Haunted Houses

Odesca Gibbs, Lamp writer

People annually flock to haunted houses for a night of fright, but this year, people have been staying home for something even more frightening: the spread of COVID-19. Many Haunted houses have been forced to close, but not all of them.

“Tickets are going fast. We can barely keep up,” said a representative for Haunted Woods of Creek Hill in Mount Auburn.

The attraction is taking extra measures because of the number of people who visit. Masks will be required, and staff will remain 6 feet apart. Hand sanitizer and masks are available if needed.

“I love coming here. At first, I was skeptical because of COVID, but they’re taking precautions for everyone and making sure it’s still enjoyable,” said Erin Robbins as she waited in line. “I’m very impressed with how everyone’s handling the precautions in place.”

When the line gets too busy to maintain social distancing, a virtual queue system limits the number of guests in line.

The guests will be sent a text message when it’s their turn to stand in line; until then they are welcome to stand in other areas of the property within social distancing or simply wait in their vehicles.

“It’s a blast! Even with COVID, I’m still able to enjoy coming here,” said Jade Varner, also waiting in line for the attraction. “Although screaming into a mask isn’t ideal, I’m glad we can still enjoy Halloween fun.”

It seems the extra measures haven’t affected the fun. Michael Vaughn, one of the members in charge of this year’s scares, dresses as Freddy Krueger.

“It may not seem like much, but we still manage to pull it off.” said Michael Vaughn, who dresses as Freddy Krueger to deliver scares. “I think even with the pandemic this may be our best year yet.”