Navy Pier Celebrates Halloween
For the fourth year in a row, CSSI constructed Navy Pier’s annual spine-chilling haunted house, Captain Nightmare’s Manor. Artistic Director Denise McGowen and Creative Director Michael Fosberg worked closely with CSSI Project Managers Rick Boultinghouse and Ross Hamilton and Designer Tom Ryan, to redesign the Haunted House for this years’ Halloween season. Andy Lemerand and Nick Levinski were the job leads on the project and David Kaina served as assistant project manager. Michael Fosberg provided the new script and a new audio track was created by Milburn/Bodeen Music Inc.

For those brave enough to enter, Captain Nightmare’s Manor was full of surprises. An automated rat scurried past jumpy visitors as they entered the courtyard, and the Library was particularly creepy this year with a new automated flying ghost that swooped down over visitors’ heads on their way out!

The infamous manor chefs were ready to feed the frightened guests with ghastly fare from their kitchen. On the menu was a fridge full of fast food gone bad and a simmering pot of soup that revealed a pop-out hand!

One of the scariest rooms in the house was the newly added torture chamber. Guests had to behave or fall prey to the torture master and be chained and stretched out like the live actor on the stretching rack. New effects included an automated pop-out body and a cage that was rattled by a captured skeleton. The room also got completely new scenic treatment and props including iron bars and medieval weaponry.

This year the lab was even more sinister than usual and provided guests with a truly memorable experience. A giant animatronic Frankenstein surprised visitors when he eerily sat up and moved his face, eyes and mouth. And if that wasn’t enough of a scare, a big pop-out ghoul flew out over the monster. Falling spiders overhead were all guests could take before running into the next room.

One of the biggest surprises awaited visitors in the mirror hallway this year. Perched seven feet over the audience was an actor on an “Actor-Vator.” When the actor was ready, he/she would activate the scissors lift mechanism and pop up and over the audience scaring the giggles right out of them.

The attic was also upgraded and much bigger this year. It included a new baby carriage with a pop-out scare, a body drop, and an automated barking dog that lurked in a dark corner of the room.

Guests no longer had to fear long lines this year thanks to CSSI’s Joint Venture Partner and Haunted House Producer, Ralph Concepcion of Ravenswood Special Events. He coordinated and implemented a new timed-ticketing system ensuring that no one would have to wait more than an hour to get into the event.

Those lucky enough to survive the haunted manor were able to enjoy even more than the usual Halloween scares throughout the rest of the Pier this year. Visitors were able to sneak a peek at the mischievous Pier Pirates skeletons that hid high and low. The Head House became home to a new 30-foot-tall cold air inflatable black widow spider and her giant web. Pier Park and the South Dock were loaded with bales of hay, corn stalks, whimsical tombstones, and other scary décor. Luis Salces and Debbie Miller were the job leads on the project and were responsible for the installation of the décor.

And for the brave young souls that chose to walk the plank at Navy Pier, Scarecrow Hollow provided a place made just for them. Created for children ages two to six, it featured cute and scary photo-ops, a hay maze, and a live storyteller. Conveniently located near the entrance to the Haunted House at the Skyline Stage, it allowed parents to easily watch their younger and older kids be safely entertained.

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