Naperville's All Hallows Eve takes turn for the creepier

When Naper Settlement celebrates All Hallows Eve this weekend, the Martin Mitchell Mansion will be decorated as something even creepier than its most recent Halloween incarnation as a 19th-century insane asylum.

Aided by the artistry and know-how of a Disney artist, the building at 523 S. Webster St. in downtown Naperville will house a theatrical recreation of the Murder Castle, a hotel built by the infamous H.H. Holmes in Chicago for the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

Holmes was a serial killer who trapped his victims by having staircases that led nowhere, doors that open from only one side and pipes that deliver deadly gas built into his hotel.

"While it was being built, he would hire and fire contractors so they wouldn't know what was going on," said R.J. Ogren, scenic designer, author, actor, director and Naperville resident.

Ogren said he will use black light, strobes, paint and other special effects to evoke the Murder Castle's sinister ambience.

"One of my specialties is black-light painting," he said.

Ogren is a veteran scene-maker.

"I actually became one of the four audio animatronic artists at Walt Disney World in the '70s," he said. "I still do work for Disney on occasion."

Ogren worked on Disney World exhibits, including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Cruise, the Country Bear Jamboree, Peter Pan's Flight, and, most pertinently, The Haunted Mansion.

Since then, he's done murals, portraits and scenic design for a variety of attractions. He's written several books about his experiences, one co-authored with his wife, Suzanne, who is also a Disney alumni.

Ogren and his wife will both be on hand for book signings at the settlement. And both Ogrens have been involved with Wheaton Drama.

At Naper Settlement's version of the Murder Castle, Ogren will direct a cast of Wheaton Drama actors.

"They'll be in period costumes. They'll be creeping people out and giving them some scares they won't expect," he said.

If that's not enough to spook the most unflappable, this year's edition of All Hallows Eve will introduce a few new thrills, including outdoor attractions.

A fire dance troupe will entertain at three shows nightly on Friday and Saturday with flaming hula-hoops, flaming swords and sparking cannons, said Adison Glick, the settlement's special events coordinator.

Dave DiNaso will bring his "Traveling World of Reptiles" show to the Pre-emption House Tavern at 7 and 8 p.m. each night.

And joining magician Steve Chezaday, a returning favorite, will be artist Tom Hill, making his All Hallows Eve debut.

"He does a sideshow act and human curiosities," said Glick, adding that Hill is expected to walk on a bed of nails and demonstrate other feats of human endurance.

Glick said scary vignettes, set in the 1800s, will be back this year.

The aforementioned insane asylum will be staged at the settlement's Halfway House. Other buildings will house Frankenstein's laboratory, Dracula's lair and a scene built around Edgar Allan Poe.

The blacksmith shop will become a torture dungeon.

"That's one of our scariest haunts," Glick said.

Visitors can also embark on a "death tour," he said, wherein they can learn about how they might have lived, and died, during the 1800s through fictional obituaries produced at the print shop. The historical village's mortician will even size visitors up for burial coffins.

Glick said Magical Starlight Theatre, Center Stage Players and a drama troupe from Aurora Central Catholic High School will contribute to the eerie theatrics.

"We're trying to add a lot of attractions to keep our guests entertained and give them plenty to do on-site," he said.

Glick said the attractions are not recommended for visitors younger than 8 and no costumes are allowed.

"It's definitely geared to the teen crowd," he said.

Tickets to All Hallows Eve are $15. For details, call (630) 420-6010 or visit napersettlement.org or rjogren.com

If you go

What: All Hallows Eve

Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville

When: 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15

Tickets: $15; free for members

Info: (630) 420-6010, napersettlement.org or rjogren.com