Universal announces plans for immersive horror experience at 700 W. Chicago

Universal Destinations & Experiences, the themed entertainment division of Comcast NBCUniversal, recently announced Chicago as the second location for its year-round immersive horror experience Universal Horror Unleashed. The permanent entertainment venue is Universal’s first branded experience in the Midwest.

Universal Horror Unleashed: Chicago will transform a vacant 114,000-square-foot commercial building at 700 W. Chicago, directly across from the new Bally’s Casino, into a world-class horror attraction and entertainment destination. 

According to Universal, the experience will include terrifying mazes, unforgettable scares, themed bars and unique food and beverage offerings, and a retail space featuring exclusive merchandise. The venue is expected to operate year-round, creating more than 400 permanent jobs ranging from operations leaders, merchandise hosts, entertainers called scare actors to make-up and prosthetics artists.  

The site at 700 W. Chicago is home to a large, proposed development by Canadian developer Onni Group. The $1.1 billion plan envisions four mixed-use skyscrapers with a total of 2,451 apartments, large expanses of retail spaces, and 1,950 parking spaces. The vision received approval from the Chicago Plan Commission in June 2024 but has stalled in City Hall as the local Service Employees International Union 1 has lobbied against it because Onni Group has not signed a labor peace agreement with them.

While the horror experience seems to throw Onni Group’s plans into question, the developers didn’t plan to begin construction until 2029 anyway. Construction on Universal’s horror experience is expected to begin in early 2026 and open in 2027. According to a report from Crain’s, the developer is still committed to the Halsted Landing development and this strategic lease is in line with their broader timeline, so construction could still move forward in the future.