A look at some entertainment inside DementedFX in 2025.
Reminder Publishing file photo
HOLYOKE — DementedFX’s Haunted House, located at 530 Main St., has gained the attention of many people in Holyoke, the region and the country for many reasons.
Their immersive, interactive haunted attraction, featuring 20,000 square feet of monsters, Hollywood-quality sets, and props, has left guests talking about the one-of-a-kind experience, but the city has halted the operations of one of its attractions.
DementedFX recently received national online recognition for its experience, including being named the nation’s number one haunted attraction by Scare Factor.
While the haunted house and two bars remain open, “The Cube” is temporarily closed due to city concerns.
According to DementedFX’s website, The Cube contains intense and frightening experiences, including but not limited to strobe lights, electric shocks, loud noises, sudden movements, disorienting effects, simulated bee stings and simulated physical contact.
Mayor Joshua Garcia shared the situation and a timeline dating back to July on Facebook, and explained why the city took the steps it did.
Garcia said that on Aug. 7, DementedFX Owner Jeremie Lapointe applied to install the sign and door, but the application was incomplete. According to the mayor, LaPointe was told that additional items were needed under the local sign ordinance and building code, including zoning review.
On Aug. 31, city staff observed that a large marquee had been erected on the front of the building, even though the required building and electrical permits had not been approved, and a stop work order was issued on Sept. 2.
After DPW eventually issued a permit, other required approvals were still outstanding. The city also received a complaint about The Cube on Oct. 4, citing concerns about the attraction and referencing a waiver of liability related to physical harm and death. Given the nature of the complaint, Garcia said the city needed to understand how the attraction operated and whether it met applicable safety requirements.
When city officials tried to locate the owner on Oct. 5, a captain from fire prevention at the Holyoke Fire Department and Building Commissioner Leslie Ward went to the site to speak with LaPointe but found the work was complete, according to the city. However, the building permit had not been issued for the work until that day.
Garcia explained that although the DPW permit was issued on Oct. 1, the building permit for that work was not issued until Oct. 5. By the time they visited, the project appeared complete.
Garcia explained that because the front entrance was locked, Ward went to the back of the building and entered through an unlocked door off a “common hallway.”
LaPointe has called for an independent state investigation, supported by security footage and recorded statements, for possible breaking and entering. “We continue to strongly dispute the city’s characterization of the Oct. 5 ‘inspection’ and maintain that the unauthorized entry and subsequent search violated our Fourth Amendment rights and Article 14 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights,” a statement from DementedFX read. “Importantly, despite our objections to the Oct. 5 entry, we willingly scheduled and cooperated with an authorized inspection the very next day, Oct. 6. During that inspection, we demonstrated The Cube, discussed the city’s concerns and expressed our willingness to address legitimate safety requirements.”
Garcia said that the city is aware of the complaint and takes allegations concerning the conduct of municipal employees seriously. “Any review of these allegations should be handled through the appropriate process, and we will respect that process as it moves forward.”
On Oct. 5, Ward spoke with the state inspector, who advised that The Cube attraction should be closed while questions about its oversight and safety were addressed.
Concerns about The Cube included no fire alarms were detected, no emergency lighting was observed, no mechanism was observed to shut down the device in the event of a fire alarm, no sprinkler heads were observed and the voltage delivered when occupants were reportedly “shocked” was not established. The city issued a stop-work order for The Cube on Oct. 7.
DementedFX is disputing the city’s decision to halt operations of its new Cube horror experience and, in a statement, said that The Cube is an approximately 8-foot-by-8-foot freestanding attraction originally designed for the trade-show circuit, where it was successfully operated at multiple exhibitions and underwent required safety inspections, meets trade-show fire-safety requirements and is also connected to the facility’s emergency shunt-power system.
Activation of the building’s fire alarm is designed to shut down theatrical effects throughout the haunt, including The Cube, while the facility’s emergency lighting system activates.
DementedFX said it is working toward reopening The Cube once applicable requirements are met. DementedFX said it is refunding affected Cube tickets on a weekend-by-weekend basis.
Although The Cube raises concerns, Garcia said people should still check out the haunted house. “For those who enjoy a good scare, I encourage you to check it out for yourselves and see what the buzz is about. We can recognize the appeal of a local business and want it to succeed while also making sure that every attraction operates safely and follows the rules. Those two things are not mutually exclusive.”
