Erebus is a four-story
haunted attraction located in
Pontiac, Michigan
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 61,606. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about northwest of Detroit.
Founde ...
, open seasonally for
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
. It held the
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
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.
History
Erebus Haunted Attraction opened in 2000 in what was formerly an abandoned four-story parking garage in
Pontiac, Michigan
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 61,606. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about northwest of Detroit.
Founde ...
. 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
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
to advertise and allow the people interested to locate them easily.
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
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
, and massive puppets. In one of the events, a 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.
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Features
The Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...
area is home to many haunted and Halloween attractions, including Erebus. Erebus occupies and uses 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.[ 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.][ Unique in haunted attractions, Erebus has an illuminated scoreboard tracking "wimps" and "wetters".
]
Awards
* 2005–09: This four-story attraction was entered into the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the "World's Largest Walk-Through Haunted Attraction" (2189 linear feet).
* 2009: Click on Detroit voted Erebus the "#1 Best Haunted House in Pontiac".
* 2010: Rated Number 1 as United States' best haunted house
See also
*
References
{{Reflist, 2
Haunted attractions (simulated)
Tourist attractions in Michigan