Thursday’s exclusive haunt tour offers a rare, behind-the-scenes opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most innovative minds in the haunted attraction industry at 3 different haunts. Talk to the Baraniak & Seneker families and the team behind Disturbia Haunted House, producers of two of Chicago’s premier attractions and the masterminds behind their highly acclaimed, story-driven escape experiences. Then spend time with HellsGate’s own John LaFlamboy and key members of Zombie Army Productions, widely regarded as one of the most creative forces in the business. Finally, after a day of BTS fun, the tour will end with a full live show at Five Points Haunted House, one of Chicago’s up-and-coming attractions.

We will start our tour going beyond the screams with an immersive lights-on walkthrough of Disturbia Haunted House, including access to areas rarely seen by the public such as their infamous basement spaces where atmosphere, detail, and psychological tension are pushed to the limit. This is a unique opportunity to study the craftsmanship up close, from scenic design and lighting to pacing and guest flow, while gaining real-world insight directly from the creators themselves.

Next enjoy a light dinner and behind-the-scenes tour of HellsGate Haunted House‘s Lost Souls Cemetery and Moorestone Manor. See how HellsGate’s lore is evident in every square inch of its design, creep through the hidden passages, ride the infamous slides and discover some of HellsGate’s ghastly scare secrets, all while picking the brain of the man who created them. Please note that not every room/scene may be open, as HellsGate will be in the middle of its build season for 2026.

This is your chance to engage with the visionaries shaping the haunt industry, ask questions, and walk away with practical knowledge you can apply to your own attraction.

The evening concludes at 5 Points Haunted House, one of Chicago’s newest rising stars. Here, you’ll experience the attraction as it was meant to be seen: Live, fully operational, and packed with actors. Step into the darkness and descend through two floors of relentless terror. Every room is meticulously crafted to exploit your deepest fears, pulling you deeper into a world where nothing feels safe. Navigate suffocating corridors that close in around you before emerging into massive, nightmarish environments filled with unforgettable horrors. Along the way, you’ll encounter creatures and scenes designed to linger long after you’ve escaped.

Basement of the Dead

In the late 1920’s, Walker Laundry opened at 42 West New York St. and became Aurora’s largest laundry Company. Around 1945 Imus Kilya was working there as maintenance engineer. His son Al came to work as his assistant in 1960. Heat for the building and steam for the presses was supplied by a coal fired boiler installed when the building was built. Al and Imus continually complained that it needed to be replaced, but management wouldn’t spend the money. In 1964 the boiler exploded maiming and scalding Al and Imus. They never returned to work and rumor was they had vowed to get even.

Under the streets and building were sewer lines and tunnels well known to Al and Imus. A year or so after the explosion people from the laundry started to disappear and body parts were found in the river near the drainage pipes. Al and Imus were suspected but never found. The laundry eventually closed and the basement was never used again. Businesses have come and gone but nobody stays. Basement Of The Dead is proof that Al & Imus still exist and have made this basement their home.. The mutilation and horror you will witness is so shocking, you’ll wish you never entered.

Basement of the Dead haunted house has been top rated by BuzzFeed, HauntedHouseChicago.com, Hauntworld.com, the Chicago Tribune & more!

The Massacre

Work up your nerves and step into one of the scariest attractions in the Midwest, The Massacre Haunted House and Fear Freakshow 3D Haunted House. Newly renovated every year and ready to deliver the scares, The Massacre offers over 20,000+ sq. ft. of sheer nightmares for your enjoyment. This custom built haunted house allows visitors to walk through in small groups of six to seven and is designed to give mature audiences the scare of their lives! Focusing on fear and fright, this haunted labyrinth dishes up over 60 rooms of pure terror where over 100 ghastly clad actors are waiting to scare and delight. Frightening mazes, eerie animatronics and beyond are ready to fill your night with chills and thrills. (We will provide snacks at this location)