Kyle Swanson / SPPSA volunteer at Dr. Pain's asylum gazes into a crystal ball and predicts the fates of patrons.
But even if they were missing, it would still be eerie. From the faded, peeling red shingles to the chain-linked-fence-covered windows, there really isn't much that could make it scarier. That is, until you step inside.
After purchasing your tickets, there is entertainment for the wait. They've taken an old ambulance and put speakers in it to broadcast WXLK-K92 and WROV 96.3, the two stations sponsoring the Haunted Asylum.
Expect a visit from a dead-on Beetlejuice impersonator. He comes with a foghorn, two snakes draped around his arms, one real and one rubber, and the infamous white-and-black-striped suit. The maximum wait time is about two hours.
While in line, screams can be heard inside the house. Tour guides make colorful entrances. One was wearing a black pinstriped trench coat, white button-up shirt, top hat and six-inch platform boots. There are four to five tour guides who rotate throughout the night.
The first room, as the rest of the house, is dimly lit. The guide will go over the rules of conduct and may give creative reasons for them. The rules include: No drugs or alcohol ("these people are crazy enough without it"), no cameras, no touching ("if you touch them, the price is your arm"), and food, drinks, weapons and lighters are also prohibited.
The guide will lead everyone through 12 rooms with each getting progressively scarier. The first room features a hypnotist who predicted that the journey of the group will be ill-fated as another patient, with no eyes, crept up behind and stared. Upon entering the next room, everyone was greeted with a scream.
One of the final rooms in the first leg of the tour was home to a scientist with a scale that predicted death. He then brandished a bottle of neon green liquid and told everyone to drink from it.
The tour guide ushered the group out after this. Halfway through, there's an exit. If the first part of the house was too intense, you might want to leave because it gets worse. If you leave early, your money will not be refunded.
The remaining hallways were scariest. Some are pitch black and things "touch" you. One such hallway contained a display case that held a character who was spewing a liquid, and then you walk through something wet. This hallway is lit solely by a red light that goes on intermittently.
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