A masked man wielding a chain saw is one of the first people to greet you at the Egyptian Theatre’s Amenti Haunted House.

The house opened this weekend and will continue to scare the DeKalb community from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m., Oct. 27 to 31.

Waiting in line outside of the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., was Cierra Slaughter, a DeKalb High School freshman huddled in with a group of friends, avoiding the man with the chain saw, who was stalking patrons. This was her first Halloween tour of the theater.

“I already have to pee with fear, and I just got here,” Slaughter said.

Across the street sat Ethan Rader, Naperville North High School sophomore, who recounted the terror from the event.

“It was scary,” Rader said. “The lights are definitely something to throw you off. And the guy with the chain saw likes to walk through the line and follow people and doesn’t at all mind chasing people down the block.”

Alex Nerad, executive director for the Egyptian Theatre, said there were several new features to this year’s haunted house, including a new, longer indoor route that will cause patrons to become turned around even more than in previous years. This new feature may help to explain the successful opening weekend.

“Last year, we had 3,200 people in eight nights, and Friday had an even bigger opening night than last year did,” Nerad said.

The scariest part of the Amenti Haunted House depends on personal fears, Nerad said.

“We try to touch on a little bit of everything,” Nerad said.

This may bode well for those looking to experience a traditional Halloween scare as well as an actual historical haunting. The Egyptian Theatre has a long and sordid past that includes several resident ghosts that linger atop the balcony among other sites inside the theatre, Nerad said.

“Not only do we put on our own haunted house, but the theater is actually haunted,” Nerad said.