‘The Gallows’ directors open haunted house at Veterans Memorial Auditorium

If you believe filmmakers Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium is the most haunted place in Fresno.

They may be exaggerating some to spark interest in Nightmare Theater, the haunted attraction they will open inside the auditorium on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Or, it could be for their film, “The Gallows,” which has made more than $38 million worldwide and was shot inside the building, and is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 13.

Either way, Lofing says there were “a lot of strange things that happened to us.”

During filming, cast members heard loud thumps and chains rattling in the rafters. Some swear they heard voices whispering their names. The ropes on the stage’s fly system would vibrate wildly and visibly, Lofing says. Much of the activity happened on the stage, mostly when the cast members were on break and alone.

Even before the movie was released, there was an influx of guests wanting to see the building where “The Gallows” was filmed, Lofing says. Since its premiere in July, pictures have popped up on Instagram and Twitter showing visitors secretly posing, guerrilla-style, at the theater’s back door. It’s the entry point for the characters in the film.

“People really do want to go and check out the building,” Cluff says.

What a building it is.

Located in downtown Fresno on a full city block bounded by Fresno, N, O, and Merced streets, the auditorium was constructed in 1936 and was once “Fresno’s most significant cultural facility,” according to the website Historic Fresno. Over the years, the building hosted Broadway plays, concerts and opera as well as high school graduations and conventions, including the 1956 California Democratic Convention. Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher and Fats Domino have performed there.

The Nightmare Theater will take guests through parts of the auditorium that most people never get to see. The attraction winds through  1/4 mile of basement rooms, back hallways and stairs.

Some trace the exact spots where the movie was filmed – a definite plus for those who have seen “The Gallows.”

There’s not much more the directors are willing to share, lest they ruin any surprise. They will say that cast members like Pfeifer Brown will be on site on several of the nights signing autographs. Michael Needham, the film’s special effects artist, will have a makeup demonstration for guests as they wait in line.

Cluff does promise one shock that, if it works out, will be the most memorable moment from a haunted attraction.

But much like the film, Nightmare Theater is more about suspense and old-school frights than blood and body parts, he says.

“We’re not gore-meisters or gore masters. We’re not trying to make children have nightmares for the rest of their lives.”

Here’s a look at two other area haunts with attractions for Halloween:

Hobb’s Grove

Spread out on 26 acres of rural land in Sanger, Hobb’s Grove is spooky even before you start wandering the corridors of the haunted house or cursed forest. The less brave can cuddle up for a frightening hayride. Details: 6-9:30 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays and 6-10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, through Halloween, 14265 E. Goodfellow Ave,. Sanger. Tickets are $7-$30. 559-356-3958, www.hobbsgrove.com

Raisin Hell Ranch

Madera’s haunted cornfield is inhabited by demonic scarecrows and blood-sucking chupacabras. Included in the terror is the Black-out Maze, which has “no lights, no maps” and no one to hear you scream. Details: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 9-11, Oct. 15-18 and Oct. 22 to Nov. 1, 7451 Rd. 32, Madera. Tickets are $17-$35. 559-961-7306, www.raisinhellranch.com

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘The Gallows’ directors open haunted house at Veterans Memorial Auditorium."