Want to go?
WHAT: Lake Eerie Fest
WHEN: 7:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 7:30-10 p.m. Sundays, through October; special opening 7:30-10 p.m. on Halloween, Wednesday, October 31
WHERE: Ghostly Manor Thrill Center, 3319 Milan Road, Sandusky
COST: $15-35
INFO: 419-626-4467 or ghostlymanor.com
You know that we at Funcoast are always talking about the fun, but you might not know how much we like to join in on it too. When I heard about the new Lake Eerie Fearfest I had to go. So I did, and let me tell you, it was a blast! I even took some pictures so you can have a sneak peek of what’s going on before you visit, check out the pictures HERE.
Nationally recognized on The Travel Channel and newly renovated, Ghostly Manor joins with four other haunted, well, haunts to create the Fearfest. Located in the Ghostly Manor Thrill Center, 3319 Milan Road, Sandusky, the Ghostly Manor haunted house, Caged, Erie Chateau, Darkmare and Quarantine unite to bring your nightmares to life.
“We strive to differentiate ourselves from others… we describe our facility as a family entertainment center on steroids” said Ghostly Manor Thrill Center Owner, Bill Criscione.
The costumes of each employee and the set designs are very detailed and well thought out. Most costumes match the theme of the certain haunt and for those with sensitive stomachs, you won’t see much blood and gore inside the haunts.
“Our reputation is at stake any time we send someone into one of our attractions. You will never see props or scenes depicting anything satanic or demonic, we prefer the standard startle and misdirection scares,” said Criscione.
For those who are a little nervous, the haunts have all their bases covered. For safety reasons each haunt as their own 2-way radios so that they are in constant contact with admission staff at the front of each haunt, security and management. The admission person outside every haunt sends a message over the radio about the group size, if there are any children in the group or anything else worth noting.
“Many of our actors also carry flashlights so if a customer wants out, we can immediately safely direct them to the nearest exit,” Criscione said.
The haunts are not recommended for anyone under the age of ten but that doesn’t mean they can’t join in on the fun. For the little ghosts and ghouls of the family, inside the thrill center is a roller skating rink, an arcade, Wizard’s Journey glow-in-the-dark mini golf and a XD4D theatre ride that has viewers both watch and experience the films.
Each haunt has its own look, smell, sound and feel to it. Here’s a quick description of each:
Caged immediately traps the participant into a cage fence maze upon entering.
Darkmare is a haunt of pure darkness with creatures waiting behind every corner.
Erie Chateau is one of the scariest mansions you will ever be in. Every room has you begging for the exit.
Quarantine is named and modeled after an institute that placed thousands of people into solitary confinement, separating them from the general public. Are you brave enough to witness their living arrangements?
The Ghostly Manor has doubled in size since last season. Do not under estimate the terror that is waiting for you in every room.
Complete with backbone chilling music and multiple strobe lights, all five haunts are a definite must. Make sure to check out our Lake Eerie Fearfest photo gallery to take a sneak peak of the haunts.
So come out, join in on the fun and see if you can brave all of the haunts. Ghostly Manor also has something special planned for the winter holiday. Both the thrill center and the theater will be changed into a Christmas themed area with a winter wonderland walk-through. So make sure to come back around Christmas, if you survive this October that is...
