Behind the Terror on the Fox

While driving past the Railroad Museum, screams fill the air as the children of the night compose their symphonies of terror. But don't be alarmed, it's only Terror on the Fox. Located on South Broadway Street in Green Bay, the haunted attraction started its 13th season. Mike "Beaker" Parpovich, one of the owners, explained the haunted houses that compose Terror on the Fox are a complete success. The facility's collection of four haunted houses contains many aspects that other Halloween hauntings do not have, such as a wooded trail to walk through, bodies of water and an antique passenger train to ride. New things appear each year at Terror on the Fox and there is talk of adding an entertainment tent for next year with bands or activities, like zombie-head basketball. People from all over drop by each year to visit Wisconsin's No. 1 Halloween destination and the No. 10 haunted house in the nation according to the Hauntworld Web site. "There are a lot of people that really come to this place for what it is, said Parpovich. "We are American's number one charity haunted house. All the proceeds go to charity, which is great. It is gratifying to know we're helping the community. The fact we have become so large and so popular. It's a blessing. It's overwhelming." Each year, Terror on the Fox donates proceeds to the Green Bay Preble Optimist Club, a group of local business men who help raise money for youth groups. The club helps to build sandboxes, buy bike helmets for children and helps teach the value of a dollar. They often donate money towards any club that approaches them and they also do things like buy popcorn machines to help raise money for organizational trips. "I'm very proud of what we do here." said Terror on the Fox actor, Nate Keeler. "We are on the Top Ten list of best haunted attractions from America's best haunts. We are the No. 1 charity haunt in the country as well, something we're very proud of. We love giving back to the community and we love helping people." Oneida Bingo and Casino is the primary sponsor for Terror on the Fox. The casino provides the cast and crew with money, support and 24-tracks of audio, one for each scene. The three video screens out front, moving lights and other items to make each year a big success are also provided by the Oneida Casino. "We've been very blessed to have Oneida Casino as our title sponsor, said Parpovich. "And really a lot of the things that we do, we could not do without having [the casino] as the sponsor. It is truly just a match made in heaven." Few haunted houses put as much time into preparing for the upcoming Halloween season as Terror on the Fox. By Nov. 15, when Terror on the Fox is closed, the cast and crew will begin planning for Halloween 2010 by designing its floor plans, working on marketing to make it attractive for its customers, going to trade shows to find props, developing the scenes, characters and props not found at trade shows. By February or March, when workers can get inside the buildings after the harsh, icy Wisconsin winters, the work for the 2010 season will be underway. By April, everything will be in full swing. Volunteers are welcome to help in the building process. The theme of Terror on the Fox changes each year. "Our room will start as one thing and two weeks later, because we physically got into the space and as weird as it sounds the walls talk to us," said Parpovich. "They tell us what to do and lead us in a direction and that's how the scene really gets developed." One of Terror on the Fox's workers, Ben Wilmet said, "I like to create all the gore that you see, all the broken stuff. I basically build every room and I enjoy scaring people," People interested in becoming a part of Terror on the Fox can find applications on its Web site, TerrorOnTheFox.com. Once hired, people will learn make-up tricks and costuming. During actor orientation they will participate in dry-run improv games where everyone must showcase scaring skills. Every two weeks, the haunted hause trys to hold a movie night so volunteers get together, spend time getting to know everyone and grow close. "It's really become like a family of people out here," said Parpovich. "We consider ourselves basically the island of misfit toys. If you don't fit in somewhere else, chances are you'll fit in out here. And that's really what we try to breed, that family atmosphere." One of the best experiences the cast and crew experienced was the appearance of Alice Cooper at their attraction. One of the worst experiences the cast and crew has experienced was injury. One actor, for example, put his hand through a glass window and accidently slit his wrist, nearly bleeding out. It was heart-wrenching according to the cast and crew. Through all the good and bad, the cast and crew of Terror on the Fox never give up their goal and passion to entertain the customers according to Parpovich. General admission for the main haunted house is $14 and the combo deal for all four houses is $22. A VIP pass to all four houses and to make your night as long or short as you want is $32. VIP ticket holders are allowed to skip the lines and receive a free gift bag. "The reason that it is such a success is the passion that the team has," said Parpovich. "We eat, live, breathe, and sleep this event. We are constantly thinking of ways to improve it for our customers. We're one of the few haunts that once we open, we don't ever stop building and creating."