Halloween is still months away. But the troupe of actors and the designers and artists behind seasonal attraction Haunted Basement are already plotting how to scare the wits out of visitors to their new home in the former Herberger’s store at Rosedale Center, in Roseville, Minn.

Haunted Basement’s 20,000-square-foot installation will be located in the southeast corner of the mall’s lower level, in a space that Herberger’s vacated in 2018. Construction is going on in the space now, and the installation will be open to the public at the end of September and through the first weekend in November.

“It’s a big growth spurt for us,” said Sarah Salisbury, production director for Haunted Basement, in a press release. “This being our thirteenth year, we thought we’d test our boundaries as teenagers and try something bigger and scarier than years past. When we were approached by Rosedale, we thought this is the perfect opportunity to continue our tradition of artist-driven horror, just a little bigger than usual.”

According to a National Retail Federation survey, 175 million Americans say they plan to celebrate Halloween. In 2018 average spending on the holiday came to nearly $87 per person, with the total retail spend estimated at some $9 billion.

Haunted Basement is an interactive experience based on absurdist psychological horror. The artist-created theatrical performance has in years past been intended only for adults 18 and older. This year's basement will feature a few different options for younger visitors.

 “I can’t wait to see — or hear — our guests’ reaction to Haunted Basement,” said Sarah Fossen, director of marketing and experience at Rosedale Center. “Halloween is now the second biggest holiday, after Christmas, and we know that people are looking for experiences more exciting than bobbing for apples.”