Scream Team turns Naper Settlement into 'Village of Fear'

They say it's PG-creepy, but that depends.

Are you scared of the dark? How do you feel about 7-foot ghouls guiding you through a pitch-black underground maze?

Would you scream if your foot couldn't feel the floor?

Scream Team member Eve Hushek would, and she's in charge of planning this weekend's “All Hallows Eve: Village of Fear creep fest at Naper Settlement. The freaky festivities run from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22-23.

“When you're in the dark and when the floor goes down and your foot doesn't hit the floor, you think you're dropping through an abyss, she said. “It scared the living daylights out of me.

She's scared and she knows what comes next. What about you?

Organizing the 300 volunteers and 25 paid performers for the All Hallows Eve event is a privilege that Scream Team members spend the year working toward.

And transforming the living-history museum's normally docile 12 acres into a bad dream is no easy feat.

“We're really different than the typical haunted or slasher experience out there, said Donna Sack, Naper Settlement's director of visitor services. “We're really head-creepy as opposed to people with chain saws running around on the grounds.

Unlike most haunted houses or other Halloween fright fests, there's no time limit to All Hallows Eve. Guests can make a night of experiencing different scenes in each of the museum's outbuildings.

While they say it's not rated R, that doesn't mean visitors won't have plenty to scream about as they move throughout the grounds. Roaming characters may include Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allan Poe, the Addams family and Beatlejuice.

Additional activities include performances by a fire dance troupe, a reptile show and performances of Michael Jackson's “Thriller by the School of Performing Arts.

Perhaps the biggest change to this year's events is the walking tour through the Martin Mitchell mansion.

A magical crystal ball probably wouldn't have let Caroline Martin Mitchell imagine her opulent and pristine Naperville mansion in the way Naper Settlement's thrill seekers will see it this Halloween.

The creep factor has been significantly ramped up, although organizers say they're not going to give away the store.

“I'm not sure people will come to love the creatures and people that they're going to encounter in there, Sack said. “The mansion will be Victorian Horror for these two evenings rather than a beautiful historic home.

An event favorite is the headless horseperson who roams the grounds. Even the well-trained horse gets into the spirit of the event.

“She seems to know, said Jo Ruggiero, a Scream Team member. “She does like to creep up on people and blow on the back of their necks and watch them jump.

All Hallows Eve is one outdoor event where organizers don't hope and pray for good weather.

“If it's drizzling or raining a bit, it doesn't stop people from coming, Sack said. “It almost adds to the event. A little bit foggy, a little bit drizzly works really well.

Naper Settlement staff members ask that visitors leave the costumes up to the volunteers and professionals. No visitor costumes are allowed.

Tickets are $15. Save $2 off advance ticket sales at Naper Settlement, Anderson's Bookstore, Oswald's, Country Curtains, Canterbury Shoppe and Just Ducky. Or purchase tickets online at www.napersettlement.org.

For more information, call (630) 420-6010 or visit the website.

If you go

<p>What: All Hallows Eve</p>

<p>When: 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22-23</p>

<p>Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville </p>

<p>Cost: $15</p>

<p>Info: (630) 420-6010 or napersettlement.org</p>