Phobius haunted house in Wright City opened for the Halloween season Oct. 6. 

Leading up to showtime, owner Justin Fears was busy working out the details in what has become one of the most notable haunted attractions in the state. Phobius has been repeatedly recognized as a top haunted attraction by trade insiders.  

Actors crowd in by the dozens to check out their costumes, learn about the characters they will portray and receive makeup applications for the evening. It’s the fourth year of a production that began in a Wright City warehouse as the brainchild of Fears and his wife. 

When Phobius started in 2014, the haunted house had to distinguish itself to lure fans away from other attractions for a tour. 

On the frequently asked questions page of its website one answer is: “We strive to provide our guests with one of the most terrifyingly suspenseful experiences of a lifetime.”

Warnings are offered too. One says, “During your visit you will experience intense audio, lighting, extreme low visibility, strobe lights, fog, special effects, electric shock, moving floors, wet and or damp conditions, sudden actions, and an overall mentally and physically demanding environment.”

For people who like fright, one visit is enough to keep them coming back and bringing friends.  

This year’s production runs every Friday and Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m. through the end of October. 

Opening weekend saw over 500 guests flood into the darkness of Phobius, which is located at 420 E. First St. in Wright City.

“These are great opening weekend numbers, especially considering the weather was still warm,” said Fears. “We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback, and everyone is saying this is the best show yet. We’ve got a great crew, and I feel like the show will continue to get better as we move deeper into the season.”

Fears has a crew of 75 to 80 employees, including actors, makeup artists, bus drivers and security. He says the people, not the set, are what truly make the show memorable.

“The key for us that the production is actor-driven, so you could go the same season three or four times and get a different experience every time, because your interactions with the actors are going to be different,” said Fears. “You can’t possibly take in all of the set design and details in one pass.”

Much of the Phobius set remains the same from year to year, with minor shifts in detail. Fears creates a “punch list” of changes that he and his team, the “Legion of Fears,” work on during the offseason. 

“It’s impossible to execute every detail of every scene from the beginning to end, so each year we try to find those things that we feel would improve the show,” said Fears.

It is the production itself that changes most dramatically and keeps visitors returning.

“We change it a little bit each year,” said Fears. “We really try to have the most immersive experience that we can create. Every year we try to add a little bit more that lends itself to the original story line without giving away too much.”

For Fears, a passion for haunted attractions and entertaining people was only part of his motivation to spend thousands of hours and dollars on a project that didn’t have any guarantees in the beginning.

“One of the main driving forces behind us creating the haunt is that we really wanted to be able to contribute to this community,” said Fears.

He and his cast of actors frequently make appearances at school events, in parades or band performances. They participated in the Adopt-a-Highway program to help keep a stretch of roadway free of trash. 

Phobius has hosted the Zombie Defense Training at K4 Fitness the past few years and has recently begun taking its production to school assemblies to bring awareness to bullying and promote equality among students.

“All of these things we do are just voluntary on our part and are a way for us to give back to the community and show our support,” said Fears.

Phobius will be visiting area schools throughout the month of October with its character, Frank the Monster, who will stand against bullying.

Fears wife  is named Nicci.

For more information, call (636) 791-1134 or email info@phobiushaunt.com.

PHOBIUS OPEN — Phobius owner Justin Fears, left, works with actors on the details of their performance during a dry run of the haunted attraction on Sunday. The haunt will open for the season this weekend and run every Friday and Saturday through October from 8 to 11 p.m.