By James Kent
Perhaps all of the recent construction in Killington is to blame for stirring up nearby spooky spirits because this past weekend, more than a few of these seasonal haunters had taken up residence in the basement of the Killington Welcome Center.
The frights began last Thursday, Oct. 17, when the spirits leaned a bit on their gentler nature. Halloween is a time for scares and fun, and this night was all about the young adventurers seeking thrills. The ghosts at the Killington Welcome Center flicked on the lights for the first hour of this evening so the grade school area kids could enjoy all of the creepy without all the nightmares.
One 7-year-old thrill seeker we know was apprehensive about going through the haunted house at first, but after two more walkthroughs, she was ready to go for a third run with all her classmates. The kids attending the family-friendly version of the Killington haunted house deemed it a success.
On Friday night, some of us older thrill seekers (me, my wife, and my nearly 13-year-old) dipped in to take a lap at the Killington Haunted House to see what was real. We arrived before the crowds hit, and the wait times grew. A mystical wizard was our tour guide through the basement. Once inside, our pent-up trepidation was not without merit. There were most assuredly some scares to be had amongst the fine assortment of haunted décor, courtesy of a recent generous donation of Halloween supplies to the Killington/Pico Area Association (KPAA), and these impressive accouterments added authenticity to the experience.
Again, a haunted house shouldn’t be all jump scares and ghoulish trimmings—you need a little humor and fun to cut the tension, lighten the mood, and lower the blood pressure. And here, the Killington Haunted House did not disappoint. Our wizardly guide took us through the ghoulish Butcher of Bakersfield’s shop, where the one-liners and banter were non-stop. The Butcher of Bakersfield was definitely a highlight of the tour.
A final delight of the evening occurred at the tour’s end. We came out of the basement and into an elaborate haunted dining setup. Beyond that room, we entered the main welcome center, where delicious baked treats awaited our purchase. Our youngest tour member enjoyed a cake pop while my wife took comfort in a tasty rice crispy treat.
This past weekend marked the inaugural running of the Killington Haunted House at the Welcome Center, and there is no doubt this event has all the potential to become a seasonal favorite. Kelly Morrisey, director of the KPAA, said this first go around met their expectations regarding attendance, and the haunted house will return as an annual signature event.
Over on the other side of the pass
We had so much fun at the Killington Haunted House, our desire for more frightful delights lifted our spirits enough to tempt fate and head out on Saturday night for another spooky adventure. This time, we were off to Pittsford to brave the legendary Pittsford Haunted House, put on by the Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department.
The Pittsford Haunted House, nestled in an abandoned children’s hospital up a long wooded hill, has a well-established 40-plus-year street cred amongst aficionados of Halloween fright activities. For many folks in the area, it’s an annual ritual for the season and not to be missed despite long lines that can keep latecomers waiting well into the late hours of the evening.
Our family had heard all about the Pittsford Haunted House since moving to Vermont 10 years ago, but until this past weekend, we had never been. It sounded too scary for our kids when they were small, and then the pandemic came (which was frightening enough) so we just never made it. But this year, we were ready. Our oldest was unavailable to attend, so once more, it was a party of three: me, the wife, and the 12-year-old.
One critical piece of information we learned from the people we spoke to about the Pittsford Haunted House is you need to come early. Officially, the haunted house is open from 6-9 p.m. Unofficially, they don’t close until the last person has made it through the tour (alive). But, if you don’t arrive before 9 p.m., you won’t get to go on the tour.
We arrived at 5:30 p.m., where a long line awaited us. At 6 p.m., the volunteers began taking people up the hill in hitched wagons that looked to hold 100 people per wagon. It took us an hour to reach the ticket-purchasing window and board a wagon.
At 6:30 p.m., the sky wasn’t quite in its complete darkness, but it was still plenty dark to add mystery and uncertainty to our journey through the woods, our path lined by lit tiki torches. Saturday was a pleasant fall night; the temperature was warmer than Friday, and there was no breeze—perfect conditions for such an autumnal activity.
But then, we entered Clown Town.
Clowns are this year’s overarching theme of the Pittsford Haunted House, and if you are someone with a deep fear of clowns (I know people have coulrophobia), I’d say you don’t want to go to the Pittsford Haunted House. Of course, if your goal is to try and overcome your coulrophobia, this event could be your best shot—or it could just make things worse for you.
Passing through Clown Town on our way up to the main house was our first taste of the horror-filled fun in store for our evening in Pittsford. Scary clowns raced to our wagons, scaring passengers with loud, buzzing chainsaws. At one point, I lost sight of my wife, who’d shifted her position from an outer wagon seat to an inside one for safety. Uncertainly filled her face, but it was too late to turn around now. We came for the haunted experience and were going to get it.
Upon arrival at the house, it was time for another wait in a queued line. The Pittsford Haunted House is not a quick walkthrough, and they let in groups of 5-6 people in 5-minute intervals, so we were in for another 90-minute wait for our turn inside. And that was okay because the fine folks running the haunted house understood the value of keeping waiting folks entertained. Set up alongside the house was a stage set where the Bones Brothers performed for the crowd.
The Bones Brothers, a mock band decked out in skeleton costumes with instruments, mime their way through DJ-played rock and country hits that had the crowds in line grooving and dancing while the Bones Brothers provided additional entertainment. It’s all a show that generates an atmosphere worthy of the $15 per adult ticket charge. Our 12-year-old qualified for the $5 under 13 price.
Food stations were also available at strategic points throughout the line. Sodas, snacks, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and fried dough, your standard festival fare, were readily available for purchase, so if you forgot to eat dinner before you arrived, there was no need to go hungry in line. Portable toilets were also on the premises.
At various times during our wait, some familiar horror characters appeared to frighten and delight the crowd. Beetlejuice and Lydia Deets popped on through the line, as did Leatherface. Stalking the queue was Haddonfield’s infamous resident, Michael Myers. Setup next to the Bone Brothers’ stage was a witchy hangout where a couple of the Sanderson Sisters were holding court. All of this fun helped distract from the wait time, and from thinking about the frights that lay in store once you get inside the actual haunted house.
At last, it was our turn to go inside the Pittsford Haunted House. Our group consisted of five, including two young boys who thought themselves brave enough to go inside without their parents. These two (Carl and his buddy), who we placed somewhere around 10 years of age, were all bragging and blustering during most of the wait time, but they became a bit more unsure and worried as they got close to entering the house.
Our group was assigned a front and back guide, intimidating and scary-costumed clowns. Our back clown was a familiar face: Art the Clown from the “Terrifier” film series. He didn’t speak much, but he menacingly cackled a lot—mostly any time we bumped into a wall or screamed from one of the many horror “pop out jump scares”awaiting us inside.
I won’t spoil all the surprising, fun, and terrifying things we encountered during our 25-minute tour through the haunted house, but I can say there were various inventive horror-themed rooms inside, each with its unique flavor and spin. Some were heavy on the scares, others leaned more on fun, originality and showcasing their talent of a well-executed and designed scare room. Extra impressive was one section devoted to “Beetlejuice” that knocked our socks off.
Poor Carl and his buddy survived the experience, but not before enduring some pretty hefty scares. The ghouls inside the house stuck Carl inside a coffin, shut the lid on him, and made our group leave Carl before releasing him. And when Carl loudly proclaimed to his friend that he hoped there wouldn’t be anyone with chainsaws coming, he was thoroughly chased by two chainsaw-wielding creepers. Do yourself a favor: if you are in a haunted house and hear the sounds of chainsaws in the distance, don’t announce to the two creepy clowns leading you through the tour that you are afraid of chainsaws.
My wife survived the experience—barely, and my 12-year-old had a blast. He caught up with some school friends on the wagon ride back down the hill, and they compared notes as to which part was their favorite. We heard from other riders that the first night of the Haunted House (that Friday) had about 600 visitors, a surprisingly low number for opening night. Still, on this Saturday, our estimations based on the crowds at the top of the hill and the long lines still waiting to go up by the time we got back down had to have made Saturday a good 1,500 people.
All in all, this past weekend was a delightful one to experience two different local haunted attractions, and we’re already looking forward to 2025. While Killington’s signature haunted house will need to wait until next October for new visitors, the Pittsford Haunted House is open this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 25-26) for one more weekend of thrills. Enter if you dare!
