A candy-colored haunted mansion built inside a truck is parking at Navy Pier on Oct. 24 from noon to 8 p.m., marking Chicago's only stop on HI-CHEW's five-city Mystery Manor Tour. Kids can trick-or-treat with Frankenchewbie, the Japanese candy brand's friendly Frankenstein-style mascot, who hands out treats at the door, while families taste-test samples of the brand's Halloween Mystery Mix and chase clues to guess a secret flavor hidden inside an all-white chewlet.
The Navy Pier stop, located at 600 E. Grand Ave., is one of five nationwide dates on the tour, according to Chicago Parent. The traveling truck also visits the University of Texas in Austin, 5th & Broadway in Nashville, Drexel University in Philadelphia, and the Hoboken Ragamuffin Parade in New Jersey, with the tour wrapping up in New Jersey on Halloween, according to PR Newswire.
The mystery flavor itself stays concealed until that final Hoboken stop, when HI-CHEW reveals its identity on social media, per Haunted Attraction Network. Until then, the Halloween Mystery Mix includes green apple, orange creamsicle and cotton candy flavors alongside the hidden one, according to Chicago Parent. Attendees at Navy Pier can follow hidden clues and interactive games onsite to try to guess the secret ingredient themselves, and those who win can take home HI-CHEW merchandise available only at the tour.
Guessing Game Comes With a $3,000 Prize
Families who can't make it to Navy Pier in person still have a shot at the brand's broader contest. HI-CHEW's online Flavor Mash sweepstakes, which closes Oct. 30, offers a $3,000 prepaid card grand prize for a correct guess, plus branded merchandise, the same Haunted Attraction Network report notes. Ten runner-up prize packs valued at $100 are also up for grabs, and the sweepstakes is limited to U.S. residents age 18 and older, according to Chicago Parent.
Beyond the prize hunt, the Navy Pier stop doubles as a photo opportunity, with a graveyard set where kids can pose alongside Frankenchewbie. Chicago Parent describes the setup as playful, bright and cartoonish, designed to be more giggles than screams and suited for preschoolers and early grade-schoolers rather than teens chasing a scare. No ticket prices, reservations or RSVPs have been posted for the event, and Navy Pier itself remains free to enter.
Why Navy Pier, and Why Now
HI-CHEW describes the Mystery Manor Tour as its biggest Halloween activation yet, part of a push to move beyond traditional retail sampling into immersive brand experiences, according to PR Newswire. That ambition tracks with the company's investment: Morinaga America announced a more-than-$130 million investment in a second U.S. manufacturing facility in Mebane, North Carolina, with construction expected to begin in October 2024, after the brand logged 20% year-over-year U.S. sales growth since 2018, per Food Business News.
The candy's American foothold traces back further than the current factory expansion. HI-CHEW's U.S. popularity gathered momentum in 2008 after Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa introduced it to the Boston Red Sox bullpen. The Counter reports a Red Sox sponsorship in 2012 and 300% sales growth over three years, according to The Counter.
Navy Pier's role as the tour's sole Midwest stop fits a pattern for the lakefront destination, which regularly hosts major free activations, including its Chicago Live! Festival, and features the $40 million FlyOver Chicago ride. The HI-CHEW truck also slots into Navy Pier's broader Slightly Spooky October lineup, which includes hands-on science and art activities plus indoor screenings of WALL-E and Scream in Crystal Gardens, according to Navy Pier.
Bigger Picture: Record Halloween Spending
The timing lines up with a record year for Halloween spending nationally. Total U.S. consumer spending on the holiday is projected to hit $13.5 billion in 2026, up from $13.1 billion in 2025, with 74% of Americans planning to celebrate, according to the National Retail Federation.
Getting to Navy Pier
Families planning to attend should show up during event hours and arrive early, since Saturday afternoons at Navy Pier tend to get busy, Chicago Parent advises. The pier has on-site garages with first-come, first-served spaces that can fill on weekends, though Navy Pier guest services can validate discounted parking at nearby partner garages.
CTA bus lines serving the pier include the No. 29 State, No. 65 Grand, No. 66 Chicago and No. 124 Navy Pier Express, with the No. 124 running directly from Union Station, Ogilvie and Millennium Station for families arriving by Metra, according to the same Chicago Parent report. Anyone who misses the Oct. 24 date can still play Frankenchewbie's Flavor Mash online or pick up Halloween Mystery Mix at Kroger, Target or HI-CHEW.com.
