Friday, September 28, 2018

Frightening Miniature Golf in a Funeral Home! Spooky Chills and Thrills!

I’m always scouring for anything weird, wild and wacky to do with my youngest anywhere near us around Chicago, and by poking through my favorite directory of oddball locations, https://www.roadsideamerica.com, I came across Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services, the Funeral home with a miniature golf course in the basement!
The 9 hole spooky course under Ahlgrim Family Funeral Services has been operating informally since it was created in the late 1960s. It was originally built for the owners three kids, but soon word spread through their friends and became the go-to hot spot enjoyed by civic groups, fraternal organizations, shriners, boy scouts and school trips. Over the years it grew and grew. now, along with putting, they have vintage pinball, arcade games, ping-pong, shuffleboard and pool! You’ll think you’ve died and gone to Heaven! I also love the non-PC humor of caskets, tombstones and ghosts in the teen dream den right smack below where funeral services are being held.
The staff are beyond polite and helpful (as you’d expect from this profession), all the games are free! Plus, you can’t leave without snagging a commemorative patch and t-shirt!
One rule, you can’t play during services. The sounds of laughter, arcade music, balls smacked and general mischief come right up through the air ducts!
Sadly it looks like the closed upright casket on hole 6 wasn’t opening that day, because I’ve seen pics of it displaying the life-size dead green golfer body inside. Now I’ll have to go back just to pry it open and meet him face to face!
201 N. Northwest Hwy, Palatine, IL
847-358-7411