New haunted house at Great America's Fright Fest

The traps are set! One of Hollywood's most notorious villains is on the loose at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, and he wants to play a game. Will you play along?

One of the most successful horror franchises in movie history comes to life in the new Saw Live haunted house during Great America's 20th annual Fright Fest, which runs now through Oct. 31. Come face-to-face with live actors and iconic traps based on scenes from the "Saw" films in nearly 4,000 square feet of Jigsaw's maniacal games in the new attraction. Saw Live was developed by the same team that produced the films and is the only haunted house of its kind in the Midwest.

But Saw Live isn't the only creepy attraction that will make visitors' blood curdle.

Over the last couple of weeks, workers have transformed Great America's theme park into a scream park with 200 pounds of blood-red dye, dozens of corpses and skeletons, hundreds of snakes, bats, rats and body parts, 2,000 corn stalks, 7 tons of pumpkins, 200 monsters, 300 bales of hay, a large 500-pound gorilla and one giant spider named "Tiny."

Many of the past favorites are returning, including the award-winning musical "Love at First Fright," world-renowned hypnotist Susan Rosen, the Mausoleum of Terror haunted house and the Area 51 haunted maze.

Fright Fest also includes special thrills for children and families where they can trick-or-treat with Looney Tunes characters on the Character Candy Trail, enjoy a Halloween-themed Wiggles show, and take part in family rides in Cartoon Camp and Wiggles World.

Great America, at I-94 and Grand Avenue in Gurnee, is open from 5 to 11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 31, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11. Tickets cost $36.99 to $56.99. Check the website for discounts.

For details, see sixflags.com/greatamerica.