Pulling back the curtain at local haunted houses

Some cause you to cry.

Others draw you back again and again.

And a few amaze with incredible spectacles.

When you think about it, haunted houses are just interactive theater. And like any good Broadway show, a worthwhile haunt demands hours of rehearsal, a hoard of money and a special blend of creative magic.

Organizers at DuPage County's six area haunted houses -- Lombard Jaycees' Theatre of Lost Souls, Wheaton Jaycees' Maison des Morts, Eleventh Hour in Elk Grove Village, Lisle's Haunted Dungeon, Evil Intentions in Bolingbrook and Nightmares Basement of the Dead in Aurora -- all agree that what you see reveals only a fraction of what really goes on.

To keep their zombies credible and their houses looking, um, haunted, organizers require lots of manpower behind the scenes and some very odd shopping lists. So before you head out to see each haunt's nightly curtain call this weekend, check out this by-the-numbers look at what it really takes to terrify.

1

Only one haunted house on the list has a slide inside this year, and that's the two-story Haunted Dungeon at the Lisle Park District. Jenny Porrevecchio, the park district's haunted house organizer, said this year's attraction focuses on phobias. "It's kind of like your worst nightmare come to life," she said.

2

Months spent organizing and creating this year's Wheaton Jaycees Creole-themed haunt, Maison des Morts. Jaycee Lori Ortolano said its coolest feature is what you don't see. "We pride ourselves on being the darkest house in Chicagoland, where you can't see your hand in front of your face," she said.

3

Locations that have housed Evil Intentions, which now operates out of the Ditka Sports Dome in Bolingbrook. The haunt began at Lazer X in Addison in 2000, then moved to the private Glen Ellyn home of founder Mike Fitzpatrick. He said the home haunt would sometimes draw up to 500 visitors each weekend. This month, the figures have jumped to about 700.

4

Gallons of fog juice used each night to create eerie effects at Evil Intentions, whose latest haunt simulates an abandoned factory.

8

Hours spent working on just one prop at Nightmares Basement of the Dead in Aurora. Owner George Carpenter's wife, Kathy, either creates or alters all of the props to customize them. "I think her work is as good as anything you'll see on 'CSI' or shows like that," Carpenter said. "I don't think people realize what kind time goes into making things look real like that."

13

The number of MP3 players wired into the Lombard Jaycees haunted house, Theater of Lost Souls, to create spooky sounds throughout each room. The lobby gets its own surround-sound system. Jaycees Web master Mike Hughes said visitors can count on hearing horror film themes this year, since the haunt is located in an old movie theater and based its theme on this premise. "Once you step into the movie theater, you're now stepping into the horror movie themselves," he said.

22

Gallons of black paint used on the makeshift wall at the Wheaton Jaycees haunted house.

37

Years the Lombard Jaycees have hosted its annual haunted house. Hughes says it's one of the longest-running haunts in Illinois and the entire country.

40

Approximate number of low-income families who receive Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets each year thanks to proceeds generated by the Lombard Jaycees haunted house.

99.9

Radio dial number for Nine FM, which will provide music and entertainment at the Lisle Park District's Haunted Dungeon, which opens this weekend.

105

Record amount of minutes a visitor spent trying to find a way out of the Chain Reaction maze at Eleventh Hour. The maze is one of four attractions that make up Eleventh Hour. Owner Jim Upchurch said that next year the haunt will add one more attraction: a corn maze.

200

Gallons of fire retardant used on props inside Eleventh Hour. Most haunts mix fire retardant in their paint and spray their wood with it. "Everything we do has to be fire treated," said Eleventh Hour owner Jim Upchurch. Mike Fitzpatrick of Evil Intentions said if haunts aren't fire-safe, municipal officials will shut them down. "They come in and set our burlap and a tarp on fire to see if we're up to snuff," he said. "If anything is not safe, they'll get you."

$1,350

Cost of just two custom-made masks now being used at Nightmares Basement of the Dead in Aurora. "The molds were made just for us, so you won't see that anywhere else," said owner George Carpenter.

$6,000

Cost of Eleventh Hour's most expensive prop this year -- a 14-foot animated demon.

$9,000

Approximate amount raised for local charitable causes last year at the Wheaton Jaycees haunted house. Ortolano said this was about half of the total $18,000 gross in 2006, which was the group's most profitable year since operating out of the DuPage County Fairgrounds. This year, the haunt is teaming up with the Milton Township Food Pantry and asking visitors to bring nonperishables to donate. The Jaycees will also make a cash donation to the pantry with some of this year's profits.

Haunted houses

Eleventh Hour Haunted House

• Berthold Nursery and Garden Center, 434 E. Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village: through Nov. 2. 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and Wednesday; 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and Nov. 2. Haunt features four attractions: Eleventh Hour Haunted House, Pitch Black labyrinth, Chain Reaction chain link maze and Third Dementia 3-D Gallery. Admission costs $17; $2 discount if tickets are purchased online. Group rates available. www.eleventhhour.info or (708) 243-6864.

Evil Intentions Haunted House

• Ditka Sports Dome, 730 N. Bolingbrook Drive, Bolingbrook: Through Oct. 31. 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays and Monday through Wednesday. $15. Recommended for adults only. www.evilscarecrew.com.

Haunted Dungeon

• Lisle Parks Garage, 1820 Short St., Lisle: 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Monday through Wednesday. $7. (630) 964-3410 or www.lisleparkdistrict.org.

Nightmares Basement of the Dead

• 42 W. New York St., Aurora: Friday through Wednesday. 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays and Monday through Wednesday. Group discounts and online coupons available. Not appropriate for children younger than 13. (630) 896-2466 or www.42fear.com.

Lombard Jaycees Haunted House

• 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard: "Theatre of Lost Souls," through Wednesday. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Wednesday. Closed Mondays. Children's matinees from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. $10, $5 for kids 10 and younger. Matinee admission costs $3 for children, $2 for adults, free for adults with two paid children's admissions. www.haunted-house.com.

Wheaton Jaycees Haunted House

• DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton: Maison des Morts, 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday; 7 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. $8. For ages 8 and older. www.wheatonjaycees.org/halloween.