success since then. The haunted house was put in the Top 13 scariest haunted houses of IL in 2018 by Haunted World. It was also named the #1 haunted house in IL by Haunted House Chicago and Haunted Illinois in 2019. 

Hell’s Gate is back this year and it has expanded, according to the 2021 press release. There are new experiences and scenes on the outdoor trail, new creatures in the cemetery and new rooms inside the house itself.  Are you ready to take a trip to the beacon of hell hidden deep in the woods and explore the multi-level haunted house with secret passages and frights around every corner? Tickets and details can be found on their website. 

Haley Galvin, Realtopia Real Estate Marketing/Brand Manager