Erebus haunted attraction

Last updated
Erebus
ErebusHauntedAttractionLogo.jpg
Erebus Logo
Location18 S. Perry St. Pontiac, Michigan
Coordinates 42°38′11″N83°17′35″W / 42.6362628°N 83.2929243°W / 42.6362628; -83.2929243
Opened2000
Operated byEdward & Jim Terebus
ThemeHalloween
Operating seasonFall
Website Official website

Erebus is a four-story haunted attraction located in Pontiac, Michigan, open seasonally for Halloween. It held the Guinness World Record for largest walk-through haunted attraction from 2005 until 2009, when it lost the record to Cutting Edge Haunted House. It is not recommended for children under the age of 13. [1]

Contents

History

Erebus Haunted Attraction opened in 2000 in what was formerly an abandoned four-story parking garage in Pontiac, Michigan. The parking structure was abandoned for nearly 50 years and had been used as an indoor junkyard prior to Erebus moving in. The owners, Edward and Jim Terebus, had operated other haunted attractions around the Detroit area prior to Erebus, mainly portable haunts built out in trailers. In addition to Erebus, their first permanent attraction, they also publish Fear Finder, a seasonal publication, to serve as a central hub for all haunted houses in Michigan to advertise and allow the people interested to locate them easily. [2] [3]

Attraction

Erebus changes the basic effects and events from year to year, but the main theme stays the same. Patrons are sent through time by a scientist where they experience many different eras in history. The actors along the walkthrough push the boundaries of privacy and how to "touch" the visitors without actually laying a hand on anyone by utilizing props, animatronics, and massive puppets. [4] In one of the events, a 6-foot (1.8 m) dragon comes out from the gloom and eats the patron. Some of the other effects utilize mirrors, and include a moving wall pushing patrons toward a bottomless pit, as well as burying them alive. [2] [5]

Features

The Metro Detroit area is home to many haunted and Halloween attractions, including Erebus. Erebus occupies 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) and uses 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) of that for storing props. The haunted attraction occupies multiple stories including an elevator. The production hires about 90 actors as well as uses animatronics resembling animals and monsters. Erebus uses these animatronics to bypass the “no-touch” safety rules, as well as other techniques such as dropping fake bugs from the ceiling and making building structures move. [2] [6] Erebus also uses landscape changes throughout the walk-through including inclines, stairwells, narrow passages, low ceilings and trap doors. Additionally, Erebus mounts electronic props such as lasers, lights, and mirrors to create visual obstruction and manipulation. [2] Unique in haunted attractions, Erebus has an illuminated scoreboard tracking "wimps" and "wetters". [7]

Awards

See also

Related Research Articles

Pontiac, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Pontiac is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 65,391. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of Detroit.

The Haunted Mansion Disney Parks dark ride

The Haunted Mansion is a Dark ride attraction located at Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Park (Paris) and at Hong Kong Disneyland, although each location differs in design. Riders go through a haunted mansion resided in by "999 happy haunts."

Valleyfair Amusement park

Valleyfair is a 125-acre (51 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Cedar Fair, the park opened in 1976 and now features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the company.

The House of Shock is a seasonal haunted attraction located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Every year, the House is opened on weekends in October. It is known for its satanic themes and intensity by New Orleans residents and tourists. The name "House of Shock" is a reference to the show of the popular long-time local horror host, Morgus the Magnificent.

Haunted Mansion Holiday

Haunted Mansion Holiday is a seasonal overlay of The Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland that blends the settings and characters of the original Haunted Mansion with those of Tim Burton's 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Taking inspiration from "The Night Before Christmas", the attraction retells the story of Jack Skellington visiting the Haunted Mansion on Christmas Eve, leaving holiday chaos in his wake.

Haunted attraction (simulated) Horror-themed recreational venue

A haunted attraction is a form of live entertainment that simulates the experience of visiting haunted locations or storylines typical of horror fiction. They usually feature fearsome sets and characters, especially demons, ghosts, monsters, possessed people, witches or wizards, serial killers, and slashers. Humorous characters may also be included.

Shocktoberfest is an annual haunted event near Reading, Pennsylvania. The attractions include dark attractions, haunted houses, and a haunted hayride. It is referred to by the management of Shocktoberfest as a "haunted theme park" even though it is not a theme park in the true sense of the term.

Howl-O-Scream

Howl-O-Scream is an annual special event that occurs at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Antonio, and as of recently will begin at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego. The parks remain operational during the day and transition to Howl-O-Scream at night. The event features haunted houses, "scare zones", and live entertainment. It is a seasonal event that occurs in the Fall of the year, tied to Halloween.

Phantom Theater

Phantom Theater was a dark ride located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. The ride was manufactured by Morgan Manufacturing and was similar to Disney's Omnimover ride system, with a continuously moving chain of vehicles. The attraction took guests through a haunted, abandoned theater and was furnished with sets and characters created by R&R Creative Amusement Designs, Inc. The ride replaced Smurf's Enchanted Voyage (1984-1991), which in turn was a re-skin of the original Enchanted Voyage (1972-1983). The ride was re-themed to Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle in 2003, and again to Boo Blasters on Boo Hill in 2010. The ride system remains in place, albeit with modifications.

Cutting Edge Haunted House

Cutting Edge Haunted House is a haunted house attraction located in an abandoned meat-packing factory in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2009, Guinness World Records recorded the attraction as "The World's Largest Haunted House". The attraction received two records in Guinness World Records for "World's Largest Haunted Attraction" and "World's Largest Walk Through Haunted House" in 2015.

Netherworld Haunted House Haunted attraction outside Atlanta, Georgia

Netherworld Haunted House is a self-guided, walk-through haunted attraction located near Atlanta, Georgia, in unincorporated Gwinnett County. It is a seasonal Halloween-based event which opened in 1997.

The House at Haunted Hill

The House at Haunted Hill is a high-tech haunted attraction at a home in Woodland Hills, California. The attraction, technically a yard haunt, showcases a mixture of age-old tricks such as Pepper's ghost, and advanced special effects and multi-channel audio.

Nightmare on 13th Haunted House Haunted attraction in Salt Lake City, Utah

The Nightmare on 13th is a haunted attraction in Salt Lake City, Utah. Located on 300 West and 1300 South, it is in a 36,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) warehouse, which was a former car dealership. Nightmare on 13th is one of the largest and longest running haunted attractions in the United States. As of 2021 they have been in business for 31 years, and over 60,000 people attend Nightmare on 13th each season. Over the 31 years this haunted house has made more than 1.5 million people scream.

Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In is a "horror host" series hosted by "Wolfman" Mac Kelly, which aired Saturday nights at 10 pm from March 14, 2008 to October 29, 2011 on various local television stations in Detroit and on the Retro Television Network nationally. The show typically features vintage sci-fi and horror films like Nosferatu, Teenage Zombies and Night of the Living Dead, enhanced with retro commercials, nostalgic clips, and skits. Each episode is recorded at Erebus Haunted Attraction in Pontiac, MI.

The ScareHouse Haunted attraction in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

ScareHouse is a haunted attraction now located within The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Ten Thirty One Productions

Ten Thirty One Productions was an American entertainment company based in Los Angeles that created, owned, and produced live attractions in the horror genre. It was featured on Season 5 of Shark Tank where it received the largest investment in the history of the show. The company was sold to Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.

Thrillvania is an immersive haunted house theme park located in Terrell, Texas. The park consists of 50 acres, and is considered a major international horror theme park. Created by Lance Pope in 1996, Thrillvania was one of the first haunted house parks to use film special effects such as animatronics and pyrotechnics.

Edge of Hell is an American haunted house attraction located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Edge of Hell was founded in 1975 and is said to be the oldest haunted house in the United States. It is operated by Full Moon Productions, which also operates The Beast and Macabre Cinema.

The Darkness is a haunted house attraction located in St Louis, Missouri owned by Larry Kirchner, who has a long history of operating haunted houses in the St. Louis area. The Darkness opened in 1993. The place has been considered one of the scariest haunted houses in America.

References

  1. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Erebus Haunted Attraction. 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Armstrong, Ben (May 28, 2005). "Erebus - 4 Story Haunted Attraction". Haunted House Association. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  3. ↑ Thibodeau, Ian (October 14, 2016). "Erebus, Deadland scare up Halloween business". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ Erickson, Anne (September 18, 2015). "Go back in time at Erebus Haunted Attraction". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Hauntworld Top 13 Haunted Houses in America 2011". Hauntworld Magazine. May 20, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  6. ↑ Young, Josh (October 24, 2013). "Erebus Haunted House In Michigan Is One Of The World's Largest". Theme Park University. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  7. ↑ Blitchok, Dustin (September 10, 2013). "Pontiac's Erebus Haunted Attraction opens Friday the 13th". Macomb Daily. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  8. ↑ Sands, David (October 23, 2012). "Erebus, Haunted Attraction, Offers Skillful Screams To Michigan Halloween Crowds". Huffington Post. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Haunted House Ratings (2011). "Haunted Houses". America's Best Haunted House Directory. hauntedhouseratings.com. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  10. ↑ "America's Top 15 Scariest biggest and best Haunted Houses 2015". HauntWorld. 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.