Joliet, IL — The Old Joliet Haunted Prison, a seasonal haunted attraction operated by Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group inside a former state women’s prison, may not return in 2026 after changes to the lease agreement between the state of Illinois and the city of Joliet removed the attraction as an approved use of the property.
The city of Joliet leases the former Joliet Correctional Center site from the state and has sublet the women’s prison building to Thirteenth Floor since 2020. According to a report from the Joliet Herald-News, a new lease negotiated between the city and the state last year now requires state approval for all activities on the property. City spokeswoman Ann Sylvester told the Herald-News that “at this time, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group is not an approved use under the terms of that agreement.”
The city notified Thirteenth Floor in January that its agreement had expired and that it must remove all property and equipment from the site, according to the report. The Joliet City Council had approved the three-year lease renewal with the state in December without any public indication that the new terms would affect the haunted attraction.
Thirteenth Floor said the decision came as a surprise. Samantha Beranek, a representative for the company, told the Herald-News that the attraction “has grown into a fall tradition that brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city each year, creates meaningful jobs for local residents, and supports local businesses throughout the season.” Beranek added that the company hopes to work with the city to continue operating at the site.
Workers at the attraction were also caught off guard. Elizabeth Fox, a makeup artist at the Old Joliet Haunted Prison, told the Herald-News that she and her co-workers learned of the situation this week and that no one had been told 2025 would be, or could be, the final season.
Over five seasons, the attraction has built a strong local following and been recognized as a Top Haunt by the Haunted Attraction Association. The Old Joliet Haunted Prison currently holds a 4.4-star rating across nearly 1,700 Google reviews, with visitors frequently citing the authenticity of the former prison building itself as a draw. Thirteenth Floor made a heavy investment in converting the former women’s prison into a haunted attraction when it first opened in 2020.
Thirteenth Floor, headquartered in Colorado, operates haunted attractions in multiple markets, including a location in Schiller Park, IL. The company originally opened at the Joliet Correctional Center for the 2020 Halloween season after the city sought a contractor to run a haunted attraction in the building.
The state of Illinois, which owns the correctional center property and whose revised lease terms appear to be the driving factor, has not commented publicly on the situation.
