Haunted House-Themed Attraction Opening In Former Women's Prison

JOLIET, IL —After several years of delays, The Old Joliet Haunted Prison -a haunted house-themed attraction -will be open to the public this Halloween season, operators Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group announced Thursday.

The attraction will be housed in the women's prison site, 401 Woodruff Ave., across Collins Avenue from the Old Joliet Prison property. The women's prison building, built in 1896, has remained in a state of disrepair since the Illinois Department of Corrections closed the entire prison in 2002.

Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, which produces haunted houses and escape rooms around the country, had been scheduled to open The Old Joliet Haunted Prison in 2020, but those plans were shelved because of COVID-19.

A spokesperson for the company said the project is currently "in the buildout phase," ahead of the scheduled opening on September 18. The attraction will be open on select nights until Nov. 6, according to its website.

In 2018, Elgin-based Evil Intentions announced plans to open up a haunted house in the former women's prison, but the project never happened because of renovation costs. Ultimately, the city of Joliet rescinded its contract with Evil Intentions.

But in early 2020, the city and Thirteenth Floor began discussing plans to revive the project.

Thirteenth Floor said it operates attractions in several major cities, including: Austin, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Nashville and Phoenix. It operates the popular 13th Floor Haunted House in Chicago, which is located in Schiller Park, and has been featured on MTV and The Travel Channel and in USA Today, according to its Facebook page.

"(Thirteenth Floor) attractions are designed by world-renowned haunted house engineers and feature makeup and effects from Hollywood special effects artists," the company said.

Haunted prisons have proven particularly popular in Joliet and the surrounding area in recent years.

In 2019, the Joliet Area Historical Museum began offering guided and self-guided walking tours of the Old Joliet Prison property, including the men's prison yard made famous in the movie "Blues Brothers."

Meanwhile, Zombie Army Productions operates the Statesville Haunted Prison & City of the Dead in Lockport, which according to its website is a "fictitious haunted house that takes the format and plot of a prison."

According to a release, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group will be celebrating the opening of The Old Joliet Haunted Prison by giving away five keys to the prison gates that allow a lifetime pass to the attraction.

People interested in entering can sign up for presale tickets online, or follow the haunted prison on Instagram. The five winners will be announced on Aug. 17, the company said.

According to the presale website, ticket vouchers cost $13.99 online and can be used any day of the season. There also are options for a Fast Pass for $23.99 and to Skip the Line for $33.99.