The tale of Exit 13 is best told in two-halves — the first half ended following the 2012 haunt season when the original owner sold the attraction. I saw Exit 13 for the first time that year and did enjoy the old school trappings, but Exit 13 would soon go on to a second life, one that saw the haunt soar to superstardom.
In 2013, Rebecca Pajcz and her team inherited the keys to the kingdom, and thus began a wholesale transformation that had Exit 13 among the most talked about haunted attractions in the State of Michigan. The makeup, costumes, and set design improved year by year, the marketing went from sleepy to slick and within a few short seasons, Exit 13 was as visible throughout Metro Detroit as Erebus.
With an in-your-face and physical cast, Exit 13 never failed to produce excellent interactions and memories to last for years. I had the good fortune to tour the Monster of Mt. Morris on seven occasions between 2012 and 2019, and I always came away with fun stories to tell.
It’s a crying shame that Exit 13 ceased operations at the height of its popularity, closing up shop seemingly for good following the 2023 haunted house season. Rebecca Pajcz is still active in the industry, now plying her craft through set design and prop creation at Reaper’s Revenge in Pennsylvania.
If you have memories of Exit 13, please leave them in the comments. I’ve included links to my own journeys for those interested below.
2012: Old School Romp at Exit 13
2013: Screwball Cast Ignites Exit 13
wasn’t all just Rebecca…… if your gonna write story’s make sure they make sense first
Rebecca was an owner of the attraction, the principal point of contact, and the public face of Exit 13.
The first sentence that mentioned Rebecca also included the word “team.” That was a direct reference to all who were involved with the success of Exit 13.