CSSI Themes Navy Pier for Halloween and Holidays
When Navy Pier decided that they wanted a scarier haunted house this year, Chicago Scenic was able to fill the bill. Armed with a new script written by Michael Fosberg, in a joint venture with Ravenswood Special Events, CSSI designed, built and installed a new haunted house that had more pop-out scares and automated effects to keep visitors scared silly.

This year, the storyline takes guests on a tour of Captain Nightmare's Haunted Mansion. Highlights of the hair-raising event include falling bookcases, a levitating bed, and a reanimated Captain Nightmare springing toward the audience.

For younger visitors, CSSI created Scarecrow Hollow. This area houses a hay bale maze, games, colorful monsters for photo ops and a stage for storytelling. The scares continued throughout the Pier, with a smoke-breathing monster staking his claim on the Head House. Those brave enough to continue are in for many more frights, like hundreds of pirate skeletons hanging all around the Pier.

In addition to the haunted house and Halloween decor, CSSI's Tom Ryan also designed all of Navy Pier's winter holiday decor. Visitors were greeted with gateways covered with garland swags trimmed with oversized stockings waiting for Santa to fill with goodies. The enormous kinetic cookie factory once again hangs high above the Snowflake Stage in the Family Pavilion. Window boxes featuring playful penguins are clustered in the Shakespeare Theatre lobby along with Christmas trees and snow blankets to create a winter wonderland.

Project Manager Rick Boultinghouse worked with Navy Pier's Denise McGowan and Tony Camarillo on all of these projects. Ken Glucksberg and Andy Lemerand led work on the Haunted House; Debbie Miller, Chris Kiddle and Russell Pharr led Halloween decor and Joel Gordon, Chris Kiddle and Russell Pharr led holiday decor.

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