Abandoned Haunted House Complex, I-94, Racine County

Sturtevant, Wisconsin — The former Vance’s Bar along I-94/U.S. Route 41 at 2825 SE Frontage Road, which John D. Vance started as an auto repair garage after buying the land in 1948. An addition opened as a beer joint called “Club 41” in 1954, then expanded into the country music club known as “Vance’s Bar 41” in 1963.

A brief history of Vance’s Bar has been posted by one of Vance’s children on a page at Answers.com:

During the ’70’s, 80’s and early ’90’s many Country Music Stars like David Frizell and Shell West, Porter Waggoner, Cal Smith, Bellomy Brothers, Janie Frickie, Charlie McClain, Tammy Wynette, and the Kendalls to only mention a few, as well as groups like Tommy James and the Shondells, Roy Orbison, Rick Nelson and Bobby Vee performed there. Faron Young was a regular at Vance’s and knew the Vance family well as did Roy Orbison.

Dean Lange and The Pony Express were the “house band” at Vance’s for many years and opened for most of the Country Shows as well as the Rock and Roll shows. John called The Pony Experess ” The Greatest Country Band In The Midwest”……….and they were!

According to its website, the Abandoned Haunted House Complex will open on Friday, October 5, 2012, and feature “two large, full-size Wisconsin haunted houses for scary Halloween entertainment.”