QUICKSBURG, Va. (AP) - Haunted hallways and howls of horror lie in wait around every turn where fiends of the night lurk and screech. Even Freddy Kreuger might run from the nightmares come to life in the twisted world of clowns, claustrophobia and creepy creatures at Shenandoah Caverns.
When the sun falls and darkness grows, American Fright Night comes to life to lure travelers through Clown Town, The Christmas Massacre and other horrific halls.
American Celebration on Parade is normally a wonderland of pop culture and history mementos trapped in time. But as the echoing cries of werewolves carry through the mountains and cauldrons begin to bubble and boil, the 40,000-square-foot joyful sea of floats and props becomes a dark whirlpool of darkness and mysteries that are designed to petrify.
Lingering where you least expect, Trent Lawrence finds joy after dusk chasing visitors with a roaring tool of terror.
Lawrence previously worked in maintenance for the caverns and was among the team who first designed American Fright Night four years ago. He no longer works regularly for the caverns, but loves visiting haunted places and makes sure to join the treacherous troupe of actors each fall to scare unsuspecting visitors.
“You get a taste of clowns, a taste of death, a taste of being in closed spaces when you start,” Lawrence said. “It’s probably one of my number one haunted houses. … I still scare myself when I walk through it, and I’m expecting it.”
Shenandoah Caverns’ website boasts that its Halloween attraction of nightmares is the Valley’s largest all-indoor haunted house. Lawrence said the setup always varies since it’s rebuilt and redesigned annually, but the creators also add pieces each night to change the experience.
“They always change some small details every night, so Bo and Zach are pretty much the masterminds from day one to the end,” he said. “They make it creepier to be there every night. It’s probably one of the best homemade haunted houses you can go to for what your money is.”
Cousins Bo Wills and Zachary Foley are the designers and producers of American Fright Night. Wills said he enjoys dreaming up ways to incorporate the massive floats and stage settings into gruesome and unnerving scenes made creepier with ominous lighting and special effects.
“We try to do different themes throughout based on the floats we have in the building,” he said. “It kind of evolved from a certain theme of a float and carry that on into a haunted house theme and try to change it up from year to year to change it up and make it different.”
Wills said this year is unique as the team used American Celebration on Parade to full advantage to transform the building into a “whimsical nightmare” of monstrous proportions.
“We tried to emphasize more on the floats on the building to make you feel like you’re small in a way, kind of like you’re in a big snow globe, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ type of feeling. Like you are tiny in a big world,” Wills said. “Different things to affect the senses in a way is kind of my influence. What can stir your consciousness into second-guessing yourself.”
Because of COVID-19 concerns and regulations, actors are unable to touch visitors, passageways are wider and hanging pieces are removed.
Kevin Tamai sent his Boy Scout troop from Woodbridge to tour the caves and visit American Fright Night last weekend. Tamai said he is a big fan of all the events Shenandoah Caverns puts on and cannot wait to experience this year’s haunted house himself.
“Fright nights are a great indoor attraction that supports the local community and the school,” he said. “Forty-five scouts had a wonderful experience there.”
Director of Marketing and Events Melissa Nguyen described American Fright Night as comparable to a retro fun house tinged with horror through terrifying themes in various rooms that proved a success with visitors since the exhibition had record-breaking nights the past two Saturdays.
“The lighting and music is set to every theme, so you get all the senses,” she said. “It’s a really cool experience. I’ve never been in anything like it before.”
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students at the door. Children under 12 years of age are not advised to trek the haunted attraction and all children must be accompanied by adults. Groups of approximately six go in every few minutes for staggered lines and the entire attraction takes approximately 30-minutes to escape.
Shenandoah Caverns is located at 375 Caverns Rd. in Quicksburg.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.