AUBURN - Beware! Ghouls, goblins, creatures of the night aplenty are making their way to the Fingerlakes Mall, looking to give the biggest fright of their undead lives.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Members of the crew for Fright Night at the Fingerlakes Mall, left to right, Chris Sweet, Travis Poole, Mark Purcell, Matt Lupien. Front row, Chrissy Casbohm and Sheena Ware.
Members of the crew for Fright Night at the Fingerlakes Mall, left to right, Chris Sweet, Travis Poole, Mark Purcell, Matt Lupien. Front row, Chrissy Casbohm and Sheena Ware.
The A.P.E. Productions' Fright Night Mansion is back to send shivers down explorers' spines as they meander through the hand-crafted haunted house that organizers have been told is the scariest attraction in New York.
“We all like to entertain,” said attraction director Mark Purcell. “We are all entertainers.”
And in just two days, the mansion will open for its four-week run - open every Thursday through Saturday in October - marking the 20th year Cayuga County has had such a spooky attraction that, not only leaves thrillseekers ready for Halloween, but also raises money for local charities.
“It provides a family event,” said Chris Sweet, production manager of the attraction. “It raises money for charity. It gives us something to do, and it's born from our love of Halloween. We are all still kids.”
The $5 admission charge will be donated to Matthew House and Finger Lakes Hospice, residences for terminally ill people, as well as other local charities.
“Having an event to raise money for ourselves never made sense,” Sweet said. “Now we're doing some good with it. It's worked very well.”
Organizers are looking to raise $2,000 this year.
“We can do something that's fun and give back to the community,” Sweet said.
In 1987, Purcell and a group of friends got tired of Halloweens without a frightening haunted house. They decided to put on a haunted house that no one would forget.
“It's born out of our love for haunted houses and our desire to want to attend a haunted house event,” said Sweet.
Twenty years later, locals are still coming by for their annual thrill and people traveling into Central New York arrange their trips during Fright Night season. One family from Florida, organizers said, have come back year after year to make sure that they could get their fill.
Organizers started brainstorming during the summer for the haunted house. The hardest part, they said, is finding a location for the mansion. Once they have that, they come up with ideas and find the supplies to build the props and assemble the costumes.
Fright Night has something new every year, though Purcell won't say what's debuting. All he will say is that there will be some familiar faces, but “we always have new tricks up our sleeves.”
In past years, the mansion's secrets have caused people to run out in horror, freeze up and even some pants wetting.
“It makes for great stories later,” said Purcell, pointing to the faces and expressions people make while exploring the dark labyrinth. One lady once said to him that “It's the scariest thing I've every done, but also the most fun,” he said.
Because of the intensity, organizers emphasize the mansion is a “PG-13” event and strongly suggest adult supervision for children. A children's matinee for those ages 13 or under will be held Saturday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. with regular hours Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons.
“We're in the business to scare people,” said Travis Poole, who is responsible for safety and artwork. “That's what we do.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
“We all like to entertain,” said attraction director Mark Purcell. “We are all entertainers.”
And in just two days, the mansion will open for its four-week run - open every Thursday through Saturday in October - marking the 20th year Cayuga County has had such a spooky attraction that, not only leaves thrillseekers ready for Halloween, but also raises money for local charities.
“It provides a family event,” said Chris Sweet, production manager of the attraction. “It raises money for charity. It gives us something to do, and it's born from our love of Halloween. We are all still kids.”
The $5 admission charge will be donated to Matthew House and Finger Lakes Hospice, residences for terminally ill people, as well as other local charities.
“Having an event to raise money for ourselves never made sense,” Sweet said. “Now we're doing some good with it. It's worked very well.”
Organizers are looking to raise $2,000 this year.
“We can do something that's fun and give back to the community,” Sweet said.
In 1987, Purcell and a group of friends got tired of Halloweens without a frightening haunted house. They decided to put on a haunted house that no one would forget.
“It's born out of our love for haunted houses and our desire to want to attend a haunted house event,” said Sweet.
Twenty years later, locals are still coming by for their annual thrill and people traveling into Central New York arrange their trips during Fright Night season. One family from Florida, organizers said, have come back year after year to make sure that they could get their fill.
Organizers started brainstorming during the summer for the haunted house. The hardest part, they said, is finding a location for the mansion. Once they have that, they come up with ideas and find the supplies to build the props and assemble the costumes.
Fright Night has something new every year, though Purcell won't say what's debuting. All he will say is that there will be some familiar faces, but “we always have new tricks up our sleeves.”
In past years, the mansion's secrets have caused people to run out in horror, freeze up and even some pants wetting.
“It makes for great stories later,” said Purcell, pointing to the faces and expressions people make while exploring the dark labyrinth. One lady once said to him that “It's the scariest thing I've every done, but also the most fun,” he said.
Because of the intensity, organizers emphasize the mansion is a “PG-13” event and strongly suggest adult supervision for children. A children's matinee for those ages 13 or under will be held Saturday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. with regular hours Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons.
“We're in the business to scare people,” said Travis Poole, who is responsible for safety and artwork. “That's what we do.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at alyssa.sunkin@lee.net or 253-5311 ext. 239.
The Citizens' Say
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froggylady wrote on Oct 2, 2007 12:14 PM: