Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
As October rolls on, the time for haunted trails and houses is upon us. One cannot turn on the radio without being bombarded by advertisements for Connecticut’s “scariest” attractions.
There are the two popular haunted trails: Lake Compounce’s Haunted Graveyard and Six Flag’s Fright Fest. Both are good for a scare, but since the customer needs to buy a full park ticket in order to get into the attraction, these options can run much more pricy than an average local scare.
Sam Schwind, an English major, is a past employee of Lake Compounce’s Haunted Graveyard. She shared a behind-the-scenes viewpoint.
“It was really interesting to see people’s reactions to fear–some laugh hysterically, and some nearly cry from terror,” said Schwind. “But I’m very easily spooked too, so the craziest thing was trying to slip out unnoticed for my break and having my coworkers jump out and surprise me.”
The Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce runs the entire month of October, through Halloween night, from dusk every night.
If traveling to Bristol is not a feasible option, there are scary attractions right in Southern’s backyard. Kelsey Monaghan, a pre-nursing major, recommends the Haunted Isle at the Shoreline Trolley Museum in East Haven.
Monaghan said, “It is really fun. There is an old trolley museum, and you ride on the trolley to the actual haunted trail, which is different.”
The Trolley Museum’s Haunted Isle attraction is open every weekend in October through Oct. 24, and a ticket costs $12.
The Legend’s of Fear attraction in Shelton, Conn. offers the customer more options. For $15, a thrill-seeker could take their famous haunted hayride. Or, for $17, the customer could test their limits with the “Melon Head’s Revenge Trail.” For a discounted $30, the customer will get entry into both attractions. The also offer $3 off to anyone who can show a valid student ID or military ID. The Legend’s of Fear runs every weekend in October through Oct. 30.
The Nightmare on Wolcott St., in Waterbury, Conn. is one of the biggest haunted house type attractions in Connecticut, bragging of over 55 rooms.
The websites says, “This indoor haunted attraction features chainsaws,creepy sounds, animatronics, live characters and much much more! The blood and gore will leave you terrified!”
The Nightmare of Wolcott St. is open every weekend in October from 6pm to midnight, with the last tickets being sold at midnight. Tickets are $10.
The best option for Southern students, however, in the Amity Road Horror. This haunted trail is minutes off of campus. This attraction is known to sell-out, so go early if you plan to buy tickets. Tickets cost $18 for adults, and tickets are sold from 6:45pm to 10:45pm, early weekend in October.
Whether students are looking for a quick, cheap scare, or a full night of fright, there is a haunted attraction for everyone this season.
Photo Credit: Martin Lewison