Statesville Haunted Prison: The Final Fear
by Kris Zahrobsky
Although the calendar may show October just a few days away, the temperature is a sizzling 88 degrees, and opening night certainly doesn’t seem like it is only 48 hours away. Amidst all the last-minute preparations that would precede any haunted attraction’s October-run, the masterminds behind the iconic Statesville Haunted Prison found a few hours to sit down with me to regale 25 years of history and memories of one of the most legendary haunted productions in our region and the country. I am joined by Paul Siegel, owner and founder of Statesville Haunted Prison, and John LaFlamboy, designer, producer, and director of Statesville Haunted Prison, as well as owner of Zombie Army Productions.
After the haunted attraction industry was globally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, all sights were set on 2021 for a year of reemergence and reinvigoration. But, we would once again be shocked when news started circling that this might be the last year for Statesville Haunted Prison, a Chicagoland staple set on the grounds of Siegel’s Cottonwood Farm in Crest Hill, Illinois, about 38 miles southwest of Chicago. Once the news was finally confirmed, it spread like wildfire and invoked reactions from fans and alumni alike to once again “feed the beast” one last time.
Even though Statesville Haunted Prison has officially named this their last year, dozens of workers and crew can be seen in the background still hustling to make improvements and additions for, what the team here is predicting, will be their best season yet. Their goal is to not only capture all the magic that the cast and crew have brought to the attraction for 25 years, but to send everyone off with memories (and nightmares) to last a lifetime. Billed as “The Final Fear,” the Statesville family won’t be going into the afterlife quietly.
The Siegel Family has owned and farmed the land on which Statesville is built since 1909. (112 years!) Paul and wife Sue are extremely proud to be 3rd generation farmers, and their daughter, Kaity, the 4th generation. I even had a chance to meet Kaity’s son, who Paul proudly named, the 5th generation to farm the land. Their bread and butter have come from producing crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and pumpkins, as well as products from chickens, cows, and goats. But, in the early 90’s, they were looking for ways to diversify, as well as provide additional opportunities for agrotourism, education, and entertainment, but with a meaningful impact.
The Siegel Family farm is only 2 miles away from a maximum-security prison, Stateville Correctional Facility, one that still operates to this day. Paul shared stories of his time growing up and his family’s interactions with the guards that patrolled the grounds on horseback, as well as the warden himself. Paul even shared memories of his family being impacted by a couple of escaped convicts that took refuge on his land and even stole his father’s car for a few miles. Growing up with the prison as your neighbor was nothing “out of the ordinary” for the Siegel Family.
In his constant quest for diversification, Paul started to operate a haunted themed hayrack ride in 1995, taking patrons into the cornfield and sharing stories. But, he knew there was more opportunity here. While the Chicagoland area had dozens of Jaycees-operated and volunteer-based haunted attractions, there were only a few commercial attractions in the market at the time. Taking inspiration from his life-long neighbor, Paul moved the experience inside part of his barn in 1996 and gave it the name of Statesville (with an “s”) Haunted House. As history would illustrate, this would be very temporary as he soon would rebrand it as, what it would be known by for the rest of existence, “Statesville Haunted Prison.”
Paul worked the first year with his family and picked up some additional production help in 1997. However, it wasn’t until 1998, that Paul would be introduced to a fresh graduate from Southern Illinois University, John LaFlamboy. John had a theatre and construction background and arrived to meet Paul with only his resume in-hand and a can-do attitude. Who could have predicted that a simple meeting would change the course of history for so many?
Starting the 1998 season, John only had an overall budget of $14,000. John recalls having to beg and plead each one of his theatre friends and family to join his team one-by-one. John showcased his vision for Statesville to have a strong foundation in story, and to create a fully-immersible and interactive space for collaborative art to be made and shared by both the cast and the audience together. His first step to achieving this goal? He removed the half-wall that other haunted attractions used to separate the patrons from the actors and eliminated that illusion of “safe space.” John’s concepts would take hold, and after successfully recruiting 18 total “theatre kids,” audiences responded eagerly. Statesville would finish the 1998 season with over 10,000 in attendance.
John has always believed that the success of Statesville was always due to the actors that bled and sweat behind these walls. John passionately exclaims, “They are the show that our audience keeps coming back to see and I will always be grateful to each and every one of them for their contributions on this long and wild adventure.”
Fun fact about Statesville Haunted Prison: they only had one professional prop during their first year of operation. Once again taking inspiration from their neighboring correctional facility who had delivered death by electrocution, Statesville would be home to the very first mechanical electric chair by now-famous Halloween prop, animatronic, and mask producer, Distortions Unlimited. As the chair was a part of their history, Distortions would eventually purchase the chair back for their museum. In present-day, Statesville has copious amounts of props and animatronics, but they still have a Distortions electric chair, now pneumatically powered, in their epic opening scene.
Paul and John recall some of the fun trials and tribulations in the early years, as they both found their footing in working with various props and animatronics. One story that stuck out was regarding their original vortex/spinning tunnel. The original model was actually too heavy and would often break the mechanics that would allow the tube to spin. So, the tunnel had to be spun by hand, many times by family members, including John’s father!
Both John and Paul credit many of their family members for the initial and continued success of Statesville. One of those singled-out is Kyle LaFlamboy, who was only 9 years old when he started helping at Statesville Haunted Prison. Now, at 32 years old, Kyle serves as the Production Manager for Statesville Haunted Prison. After receiving formal degrees in Architecture and Construction Management, Kyle has been a key leader in both the construction/build and acting/performance.
Statesville and company have many pioneering and innovation credits under their belt. One such area emerged with the release of their 2001 behind-the-scenes documentary named, “Thank You For Coming, Burn In Hell.” In an era before YouTube and video-capturing cell phones, this privately produced video was released on VHS and featured the cast and crew of Statesville Haunted Prison performing, training, learning, and entertaining guests. It gave a glimpse into the backstage life of the actors and what it took to build and operate a theatrical haunted house. This would prove to be a springboard that would lead to hundreds of videos, clips, trailers, and movies, all helping to visualize the experience, learn the story, and entice more patrons to come in-person to experience the show and aspiring actors and actresses to join the team.
While Statesville would experience natural growth, the guys both cite an attendance explosion in 2003 after they released their second attraction, City of the Dead. City of the Dead, or “COD,” would serve as the follow-up attraction for patrons immediately exiting Statesville. Creating an entirely new storyline, COD would let guests dive into the catacombs beneath Statesville Haunted Prison. The additional attraction was overwhelmingly welcomed by the audience, and as John jokes, was the first time he actually started to make enough to pay his bills and officially make this his full-time job.
Since then, Statesville Haunted Prison would play host to hundreds of thousands of guests, all ready and willing to be admitted into the immersive prison environment. Paul and John both remember fondly the many celebrities who also experienced Statesville, including members of the casts of the TV shows Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, as well as members of the Chicago Cubs right before winning the 2016 World Series! However, their absolute favorite is when Hall of Fame Chicago Bear linebacker, Brian Urlacher served his time in Statesville. They are very proud that they provided him the same show/experience as any other patron, including giving authoritative commands, despite the vast weight and height difference. As the guys recall, Urlacher was in a slump that football season and came to Statesville on a Sunday night. The next night after visiting Statesville, he played the best he did all season on Monday Night Football!
Additional fun fact: Statesville (with an “s”) has worked its way into the cultural nomenclature. As Paul shares, the real correctional facility frequently gets mail and visitors who need to be redirected to their haunted prison, and vice-versa.
Statesville is also not without its own real-life “haunting” stories. Both Paul and John shared different experiences of hearing real things that go bump in the night, including farming machinery that seemingly turned on by itself, and visits from Paul’s grandfather, “Frank,” who would appear to different members of the crew.
After years of building a fully featured environment, weaving deep and rich storylines, employing 173 cast and crew, and creating a legion of iconic characters that are both beloved and feared, the biggest question certainly is: why? Why stop now? Paul, now in his mid-60’s, credited stress as one of the main factors. While he has loved all of the experiences throughout these 25 years, he is excited to be able to direct his time to focus on their long-running Pumpkin Fest, their rustic wedding barn, continuing to provide agri-entertainment and education, and spending time with family. He also is excited to get some additional sleep during the fall season.
John will be directing his time towards his company, Zombie Army Productions, and HellsGate, another haunted house he produces in Lockport, Illinois. John will be continuing his actor training and development program, giving “theatre kids” like him and anyone that doesn’t feel like they belong, a place to call home.
In the end, both call this final year bittersweet, and are excited to celebrate and enjoy the final opportunity to make memories and entertain patrons. They want to give extra thanks to their families, the cast and crew, and especially the audience for 25 years of support, for without them, none of this would be possible.
On behalf of the entire team at Haunted House Chicago, we want to thank and recognize Paul, John, and the entire crew of Statesville Haunted Prison for 25 years of paramount entertainment and unparalleled experiences. While Statesville has been recognized with countless local and national accolades from both industry and media outlets, we have been proud to name Statesville Haunted Prison the #1 haunted attraction within 100 miles of Chicago an unprecedented 12 times in our 21 years, and consistently within our top 4 attractions all other years. In addition, Statesville has 2 actors recognized with the Haunted House Chicago Jim Warfield Acting Award. Statesville has always been a major occasion during each review season, and future years will feel like there is piece of us missing, like one might feel with the loss of a beloved family member. As much as it pains us, we can’t wait to experience the fear, celebrate the legacy, and feed the beast, one last time.
Statesville Haunted Prison is located at 17250 S. Weber Road in Lockport, Illinois. They are open Thursday-Sunday evenings in October 2021. Their final operating night will be Sunday, October 31, 2021. For tickets, please go to: https://statesvillehauntedprison.com/