Just as last year, I endeavor to partake in as many Halloween attractions as I possibly can this season. I've been to the haunt attraction at Eastern State twice before this, though I skipped out on it last year. It's always been fun, though the lines have been long and it's a tad expensive. This year, however, the decision to go in September alleviated both of these issues - it was half price for the first weekend, and showing up early on opening night allowed us go through virtually alone. I was quite happy to see that some things had changed since I'd been over the last few years. It's always good when I don't know what is coming around every turn. The first new addition was a wonderful, shaggy beast lurking in the bushes at the front of the prison where you had to sign a waiver. I noticed him ahead of time, so he didn't get to jump out at me, but I did lure my friend Cindy to the station in front of where he was crouched (with hilarious results). Without lines, the trip went very quickly - we were probably only inside for 20 or 25 minutes. The prison itself is definitely more frightening than the zombies folks in the tour. It would rule if they offered a self-guided trip through the old decrepit corridors at night - THAT would be scary, albeit rather unsafe due to the questionable structural integrity of an abandoned prison. There were a lot of standard misty hallways with strobe lights to achieve maximum disorientation and a few decently conceived rooms with hooded people standing motionless in corners and along the walls. There was probably a bit too much on the cheesy "mad scientist" setups, though. The trip's highlight was clearly one bloody guide who overheard us mentioning Linda by name. He tormented Linda for the rest of our journey, and even kept it up after we'd left and he could still see us through the fence. I think he wanted her phone number. |