A Holyoke building inspector shut down a brand-new, high-intensity haunted house add-on called The Cube at DementedFX after discovering it had been built without a building permit — and after the inspector himself experienced an electric shock during a walkthrough.
An Inspector Gets Shocked During a Routine Visit
Leslie D. Ward, who reviewed the DementedFX venue on October 6, wrote that The Cube constitutes a hazard until permits, inspections and information are obtained, according to MassLive. During the inspection, Ward experienced air from the attraction's pneumatic guns instead of the intended bee-sting effect, and he also experienced an electric shock similar to touching a light socket. Ward ultimately ordered DementedFX owner Jeremie Lapointe to shut down The Cube immediately.
The Cube is an 8-by-8-foot booth tucked inside the larger, 20,000-square-foot mill building that houses DementedFX's main haunted attraction on Main Street in downtown Holyoke. Per the same MassLive account, the booth includes a footing station and two waist-high steel bars that are oppositely charged, along with a presentation of loud voices, flashing lights and a biomedical-lab-themed diorama tied to the venue's storyline.
No Permits, No Warnings, No Certificate Update
Lapointe created The Cube but failed to obtain a building permit before constructing it, the report states. He told the outlet that patrons sought a heightened sensory experience, including pain. DementedFX had been operating under a 2025 certificate of inspection that was due to expire on October 31.
Ward also found that The Cube lacked entrance warnings for people with pacemakers, heart conditions, epilepsy or psychological conditions, and that patrons were instead required to sign a waiver releasing the venue owner from liability for injury, paralysis or death. Ward did not see emergency lighting, fire alarm devices or sprinkler heads in the booth.
What It Will Take to Reopen
Before The Cube can reopen, it will need the required permits and inspections. Ward also wants health-warning signs posted for patrons with the conditions he flagged during the inspection.
Under 780 CMR, special amusement buildings are subject to periodic inspections at least once a year and must maintain a valid certificate of inspection to legally operate, according to the Massachusetts state building code.
A Resident's Letter Raised the Alarm Early
Ward received multiple complaints about The Cube before his inspection. One came from Holyoke resident Patti Devine, who wrote a letter to the city license board raising concerns about potential injury. Devine said she was concerned about an attraction that could potentially cause injury or death, and she asked what ages were allowed into The Cube and whether parental approval was required for minors. She also asked whether the fire department had inspected the booth and said she wanted fire and police department members on hand at DementedFX in case of injury. The Holyoke License Board approved a temporary liquor license for DementedFX despite those concerns; Alexandria Maysonet said the temporary license permits beer and wine service through October 31.
Tessa Murphy-Romboletti could not be reached for comment on the concerns surrounding The Cube, and Joshua Garcia declined to comment, the report states. It remains unaddressed whether the city council will take up broader public health concerns tied to the attraction. DementedFX remains open through October 31 and draws thousands of visitors each year to its post-apocalyptic BioMedCorp storyline, which sends patrons through a post-apocalyptic wasteland amid a monstrous virus in search of a cure, according to DementedFX's own description of the attraction.
A Historic Mill Building
DementedFX moved into its current Main Street location in 2016 after previously operating in Easthampton, taking over an old mill building in downtown Holyoke, according to The Scare Factor.
The Cube will need permits and inspections before it can reopen.
