Haunted houses bring terror to thrill seekers |
Brad Brefeld |
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It's that time of year when the weather becomes colder and leaves begin changing colors. Fall marks a turn in the season as well as the start of haunted houses. St. Louis has a wide variety of haunted houses. They may range from mildly scary hay rides to downright terrifying haunted theme parks. Whatever your choice is, St. Louis is sure to have the right haunted house to suit your thrill-seeking needs. To kick off the Halloween season, some friends and I wanted to go haunted housing. After thinking deeply over where to go, we chose "The House of Darkness" in Soulard, Mo., in the old Welsh Factory next to Soulard Market. After much time driving around Soulard trying to find the place, we spotted the searchlights and followed them faithfully until we finally located the building. The outside was constructed of brick and seemed to give off a feeling of terror even before we entered. We bought our tickets and went through the door. The path led us up a flight of stairs. The walls were painted with spiders and jack-o-lanterns that seemed to stare at us as we followed the steps. We soon arrived to a large area filled with video games and concession stands. This was the waiting room. In other words, this was the room where the haunted house raked in all the money. In the middle of the large room was a concession stand. While browsing through the choices, I noticed some of the prices on the overhead marquee. They were ridiculous! Two bucks for a can of Coke. A buck for a candy bar. Come on, people. There has to be a better way of earning a few extra bucks! After the 10-minute wait, we began our quest to make it to the finish. A strange-looking woman who resembled a horrid vampire met us. We began walking through a mini-museum filled with horrifying creatures from new- and old-time horror movies, such as Freddy Krueger from "Nightmare on Elm Street." Next, she led us into an open room with fancy but creepy statues and fountains. There we waited again. This wait, however, was not bad because sound effects and the surroundings kept us occupied. We walked into an elevator. It began to shake rapidly and then suddenly stopped. We stepped off the elevator and into a smoky hallway lit only by a strobe light. The path began to wind around many different horrifying scenes, where the occasional mannequin would come out and startle us. It was very difficult to tell whether the figures were real or fake. We were forced into a room covered by complete darkness called the "Depths of Darkness." This by far was one of the most terrifying events yet. "The House of Darkness" seemed to concentrate on scaring the fright seekers but scared many of us for different reasons. Take for instance, the men's bathroom. As I walked in, the piercing aroma hit me as I gagged for a breath of air. The toilets were not clean and the restroom didn't supply soap. Also, it became too personal as we approached the end. The characters approached one of my friends and blocked her from exiting. They even went as far as to follow us to our vehicle and lean in the car to give us one final scare. Overall, the experience was horrifying. It was well worth the $13.50 we paid for the tickets. The haunted house itself seemed to cancel out the negative. The characters seemed believable and never once broke character. The costumes used complimented the character's hideous makeup. Each employee had his or her own character. The makeup was drastically different from character to character. I highly recommend "The House of Darkness." It is rated one of the nation's best haunted houses. This is one of your last chances to experience the thrills and chills of "The House of Darkness" because it will be moving locations next year. In celebrating the move, the size has been doubled with more dark, creepy corridors and more elaborate scenes. The haunted house lasted approximately 45 minutes, making it the longest single haunt in St. Louis. The house also features several celebrities that grace St. Louis-area haunted houses. World Wrestling Federation guests such as Matt, Lita and Jeff Hardy will be signing autographs Friday, Oct. 13. Also, Michael Williams from the "Blair Witch Project" will be appearing Saturday, Oct. 14. The house is open Oct. 11 through 15. Starting Oct. 18, the park will be open every night. Tickets range from $13.50 for adults and $8 for children. The super-saver tickets allow saving even more money by visiting all three of the following attractions: "The House of Darkness", "Elvira's Nightmare Haunted House" and "Screamworld", all in the St. Louis area. If you purchase a combo ticket at any of the two locations, you'll drop $10 off the admission price. For more daring seekers, buy a ticket for all three and you will save $15. For more information about "The House of Darkness" or the related theme parks, call the 24-hour Haunted Hotline at (314) 631-8000 or visit the Web site at www.scarefest.com. | |