After last year’s successful takeover in Los Angeles, horror mastermind Rob Zombie will be bringing his Great American Nightmare to a second location this year, Chicago. Great American Nightmare will be open on select nights from September 26th to November 1st at Odeum Expo in Villa Park, IL, with Rob Zombie himself kicking off the event with a concert the opening night.
Clearly excited by the prospect of expansion, Zombie excitedly proclaimed “I am thrilled to be able to expand the Great American Nightmare to TWO new cities this year. My only goal is to make it twice as sick as last year.”
Great American Nightmare is comprised of three feature attractions based on Zombie’s horror films The Lords Of Salem In Total Black Out, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto 3D, and Haunt Of 1,000 Corpses, which have all been improved upon since last year’s debut in Pomona, CA based on visitor feedback.
The experience will also include the ‘Bloody Boulevard,’ which will feature things like musical entertainment, freak shows, roaming costumed characters, themed food and drinks, games and other venders. Great American Nightmare producer Steve Kopelman had this to say about it:
“After the tremendous success last year we all felt we wanted to bring Great American Nightmare to as many people as possible. Chicago is a haunted house hotbed with the Odeum Expo center being the go-to haunted house venue for the past two decades. We really feel the Midwest will welcome this event with open arms and this will be the ultimate Chicagoland Halloween event.”
Here’s how the press release describes the attractions:
The Lords Of Salem In Total Black Out: “This harrowing attraction–based on Zombie’s 2012 The Lords Of Salem independent horror film–is designed to twist the mind. It will accentuate some senses while limiting others. Fear of the dark, claustrophobia, and fear of the unknown will be preyed on as the visitor attempts to traverse this sixty-degree maze.”
The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto 3D: “Utilizing Chromadepth glasses, this innovative attraction will take the patron right into the middle of the irreverent world of Rob Zombie’s El Superbeasto 2009 animated exploitation musical horror comedy film based on the comic book series of the same name. The attraction’s unique surprise entrance, brilliant colors, sudden chills and startling thrills, and salacious humor will make patrons scream with fright and laughter.“
Haunt Of 1,000 Corpses: “This terrifying attraction pays homage to the exploitation horror film House Of 1,000 Corpses, directed by Rob Zombie. The extreme, traditional haunted house will take visitors on a walking journey through a recreation of the film’s “Museum of Monsters & Madmen” along with an expanded “Murder Ride,” confronting notorious serial killers along the way. This high impact, highly detailed attraction will use state of the art animatronics, video effects, costuming, sound, scents and lights.”
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, July 30 at 10:00 AM CT with prices starting at only $25 for September 27-November 1. Each ticket includes access to all haunted house attractions and the Bloody Boulevard activities.
Tickets for opening night (September 26) include the Rob Zombie concert and will be available starting at $45, with a limited number of VIP packages also available for sale. All VIP packages include a commemorative t-shirt and quicker access to the haunted attractions than general admission. Some packages also include a designated viewing area for the concert.
Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare will celebrate the Halloween season on the following dates between September 26 and November 1:
September: 26, 27
October: 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
November: 1
Hours for Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare will be 7:00 PM until midnight (Fridays and Saturdays) and 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM (Thursdays and Sundays).
