Wisconsin has numerous wickedly wondrous haunted houses during this time of year. The Hill Has Eyes in Franklin is artful and terrifying, with an operating ski lift – called, of course, the "scare lift" – that has visitors dangling in the dark night at one point. But one must slip over the state border to access the most terrifying of the haunted houses within reasonable driving distance from Milwaukee: Dungeon of Doom.

Dungeon of Doom is located in Zion, Illinois – about 50 minutes from Milwaukee – in what feels like an abandoned industrial area. Brothers-in-law Anthony Relken and Peter Koklamanis have been in the haunted house biz for 32 years. They've had Dungeon of Doom for 23, and finally had the opportunity to buy the building six years ago.

"Now we can do whatever we want," says Relken.

Dungeon of Doom takes about an hour to walk – and scream – through. During this time guests experience room after room of horrific, artistic sets with more than 100 gruesomely groomed live actors with a knack for jump scaring, pig snorting, howling and getting so close you will feel their lava-hot breath on your face.

The seemingly endless rooms of gory scenes – some, like the abandoned children’s hospital are truly unsettling – are broken up by even more immersive experiences like getting berated in a spinning cage, falling nine floors and crashing to the ground in an elevator and – by far the most intense – getting buried alive. Without giving too much away, let’s just say it’s as awful and awesome as it sounds. Claustrophobes beware. And it’s probably something you only need to experience once in your life. Maybe twice. 

Relken and Koklamanis crafted by hand every last gooey eyeball, raging 8-foot mechanical beast, vibrating floorboard, ear piercing sound and padded wall in the place. It’s impressive, large-scale, the real-deal and definitely not for anyone who doesn’t appreciate the unrelenting feeling of fear.

"For us, it’s a passion project," says Relken. "I will never retire from this. They’re gonna have to bury me in there."

Dungeon of Doom is open weekends through mid-November, including a "blackout" experience Nov. 4-5. On Monday, Oct. 31 they will host a new-for-2022 "Slasher Night." The cost is $30-50 – get the VIP package to ensure getting "buried alive."

For more information in general, go here, and be sure to read the warnings. Dungeon of Doom is definitely not for everyone – especially not kids – but it’s a terrifying treasure for adults and teens who dig this sort of thing.