"It's a scene right after the apocalypse takes place and people are trying to leave the city of Chicago," said zombie Stephen Bucker. "Many are infected. Some are not. So we're trying to siphon the ones that are infected. They stay quarantined. The ones that are not are pushed to the outskirts of the city."
The scenes wind through recognizable locations, including a ride on the Red Line and other familiar haunts.
"We wanted to make it very Chicago so in one of our rooms we did a re-creation of our lady of the underpass at Fullerton and Western," said Fear City co-owner Jim Lichon. "We wanted something that was Chicago, something that was very iconic."
Fear City is a collaboration of two TV and film guys: Jim Lichon, a former set designer for the Oprah Winfrey Show, and Chuck Grendys, who builds sets for movies and commercials.
"I've worked on Adventures of Babysitting, Poltergeist 3, Midnight Run," said Grendys.
With some 100 actors deployed in every corner and details like an all-too realistic hoarder house, Grendys assures there is plenty of blood and guts, but also smart and funny elements to keep guests coming back.
"It's not always about getting in someone's face and screaming at them," Grendys said. "The amount of detail, the movie quality sets, those are things that people come to see as well."
But of course, the frights don't hurt.
Fear City is open every weekend this month. It will be open every day during the week leading up to Halloween.
