Batavia's Campana building turned into haunted factory

First, zombies took over Aurora’s Riverfront Playhouse. Saturday a haunted factory is opening in Batavia. Halloween can’t be far! The West High Stage Crew is collaborating with All Dressed Up Costumes of Batavia to create “The Crypts of Campana” at the old Campana Building on the northwest corner of Route 31 and Fabyan Parkway.

I visited their Web site, www.factoryfear.com, before talking with Julane Sullivan, the owner of All Dressed Up Costumes. My first question to her was, “Is there any truth to the story about the old building?” To my surprise, her answer was, “Yes!”

She told me about the Campana Company’s very progressive owner, Ernest Oswald, and how he allowed tours through his factory. He installed an air conditioning system at a time when that was unheard of, using water from the Fox River,  and one of his rare wooden water towers is still intact. She said his employees loved working there and didn’t want to leave when the business closed, so it’s quite possible that some might choose to haunt the old building they had loved.

The collaboration between Sullivan and West High has been ongoing for many years, with her shop supplying costumes for West’s productions and the Crew supplying talent to help with sound for her summer Shakespeare programs. For years Stage Crew had dreamed about creating a haunted house, so when Sullivan’s store moved to the Campana Building, the plan fell into place as for a stage for a fundraiser to buy new equipment. Understand that most of the great equipment West’s auditorium enjoys is bought through funds raised by the very hard working Stage Crew.

Andy Freeman and Todd Nance, West alumni, have worked countless hours on this project. Freeman explained the challenges of construction in a cold storage area with no electricity (they brought in a generator) and 16-foot ceilings. All the walls they constructed needed to be 10 feet high rather than the usual 8. Tom Lorenz and his amazing Stage Crew eat that kind of challenge for breakfast. This project is a professional-grade haunting, of the same caliber as we have come to expect from West’s stage productions, even if the Crew gets no sleep for a week.

Sullivan assured me that it is a haunting story with plenty of surprises, but not a “terrorizing” place. There is even a special walk-through on Sept. 25 when younger kids can enjoy the fun and visit special candy stations. Tickets are $13 at the door, but if you go to their Web site first — which you’ll want to do anyway to check dates and times — you can print a $3 discount coupon.

So come and support West. If this goes well, it could become an annual attraction. See the “decapitorium” lunch room, laboratory, and day care center, complete with scary clowns. I’d tell you more, but don’t want to spoil the surprises. (Trust me, there’s some great stuff). Halloween is not quite complete without a visit to a haunted house, and this one will be incredible!