The Haunt of Moundsville Penitentiary

By now, most everyone is familiar with the infamous West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. The facility (and its "Sugar Shack") left a rather impressionable mark as the setting of the debut episode of the MTV reality series, Fear, and kept the momentum going with recent appearances in the likes of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. Well, today marks a rather notorious date in the facility's history. 110 years ago to this day, October 10, 1899, inmate Shep Caldwell was executed for murdering his mistress. His death marked the first execution in West Virginia Penitentiary and there would be 93 more before the prison closed in 1995.

Today, the facility is open to the general public as a living museum where guests can see what life was like behind bars for the inmates of the Moundsville prison. In addition, it also offers ghost tours/hunts for the would-be ghost hunters to hone their skills and attempt to shine some light on the facility's mysterious happenings. It is run by the Moundsville Economic Development Council who takes advantage of this time of year to turn the prison into the Halloween haunted attraction, Dungeon of Horrors. Intended to raise funds for the general upkeep of the prison and keep it open to the general public, the haunt has become one of the more popular Halloween attractions in the United States - drawing around 10,000 visitors each year.

This week, a minor controversy erupted in Wilmington, North Carolina over a similar fundraising haunted attraction that transforms the USS North Carolina into the annual Ghost Ship. Local area news reported on a veteran of the ship's objections that the Halloween haunted attraction was not respectful of those that served and died on the vessel. The staff that run the haunt defended the attraction by saying that the ship did not receive state or federal funding to keep the memorial open and that the group relied on dollars raised from the haunt (and other events throughout the year) to keep the ship open to the general public.

So a question for you all - Do you believe it is disrespectful to run a Halloween haunted attraction at a facility where lives were lost - be it a prison, military vessel, or similar public venue? Does the money raised that help keeps the facility open to the general public justify the means?

For more information on West Virginia Penitentiary and Dungeon of Horrors, check out our articles on Dark Destinations:

West Virginia Penitentiary
Dungeon of Horrors

-Casey H.

Halloween and the Economy

In past years of economic difficulties, Halloween still managed to bolster retail sales figures as people purchased candy, costumes and decorations despite financial woes. Last year, despite the recession, Halloween resulted in between five to six billion dollars in sales for the retail sector. This year, however, as I look about my hometown of Rochester, NY, I'm seeing less costume shops and Halloween supplies available than I did at this time last year.

Last year one of the most popular local haunted attractions, Fear at Frontier (see Frontier Field/Fear at Frontier), chose to skip the season. It now appears that they have chosen not to reopen for 2009 as well. I was then saddened to learn from artist Larry Moss that due to lack of donations his Balloon Manor Halloween event (see Balloon Manor) was also going to have to skip this year. It has left me wondering what other haunted attractions are keeping their doors closed this year, or have possibly had to change venues due to the economy. It also has me wondering about the impact on ghost tours. Casey mentioned to me that a ghost tour local to him is skipping the 2009 season. I had actually been wondering if haunted attractions being closed might drive further business toward guided ghost walks and spooky-themed bus tours. Tours require far less staff and materials than a haunted attraction and despite the economy there are bound to be a large number of folks who will be in search of creepy Halloween thrills.

What is happening with the haunts and tours near you? Have you noticed any changes this year in your local retailers gearing up for the Halloween season? Do you plan on laying low this Halloween? Or are you going all out to spread and enjoy the Halloween spirit?

If you are a haunted attraction owner or an operator of a macabre-themed tour that is running this year, please give us a shout. We'll make sure to plug your business on our Web site.

-Tom G

Balloon Manor Canceled for 2009

For those of you unfamiliar with it, Balloon Manor is a haunted attraction created entirely from balloons that pops up each year in the Rochester, New York area. The story behind Balloon Manor is a romantic one. Artist Larry Moss's wife, Judy, fell into a coma in 2003 due to complications from cancer treatments. Larry would talk to her in the hopes he could bring her out of her unconscious state. One day he promised her that if she would please wake up and return to him, he would celebrate their Halloween wedding anniversary by building her a haunted castle out of balloons. When Judy finally came out of her coma, the one thing she remembered was Larry making that promise to her. In October of 2004, Larry and a team of volunteers fulfilled his romantic promise to his wife and built a 10,000 square foot haunted castle completely out of latex balloons. Everything, including the walls, furniture and monsters were made from balloons: an undertaking that took six and half days and over 100,000 balloons to make. One hundred percent of the profits for Balloon Manor went to cancer charities (and still do). Balloon Manor became a yearly tradition, with the exception of 2005 which was skipped.

Sadly, due to the current state of the economy and a lack of sponsorship this year, there will not be a Balloon Manor in 2009. There has been news coverage of Larry's struggles to drum up the support necessary for creating Balloon Manor, and while it brought in new volunteers and donations, it just wasn't enough to make Balloon Manor 2009 a reality. Larry informed me through email that he was going to make a public announcement about the cancellation later this week. He gave me the go ahead to break the news in advance through Dark Destinations since I was already in the process of updating our entry on Balloon Manor (see Balloon Manor). This is not the end of Balloon Manor, which Larry intends to bring back in the future. This also doesn't mean that Larry Moss doesn't have some other magic up his sleeve; he will also be announcing new upcoming projects that he has in development. To receive the official announcement (as well as future Balloon Manor announcements) you can sign up through http://balloonmanor.com/ or by following Balloon Manor on Twitter. Also, should you wish and are able, you can make monetary donations towards next year's Balloon Manor or even volunteer to help in its creation through the Balloon Manor Web site.

Click here to learn more about Balloon Manor and to view photos from past Balloon Manors.


-Tom G

Calling on Haunted Attractions

We're looking for any haunted attractions (Halloween or otherwise) that are not currently listed on Dark Destinations, but interested in participating. Last year, we were thrilled when we finally reached listing the 100 Halloween haunts across the United States milestone, including at least one in each of the fifty states. This year, we want to expand out even more and provide more options for our users in their local areas.

Since I know that building and running a haunt is very time consuming as it is, I am more than willing to write the article on your haunt for you. All you need to do is contact me and I'll send you a list of questions (and possible follow-ups) for me to work off of. Last Halloween, we were inundated with folks looking for more information of haunts near them and we expect even more traffic this year. It is a great way to get word out and raise interest on your own haunt well in advance of the coming Halloween season.

The offer is also open to haunts that are currently listed on the site, but are interested in updating their articles with new information. Similarly, if you run any special events (conventions, ghost tours, film festivals, etc.), feel free to contact us as well. We will do our very best to get you listed as quickly as we can.

For example of our work, please take a look at the following haunts:
Terror Behind the Walls
Haunted Theatre, Wenatchee, WA
Forest of Fright, Philo, OH
The Haunted Forest, Williston, VT

Interested parties can contact us through this blog or via TheCabinet.com.

Look forward to hearing from you!
-Casey H.

Ohio's Forest of Fright

For our adventurous souls that live around Columbus, Ohio, you might want to head out to Muskingum County and the small town of Philo to get your Halloween fix. At the Forest of Fright, you will find a haunted trail and maze set out in the spooky ambience of an Ohio forest - now entering its third year.

Forest of Fright is the brainchild of owner Vicki Bader who fulfilled a lifetime dream of being part of the haunt community with her own little incarnation. The end result is the largest haunted trail and maze in the county that starts with a ride on a school bus that is... what else, but haunted? Visitors then enter the creepy woods that are crawling with insane inmates, killer clowns, and several scenes that will unnerve most guests

Dare a Halloween nighttime stroll through the Forest of Fright.

-Casey H.

A Trip Into The Darkness

For today, we are going to head to the Gateway City itself, Saint Louis, Missouri, and one of the world's most famous Halloween haunted attractions. The Darkness is the brainchild of Larry Kirchner and Jim Kelly of Halloween Productions, Inc. It got its start in 1993 and has been wooing critics and guests alike ever since. Television shows, magazines, and more have lauded their technical expertise and design. In fact, the latest addition to the haunt is a full-fledged simulated swamp on the second floor that is so convincing and cutting edge, it was prominently featured on an episode of History's Modern Marvels.

Halloween Productions, Inc. is a full-time business for the partners. Aside from The Darkness, the duo consult, design, and construct spooky sets for countless other haunted attractions around the world. They even run an outdoor Halloween haunt in nearby Fenton called Creepyworld, but the duo still consider The Darkness their signature haunt. The attraction features a wide array of sophisticated animated monsters, computer effects, special effects, and live actors to keep their guests on their toes. With the notoriety they have received, the haunt attracts around 30,000 of those guests each season.

So come on and head on in to The Darkness.

-Casey H.

Halloween - Presidential Style

Considering this Halloween is followed shortly thereafter by a United States presidential election, I figured it was appropriate to combine the themes for this entry. This Halloween attraction is set just outside Nashville, Tennessee and at the former mansion and farm of President Andrew Jackson. Each year, the Hermitage is transformed into a Halloween attraction for a few days in October and the ghosts that reportedly haunt the property are the main attraction.

Though it is only open for two nights, the Hauntings at the Hermitage has drawn around 3,000 visitors in recent years. The event includes a haunted hayride around the property with ghosts around every corner, a candlelight walk through the Jackson family cemetery and Jackson's tomb, pumpkin carving, a movie, and more. The true highlight of the event is said to be the ghost stories of the property, as well as even a mention of the infamous Tennessee Bell Witch.

Many people believe that the Hermitage is indeed haunted by the spirits of President Jackson and his wife, Rachel. The prevailing theory is that the spirit of Jackson became enraged after the Hermitage fell into disrepair after his death in 1845 and made his presence known. After it was saved by a local organization in 1889, he allegedly stuck around to keep an eye on the property.

Visit the ghosts of the presidential past at the Hermitage.

-Casey H.

Scream at the Beach and a Haunted Carousel

Today's entry takes to Hayden Island on the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon and the annual Halloween haunted attraction, Scream at the Beach. This attraction has been set at the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter on the island since 2001 and has grown to be recognized as one of the most popular Halloween events in the Pacific Northwest. It is also a full-time job for creator/producer Henry Miller who channeled his over 20 years of haunt experience into the attraction.

Scream at the Beach is separated into five different haunts throughout the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter mall. Vampire, mutants, zombies, evil clowns and more are divvied up throughout the attractions and await the unsuspecting masses. And if they are not enough excitement, the haunt also features a Mini Glow Golf Course, tarot readings, live bands, and outdoor carnival rides. Oh, and did I mention that visitors can also ride an actual haunted carousel?

The 1921 C.W. Parker Carousel is the last reminder that the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter used to be the home to the sprawling 123-acre Jantzen Beach Amusement Park until 1970. Besides being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the carousel also is reportedly home to the ghosts of a small boy and girl. Visitors to the carousel over the years have reported seeing two children, dressed in clothing from the 1920s, playing inside the machinery room in the center when its doors are open. They are mostly reported by other children (some of which report the children talking to them), but also by the occasional adult.

Not missing a beat, Scream at the Beach incorporates that haunted history of the C.W. Parker Carousel into the haunt and it is included in their "Screamer Special" package. Guests to the Halloween attraction can take a ride on the carousel and look into the stories themselves.

Time to Scream at the Beach.

Or go play with the children on the C.W. Parker Carousel at Jantzen Beach SuperCenter.

-Casey H.

Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State

This Halloween haunted attraction needs little introduction. Since its humble beginnings as a pseudo-ghost tour in 1991 through its official adoption of the name Terror Behind the Walls as a full-fledged haunt in 1997, this Halloween event has grown to become known as one of the most famous haunts in the United States. Of course, the setting probably plays into that just a bit as well.

Terror Behind the Walls is set at the infamous Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While it doesn't attempt to interpret the former-prison's history as part of the attraction, it couldn't hurt that the haunt is staged in one of the most well known reputedly haunted sites in the world. What this means of course is that there is always a slight possibility that the visitors that dare the five major attractions inside the haunt might see a bit more than your average actors and animatronics.

The ever-so-polite staff of Terror Behind the Walls truly believes in giving the crowd their money's worth. For the last attraction, Night Watch, the visitors are dumped into total darkness and armed only with a flashlight to make their way. It is no surprise then that this particular haunt draws in crowds of around 100,000 annually and is the biggest source of revenue for the preservation efforts of Eastern State Penitentiary.

Dare a walk through the truly haunted halls of Terror Behind the Walls.

-Casey H.

ScreamWorld Lives Up to Its Name

Down in Houston, Texas, you can trace the roots of this Halloween haunted attraction back to 1989. It was that year that co-owner Jim Fetterly unleashed his first haunt on an unsuspecting world. Within a few years, he hired a 16-year-old, Mike Darling, as an actor in the haunt marking the start of what would be a long-standing partnership. The duo worked together as the haunts continued to grow and multiply - ultimately expanding to three separate haunts in the Houston-area before finally combing them all into one multi-attraction Halloween haunt.

ScreamWorld officially got its start in 2001 when the three haunts were brought together on a 4.5-acre lot and 12,000-square-foot building. Today, the haunt has expanded into five separate attractions and several "fright-filled areas" and utilizes Hollywood-style animatronics and special effects to unnerve the 30,000 or so guests they host each season. Fetterly and Darling's efforts have paid off as ScreamWorld is now considered one of the premiere Halloween haunted attractions around the United States.

It's a Scream, Baby!

You can explore this and many more Dark Destinations at:
http://www.thecabinet.com/darkdestinations/
http://apps.facebook.com/darkdestinations
http://darkdestinations.blogspot.com/
http://darkdestination.livejournal.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darkdestinations
http://www.twitter.com/darkdestination

-Casey H.

Support a Good Cause at the Dreaded Grove

If you happen to be in the American Fork area of Utah this Halloween season, there is one stop you should definitely make. Not only is The Dreaded Grove a full-feature Halloween event, it is also for a very good cause. The proceeds of this particular Halloween haunted attraction benefit the Rocky Mountain Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer.

The attraction itself is an impressive 66-acre haunted trail of horrific scenes and creepy monsters inside. Guests even have the option of hitting the trail on foot or riding along on the haunted hayride. While the attraction might be a bit too much for the younger ones, the haunt has taken care of this by adding in another trail just for the little ones. And if all of that wasn't enough - The Dreaded Grove also features zip lines, the "death jump", swamp rides, live bands, free horror movies, bonfires, fortune teller and more...

Enter the Dreaded Grove on Dark Destinations.

-Casey H.

Hangman's House of Horrors

From now until the end of the month, we are going to use this blog to specifically highlight various Halloween happenings around the United States. And what better wait to start than to cover a haunted attraction that has consistently racked up accolades year after year?

The Hangman's House of Horrors is in Fort Worth, Texas and has become so well known that it has recently appeared on the Travel Channel's America's Scariest Halloween Attractions. D'Ann Dagen of La-De-Da Productions started the haunt on October 13, 1989 and it has been growing ever since. It comprises of a 40,000-square-foot structure on over a 3-acre lot and is run by several hundred volunteers. The net proceeds are distributed to local charities who have benefited from the over $1 1/2 million the haunt has raised. Much more than just a Halloween attraction, Hangman's House of Horrors is a Halloween event - featuring a variety of side-attractions, a midway, concessions, rides, live bands, karaoke, and more.

The story concerns a local serial killer who hung over a hundred people near the Trinity River who paid for his crimes at the end of his own rope after an angry lynch mob performed their own justice. The only problem? His body disappeared and people believe that he continues to maintain life by using one of his victim's soul each year. The deal is that he is running out of souls...

Pay a visit to Hangman's House of Horrors.

-Casey H.