http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2007/10/05/localnews/20071005-archive2.txt

WYANDOTTE — This is one hospital you don't want to go to when you're sick.

In fact, it could even scare you to death if you're healthy.

Hell's Hospital is this year's version of the Wyandotte Jaycees haunted attraction, one of the group's biggest annual fund-raisers, now in its 31st year.

Unlike some Jaycees' chapters that utilize semitruck trailers placed in parking lots, the Wyandotte Jaycees have been fortunate to find brick and mortar structures, usually abandoned and awaiting demolition.

That's the case with the location of this year's haunted attraction at the old Templin's Auto Shop, 2070 Biddle Ave.

Jennifer Bramble, chairwoman of the project, said the first thought was to come up with an automotive repair theme.

"We were going to call it the Chop Shop," she said.

However, being that the building is across the street from Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, coupled with the fact that medical offices will be built there after the current structure is razed, Bramble and her fellow Jaycees members who organized the project decided on the medical theme.

Last year, the location was the old Wyandotte Theater, which was demolished about a month ago. Two years ago, they utilized the old Hungarian Kitchen on Fort Street, near Oak, along with two adjacent buildings.

Bramble said that changing locations each year gives the haunted attraction a new feel and a different aura. However, the down side is that it often takes a lot of prep work to convert the buildings.

The old Hungarian Kitchen required knocking down walls to gain access to what were formerly a dental office and a cosmetology shop that were part of a small strip mall. The Wyandotte Theater, which had been abandoned for years, required washing down bird droppings and partitioning areas that were potentially dangerous to enter.

"With the auto shop, the big thing was getting the hoist out," Bramble said. "That was an interesting process. It left a hole in the ground we had to fill with cement so that no one falls in. We also had to take out the furnace and other things that we don't need."

The theme to Hell's Hospital is "Doctors gone wrong." Thrill-seekers will be asked to remain in a waiting area until doctors become available.

"Every haunt in the house will be related to the hospital theme, including the monsters," Bramble said.

The hope is that Hell's Hospital continues the tradition of Wyandotte Jaycees' award-winning haunted houses. The local chapter has the distinction of holding a three-year record, from 2003 to 2005, for the best Jaycee haunted house in the state.

Bramble said the Jaycees appreciate the cooperation they have received from city officials in helping the group locate a new haunted house each year.

She said it takes about 10 Jaycees to put on the event each night, along with the assistance of about 20 nonmembers, many of whom are local teenagers too young to be members of the organization.

Opening night is tomorrow. After opening night, the attraction will be open every Thursday through Sunday throughout the month. The hours are 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays, and 7 p.m. through midnight Fridays and Saturdays. It also will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Halloween week. All tickets are $10.

For those with young children (or weak hearts), there will be two chances to tour the haunted house in a non-threatening manner. Friendly Monster Nights will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 19 and again from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 28. The price for Friendly Monster Nights is $2 per child. Parents are admitted free.

During these hours, the lights are left on, masks are left off and children receive a treat at the end. For more haunted house information, call the Haunted House hotline at 1-734-444-4902.

The Jaycees are always looking for new members. The organization offers men and women ages 21 to 40 an opportunity to gain leadership skills while making a positive impact on the community.

To find out more about the organization, call 1-734-284-FUN1 (3861) or visit the chapter's Web site at www.wyandottejaycees.net.