Thread: My Trip to the Raven’s Grin Inn.

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My Trip to the Raven’s Grin Inn. By Doug Buerkle

Let me first say that everyone should take any opportunity to visit Gym Whourlfeld at the Raven’s Grin Inn. It was a fantastic experience.

Let’s start with the back story.
I had to make a rare trip for work from the Philadelphia area to Janesville WI. While looking at online maps to figure out where I was going it struck me that the Raven’s Grin Inn was somewhere near Chicago and I should consider making a side trip to the Inn. I found the address for the Inn, ran an online map, and it was listed as two hours from Janesville. Considering that four hours of travel and 1 to 1-1/2 hour tour was a tall order after working a 9 to 5 shift at the Customers site, I posted a message on the board looking for other haunter’s comments about the Inn to determine if it was worth the trip. The responses, although limited, indicated it would be a worthwhile trip. I printed some driving directions in preparation and also received personal directions from Gym on the forum.

My trip to Janesville started with my departing flight being delayed by four hours and I arrived at the hotel at 2 AM. When the alarm rang at 7 AM I prepared for a long day working with the customer. I was expecting the day to end by 6 PM and was surprised when the customer decided to call it a day just before 4 PM. It was at that moment the idea hit me that I could go to the hotel and get one hour sleep, wake up at 5:15, get a 60 mile per hour meal and make the two hour trip to Raven’s Grin Inn and arrive there by 7:30 PM, take the 1-1/2 hour tour, make the two hour drive back to the hotel and get back to sleep before midnight. It is decided I am off to the Inn.

The driving directions could have read “make a left at the boonies and continue on to nowhere and then make a right at the middle section and drive another 7 miles”. As I made my way through Mt Carroll I observed a sleepy little town surrounded by corn fields and farms located in the back country of Illinois. As I turned on to Market Street, a brick lined road and drove past the row of small brick front stores I was reminded of a scene from “Back to the Future”. I noticed a small “Haunted House” sign on the side of one of the buildings and made the turn. As I rounded the back of the building there was a pterodactyl on the side of a building bathed in red and blue spot lights. I proceeded onward to the front of the Inn.

The Inn is a large old building with a mass of naked vines around it, quite an imposing building. As I exited the car I was confronted by an array of strange Raven’s Grin automobiles located in front of the Inn. Mr. Tuxedo was there driving in his small go-cart size car and the famous silver tank. Alone and on a dark and cold night I approached the door and rang the door bell, I didn’t hear anything so I waited a minute and rang the bell again even though the sign on the door indicated that one ring would be enough.
As I waited for some sign of life I noticed a taxi cab door attached to the wall next to the door of the house. Suddenly the window of the cab lowered and a head appeared in the window, I said “you must be Gym Whourlfeld” and then introduced myself as Doug B and indicated that I was a member of the Halloween Forum. Gym and I talked for a moment then I paid the admission and my tour began.

As the front door opened downward like a drawbridge on a castle I realized that this was not going to be like any Haunted House I had previously visited. I was led into the living room and asked to sit on the couch. The room is dimly lit with only the light of an adjoining room filtering past a door that is ajar. There are unusual items and strange creatures throughout the room. Gym proceeded to tell the story of the Haunted Raven’s Grin Inn and explained the history, haunting experiences and his personal strange experiences. Gym is a Master Storyteller and he delivers the story with a unique cadence. He further embellishes his story with the use of a small flashlight to point out objects from the dark room and to illuminate himself at key points resulting in a great startle scare. Gym’s levitation trick is awesome. Prior to moving on he showed me some of the workings of the room. I was impressed with his unique props and inventive prop controls.

Moving on to the kitchen that is filled with more strange creatures, a set of skeleton legs hanging from the ceiling, an array of latex masks and a shrine to Mr. Tuxedo. This room has a haunted sink, strange refrigerator, a great startle scare and Gym looks for volunteers for a body part reduction skit. My luck I was the only one in the room! I am such a chicken when it comes to holding still for something to happen and that fit right in to the motif of the room.

Onward to the second floor, Gym went ahead to “turn stuff on”, yea right. It didn’t take him long to get me with one of his startle scares. We continued on through the other rooms past the tanning booth and the haunted couch. The couch had the night off but I got to see the inner working and was impressed with the simplicity and audacity of the prop. We continued up to the third floor cupola for a look out the window at the cemetery, then downstairs to the outdoor section. This is almost like a maze. Gym got me again, and then there was the old spook mobile on display, quite creepy. Through the Whourlfeld crypt and more maze like passages to the back of a Hearse sticking out of a wall, Gym got me again. Into the back of the Hearse and through a tunnel to another walkway that leads back indoors. I head onward through more passages and rooms, Gym got me another two times. The war memorial room was unique.

Ultimately we ended up in the back corner of the Inn at Mr. Tuxedos room, then the model room and haunted bathroom and finally to the Elvis room and the “Bed of Death”. As I listened to the instructions I knew I was in for a wild ride but decided to go for it anyway. My honest reaction at the end of the slide was “Holy F****n S***”! Gym hollered down “You Ok?” I wondered if I had actually spoken the words. I answered that I was ok and Gym responded that he would be down in a minute.
I found myself lying on the slide in a pitch black room where I couldn’t even see my hand. I remembered that I had my cell phone and the screen makes a good night light. I opened the phone and used it as a flashlight. Had there been someone hiding in the darkness and they said “Boo” I would have wet my pants. My hand triggered a motion sensor and a light came on and I got a good look around at the haunted Wine Cellar. Any haunted house would kill to have a room like this. It is a real stone arch room around 16 feet wide and 25 feet long with the arch about 14 feet high. The room is a dirty brown color and is cold and musty with a hint of wetness; everything you expect in a dungeon. The light went out and I quickly waved my hand to get the motion sensor to detect me again. I am not going to hang out in this room with the lights out. Gym finally arrived and explained some of the haunting sightings and experiences people have had in the wine cellar.

We continued up the stairs and into the basement level of the Inn where Gym pointed out some of his current construction projects. One project, digging out a crawl space with a shovel and wheelbarrow, makes me think that Gym has superhuman abilities. Gym took me to an area where he had several costumes and art pieces on display as part of the tour. I realized that this was more than just a haunted house it was also a Halloween Museum featuring the unusual art work of Gym Whourlfeld. Gym ran ahead again as he had did many times before and I followed. In a long tunnel Gym got me again with the Mr. Tuxedo scare. We made our way to the end of the haunt where we talked for several minutes. I was a bit sad that the tour had reached its end but was impressed with the quantity and quality of the tour. Gym indicated that he had three additional victims waiting to tour the house so I thought it best to be on my way. As I made my way back to the front of the Inn I passed the victims, two twenty something guys and one girl. I offered that Gym was on his way and the wait would be worth it. There reply was they knew as they had been there before.

I got into my rental car to make the trip back to Janesville and looked at the time it was 11 PM, my Personal Tour had taken three hours! I guess that I received the Halloween Forum Member tour, Thanks Gym! I won’t get to the hotel till 1 AM and have to awake at 6:30 so it will be another long day tomorrow but I think it was worth it.
Over the next two hours I thought about my experience and the person I had met. Gym’s creative visions are only surpassed by his artistic abilities. Gym Whourlfeld is living the dream. He lives in and runs a year round haunted house. While Gym will not likely be able to afford a private plane on what he earns from the Raven’s Grin Inn he appears to be making a living doing what he loves, I envy Gym.

I regret that I live so far away from Mt Carroll as I think that I would enjoy hanging out with Gym and helping with the Raven’s Grin Inn.

I am looking forward to my next trip to the Haunted Raven’s Grin Inn.

Wow, that's a great story! The more I hear, the more I want to go. We are going up near Janesville (to the Wisconsin Dells) for a three day weekend after Thanksgiving. Man, if I could only talk Mr. We'en & the kids into a side trip to Gym's...

OH I just loved reading this!!!! Its just great! Doug... what a wonderful reporter and writer you turned out to be! Really well written! What in the world did you do in there for 3 HOURS??!!!! lol


Oh BOY now I really can't wait to make a trip home!!!! Gotta keep this all from the Chi-town family so they will be surprised when we go!!

Mistress Muffy

Oooh Oooh, I wanna goooooooo!!!

Doug- thanks for the great review! You really gave a feel for Gym's haunt without ruining any of the surprises.

Some day I hope to make it there!

Great story Doug B.! For those of us that aren't so familiar with Gym's haunt, could you explain what a Mr Tuxedo scare is? And more about the slide.

MsM

Really seems like an exciting experience to visit him. Great story, add's to my visions of his place. Im happy u were able to get to visit. I really wish I could go someday.

AUG!! so close but yet so far! I didn't read most of your post. Stopped reading right when you said you paid admission. I don't want to know anything about the place cuz I got to go see it. He's only about 8 hours form where I am. Going to have to make arrangements to stay at a hotel so I wont be razzed form the trip. Totally awesome you got to see the place Doug B. I've only heard good things about Gym's place. It may be a year or two yet but I'll make it there.

Wow, what a great review. I could never quite envision what Gym's place looked like but now I have a much better idea. Thanks for posting!

Excellent review! I've never been to Gym's, but I feel kind of like I have because i've seen the Wild Chicago piece a bunch of times. I'm sure that there is no comparison to the actual experience though.

DB