Moment Factory, a multidisciplinary studio with over 24 years of expertise in themed entertainment, has announced a new partnership with Wisconsin’s iconic Ghost Boat. This after-dark experience has undergone a significant multimedia overhaul, enhancing the adventure for both first-time visitors and returning guests.
Leveraging its expertise in multimedia environments, the studio collaborated with Dells Boat Tours to transform the 20-year-old fright attraction, which includes an upriver boat cruise and an immersive walk through Cold Water Canyon. Utilising the dramatic and eerie natural landscape alongside engaging storytelling and live performers, this experience leads visitors on a chilling adventure through a haunted canyon.
“What makes Ghost Boat so unique from other haunted attractions is the incredibly dramatic setting — a narrow, twisting walk through ancient sandstone formations,” says Emil Bertalot, communications director at Dells Boat Tours.
“It’s spooky enough on its own, but we always believed it held vastly more potential. We shared our vision and goals with Moment Factory, and they not only understood it — they elevated it, intensified it, maximized it.
“Technically speaking, it is a completely original multimedia experience. Emotionally speaking, it’s pure nightmare fuel.”
Combining digital and physical elements for an engaging experience
As soon as visitors board the boat, an unsettling tension envelops them — a foreboding hint of the nightmare to come. Each stage of the journey, as it transitions from water to land and back, is infused with dread, as unsettling encounters and sinister surprises await.
How does this happen? The canyon’s 1.5 km pathway is reinvented through a combination of physical and digital elements, featuring dynamic lighting, eerie video projections, timed ‘scare moments’, and spatial audio. The experience engages visitors, elevating their emotions with unpredictable moments lurking around every corner.
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“Exploring the world of scare attractions is an exciting new chapter for us,” says Alexandre Lupien, themed entertainment creative director at Moment Factory.
“It’s a universe with its own rules, culture, and passionate audiences. Today’s thrill-seekers crave innovative immersive experiences that surpass expectations and fully draw them into alternate realities.
“What makes multimedia storyworlds so powerful is their ability to create a genuine emotional connection between visitors and their environment, while offering the flexibility to evolve over time, keeping the experience fresh, surprising, and alive year after year.”
With other projects already underway in the horror world, Moment Factory is dedicated to creating experiences that promise excitement and more. From designing fully immersive aquatic zones in indoor water parks to animating historical sites after dark, or crafting magical night walks in forests, any environment can be transformed into an emotionally captivating immersive experience.
Earlier this year, Moment Factory introduced its 25th Lumina Night Walk in Australia, further establishing its role as a global leader in innovative nighttime experiences. This acclaimed series has drawn in audiences worldwide, with over six million tickets sold, underscoring the enduring appeal and strong demand for immersive storytelling in outdoor settings.
