Halloween at Hopkins usually means dressing up in some half-baked (or for the ladies, half-naked) costume and heading to the bars at Fells Point. Although people-watching and drunken behavior can be a lot of fun, Halloween is really about other-worldly phenomenons, mischief and the acceptance of what truly scares us. In this light, Halloween deserves more than one night of festivities and, lucky for us, Baltimore offers all sorts of themed entertainment such as haunted houses, ghost tours and special events that begin operation in the few weeks leading up to Oct. 31. "A Nightmare from Elmridge" is a small but serious haunted house, located in Arbutus, Md. which is a 20-minute ride from campus. "Elmridge" is marked by a distinctive (if a bit corny) inflatable pumpkin on the roof of an old building. After paying your seven dollars - all the proceeds of which go to Muscular Dystrophy - you can expect to wait less than 20 minutes to enter. Groups of about 10 are taken by a costumed tour guide to the basement of the building, where various horrifying vignettes of torture and evil are performed right in front of, behind or around the group. The tactic of engaging each "victim" in the show is novel and effective, giving you a little more than your standard haunted house.
"Bennett's Curse" is conveniently located on the property of the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Md. The attraction, only 30 minutes from Hopkins, is actually a combination of two walking tours - the Sanctuary of Insanity and the House of Vampyres. You can buy tickets for $15 for either one of the attractions or $20 for both.
The Sanctuary of Insanity, the newer attraction, takes groups of about 12 at a time. The Sanctuary itself is really more of a maze, with cage-like dividers that attendants move around as the group progresses through the maze, adding to the panicked state of the group. A strobe light is the only source of illumination, which can make people nauseated. Various monsters leap from places where there walls once existed making it all the more frightening. The second half of the experience occurs in total darkness, making it difficult to predict when a ghoul will come out and scare you. (We have to admit that one editor had a death-grip on the other at this point). And, of course, no Halloween attraction is complete without the chainsaw-wielding madman. The element of surprise in the Sanctuary of Insanity certainly had a "pee-in-your-pants" effect.
By the time the walk through the Sanctuary was over, the line for the House of Vampyres was effectively dissipated. The House was more like the traditional haunted house: different rooms with scary scenes, dark hallways to navigate, "dummies" that suddenly jump out at you, and loud, unexpected noises. Impressively, the House did include some animatronics, specifically a large demon that might have been the "Vampyre Lord" spoken of by the lesser monsters along the way. The designed sets were a little more elaborate in the House of Vampyres, recreating a medieval castle overthrown by the undead. Unfortunately the House of Vampyres seemed a little of a letdown after the strobe lights and pitch black maze of the Sanctuary of Insanity.
Bennett's Curse is definitely a worthwhile attraction and probably the best haunted house in the area. However, be sure to get there early or be prepared to wait on a very long line. The editors waited almost two hours on line, which certainly provided great bonding time, but was definitely aggravating. If you go with a bunch of friends, you could make a night of it and bring some entertainment for the wait.
Baltimore and its surrounding area offer a number of places to go to get into the Halloween spirit. For the literary-minded, the museum dedicated to the famous Baltimorean, Edgar Allan Poe, hosts a Halloween celebration on October 27 and 28, consisting of a theatrical production of one of Poe's most gruesome stories, "The Tell-Tale Heart." Tickets for the hour-long performance also allow you to tour the museum which is located in Poe's house. Tickets to the Baltimore Edgar Allan Poe House and the Halloween celebration are five dollars per person.
Fells Point is the ultimate Halloween location in Baltimore, but it shouldn't just be a destination on Halloween itself. Since its birth in October 2001, the Fells Point GhostWalk has become a staple attraction in Baltimore. Led by a guide (many of whom are actors or history buffs), participants walk through the cobblestone streets, learning about the ghost history of Fells Point - apparently sailors and prostitutes like to stick around. Baltimore Ghost Tours, the company that runs the Fells Point GhostWalk just recently created a Mt. Vernon GhostWalk, which explores the haunting past of wealthier and more important citizens in Baltimore's history. Both tours are 13 dollars per person and last about an hour. Each GhostWalk is conducted every Saturday at 7 p.m.
What could be scarier than real live ghosts? Ye Haunted History of Olde Ellicott City boasts the chance to hear about real live apparitions seen and heard by actual residents. Ellicott City is so haunted that there are two parts to this ghost tour. With interviews and evidence from retailers, restaurateurs, and townspeople, this ghost tour is the real deal. Every Friday and Saturday night at 8:30 p.m., tourists can be creeped out for only eight dollars per person. The 90-minute haunted history will not only question reality but also give you a chance to explore a Baltimore-neighboring city.
The oldest haunted house in all of Maryland is only 20 minutes away. Open since 1968, The Cox's Point Haunted Mansion is located on a misty piece of land surrounded by water and all the proceeds go to the Essex Recreation and Parks Council, a non-profit organization that keeps Baltimore County nice and clean. Cox's Point is a professional haunted house, created with the help of professional make-up artists, set-designers, movie directors, theatrical lighting specialists and other field experts. This is not your typical "jump out and scream" haunted house (unlike many of the others so far described) and definitely has an eerie feel. Open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October from 7 p.m. to midnight tickets cost eight dollars per person. The entire experience is a bit short, only about 15 to 18 minutes long and lines can be lengthy. However, the staff does provide "on line entertainment". The Cox Point Haunted Mansion is an established favorite among Marylanders and a staple in the Halloween experience.
This weekend, get into the Halloween spirit by exploring some of the haunted happenings nearby. With a chance to see some great haunted houses, learn some spooky history, and just get off campus, make this weekend more than just another late night at a frat party.
For more information, visit http://www.bennettscurse.com, http://www.eapoe.org, http://www.fellspointghost.com, http://www.visithowardcounty.com, or http://www.coxspoint.com.
