Jeffrey Holmes has never been particularly afraid of things that go bump in the night. Psychological horror, however, is another story.
Holmes is the co-owner of IWG Productions (Iron, Wood and Glitter), a design, fabrication and installation house of seasonal entertainment, which produces shows and events around the country. His company was contacted by The Arboretum of South Barrington in July 2022 about creating a new Halloween attraction to entice visitors to the Arboretum.
“We were told it had to be really terrifying and it had to be a draw,” he said.
After a year of hard work — they very quickly realized that the Chicago area is home to more than a dozen of the best haunted attractions in the country, he said — the Chicago area’s newest Halloween attraction, Terror Roulette, is set to open Sept. 29 at the Arboretum of South Barrington.
It was always the goal to create something unique and attention-grabbing, he said.
“I have never been that fascinated or spooked by the supernatural,” he said. “For me, ghosts and goblins and ghouls are not scary. When we first set out on this quest, my question to the creative team was, what is truly scary? And what can we create that is practical? So everything that you experience in the haunt is, within some suspension of disbelief, something that could happen to you.”
Guests enter in a group of eight and never see the group in front of or behind them, he said.
“As far as you are concerned and as far as the performers are concerned, you are the only people in the haunt. That actor is only focused on you and your group,” he said. “It creates a personal, immersive experience where the actor really does get to interact with you and your terrors.”
Terror Roulette’s storyline is a meeting of eight serial killers, each with their own sadistic method of killing and their own preferred type of victim, Holmes said.
“It led to this idea of, what is the one thing haunted houses can’t do because of the way they’re designed? And that is, they couldn’t remove that shield of protection that is your friend group,” he said. “Every haunted house that you go through is effectively a conga line. As you go with your friends, there’s always the group in front of you and there’s always the group behind you. Also, within your own friend group, there’s the person you can hold onto if you’re scared or push in front of you.”
At Terror Roulette, a character named The Dealer has created a secret society of serial killers under the facade of an illegal card house, he said, “which we thought was a nice little homage to some Chicago history.”
As guests enter, they are each given a playing card, thus sealing their fate.
“As you go through this attraction, those playing cards actually determine which serial killers you are going to interact with and you are going to meet,” he said. “You walk in as a group of eight, but sometime during the attraction, your group is going to be physically split apart and sent down different paths depending on the card you’ve been dealt,” he said.
“We have created a multi-path experience where there is no safety in numbers because we physically are separating the groups and reshuffling them over and over. So you start off as eight, you end up as two groups of four, you come back together as eight. (And) you have a one-in-four chance of having a solo experience because one of the killers might decide you’re their cup of tea. The card you were dealt might require that you join the killer in a private experience. I like to say eight people walk in, seven people walk out. And it’s 100% true.”
Terror Roulette is a 40-minute experience where guests are constantly moving through 15,000 square feet of space, Holmes said. Guests must book their times online and sign a waiver before attending.
“It’s all in good fun. We’re not going to hurt anybody, we’re not going to torture anybody,” he said. “But we do have that waiver to say this is more than just walking through and looking at pretty rooms that have been gored up in fantasy.”
If a guest requires special accommodations, they are asked to call a couple days in advance to discuss options. Additionally, if someone wants to go along but doesn’t want to participate, there is an option to become a voyeur, he said.
“By becoming a voyeur, you are immune from participation. You can go through the attraction with your friends but the actors will be signaled that you do not want to participate so they will effectively ignore you,” he said. “Which is a great option. You can essentially sacrifice your friends to the slaughter and get to observe and enjoy the attraction with immunity.”
Here are other haunted houses in the area to check out this spooky Halloween season. Check the websites for rules, questions and deals.
Gurnee
Fright Fest: Hours vary Sept. 16-Oct. 29. At 1 Great America Parkway. Tickets: $45-$59; haunted houses require a Haunted Attraction Pass ($30-$40) or a bundled ticket ($80-$100). Parking $35. 847-249-4636; Sixflags.com/greatamerica/events.
The Kid’s Boo Fest returns with trick-or-treating on Candy Cane Lane from 1 to 3 p.m., a Monster Mash dance party, not-so-scary story time and a parade.
At 6 p.m., the monsters come out to play. In addition to rides, there are six haunted houses; including the new “Saw X” and “The Estate at Wretched Meadows.” There are scare zones, events and live shows.
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Round Lake Beach
Realm of Terror Haunted House: Hours are 7-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7-10 p.m. Sundays Sept. 29-Oct. 29, except closes at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30; closed Oct. 1. At 421 W. Rollins Road. Tickets: $19.99-$29.99. VIP and skip-the-line upgrades available. 847-270-8061; Realmofterror.com.
This long-running Lake County haunt features a Haunt Bar to help guests keep their spirits up. Grab a cocktail called Thirst for Blood or Terror Punch in a snazzy souvenir cup. There’s also a restaurant on-site and a Halloween gift shop. As for the scares, the warning on the website says it all: “This haunted house contains questionable and offensive content and may not be appropriate for many audiences. We do not recommend it to anyone.”
Schiller Park
13th Floor Haunted House: Hours vary Sept. 15-Nov. 5. At 5050 River Road. Tickets: $19.99-$32.99; fast pass, skip-the-line and platinum VIP upgrades available. 708-571-3326; 13thfloorchicago.com.
New attractions this year include The Deadlands: a post-apocalyptic hellscape where a horrific virus has spread, causing unspeakable mutations to occur and roam free. Also new is Depths of Darkness, where the residents of a small village become gripped by an ancient nightmare from the deep, dark sea.
Other activities this season include a glow stick-only Blackout night, mini escape rooms with a Halloween theme and Behind the Screams, a behind-the-scenes tour of the 13th Floor Haunted House. Finally, there’s the Not-So-Spooky Hour, when guests can walk through the haunted house without live actors lurking.
Skokie
Scream Scene Haunted House: Hours are 7-10 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 6-28, plus Oct. 22, 29 and Nov. 4. Will stay open to 11 p.m. Oct. 21 and 28 and will close at 9 p.m. Oct. 22 and 29. Tickets: $13; speed pass $20. At the Skokie Water Playground, 4701 Oakton St. 847-674-1500; screamscene.org.
There will be a lights-on haunt from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 28 for $3 per person. A blackout night will be Nov. 4, where guests must navigate the house with only a glow stick.
Since 1997, the Skokie Water Playground, abandoned for the season, becomes host to chainsaw-wielding maniacs and insane clowns.
South Barrington
Terror Roulette: Hours are 7-11 p.m. Thursdays, 7 p.m.-midnight Fridays, 6 p.m.-midnight Saturdays and 6-11 p.m. Sundays Sept. 29-Oct. 29 plus Oct. 30-31. Tickets: $29.60-$69. At The Arboretum of South Barrington, 100 W. Higgins Road. terrorroulette.com.
The “Terror Pass” is general admission; the “Psycho Pass” gets you a T-shirt and a commemorative photo. A “Full House” VIP experience is $199 and is at 9:45 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays only and includes a behind-the-scenes tour plus T-shirt, pin, photo and sticker pack. It’s limited to 16 people each night.
The best deal is a group of eight; not only are the ticket prices reduced but you’re guaranteed to be with your group.
Guests must be 16 and older to enter Terror Roulette without a parent; those 13 and older must be with a parent or guardian over age 21. While guests are not permitted to touch the actors, Terror Roulette is a fully immersive attraction and visitors may be touched, guided, held back, set on a different path or even removed from their group. There is a safe word if the experience gets to be too overwhelming.
Zion
Dungeon of Doom: Hours are 7-10:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30 and Sundays in October plus Halloween and Nov. 3-4; 7-11 p.m. Oct. 6-7 and 7 p.m.-midnight Oct. 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28. Also 7-10 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26. At 600 29th St. Tickets start at $25. 847-262-3666; Dungeonofdoom.com.
New rooms this year inside the haunt are “The Sanctuary” and “Dead Clown Alley.” Also new this year, the haunted house offers an improved waiting area with immersive special effects and light shows. The popular “Buried Alive” attraction is back, free with VIP tickets and $5 additional charge with general admission. A Sub-Thermal Nightmare winter event is 7-11 p.m. Dec. 15-16.
New for 2023 is a Platinum VIP experience for $139.99 a person. It includes a private VIP lounge, snacks and drinks, a concierge, immediate entry into the haunt, VIP restrooms, reserved parking, free photos and 15% off merch.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.