Somewhere in a dark maze, a shotgun fires and a chain saw revs.

Welcome to Jonamac Orchard and the Midwest’s equivalent of a haunted moor – the Haunted Corn Maze.

Kevin McArtor, whose family has been running the orchard, located at 19412 Shabbona Road, Malta, for 24 years, said most of the draw for college-age students is the Halloween-themed event. Visitors go through two halves. The first is a long, dark walk with no flashlights allowed.

“It builds the anticipation during the first half,” said McArtor. “You can’t see where you’re going. You’re hearing noises through the corn.”

Along the second haunted path, wanderers will find a graveyard in the darkness, along with other scenes and surprises, McArtor said.

“We have about 15 to 20 spooks, actors,” McArtor said, describing madmen with chain saws and screaming patrons.

The three-mile long maze has a NIU Huskies theme this year, with a 200-foot Victor E. Huskie cut into the maze’s center.

Outside of the maze, McArtor said visitors can pick apples from the orchard, bring their children to the barnyard play area or shop in the store. The 65-acre farm has about 5,000 trees.

“We’ve added more activities. It isn’t just, ‘Come in here and buy some apples,'” McArtor said. “People are looking for entertainment.”

Halloween caps the season at Jonamac. While the store will stay open until November 21, holiday events end the last day of October