In the fall many people like to go to the pumpkin patch or go on a haunted hayride. Other people prefer to go to haunted house attractions. A local haunted house attraction that many enjoy is Barrett’s Haunted Mansion, located in Abington, Massachusetts.
“Actors were outside near the cars which already got you scared,” said Braintree High Sophomore Josie Reen.
Barrett’s has two different haunted houses you can walk through. The lines to get into the houses can be long so to keep everyone entertained actors are outside ready to scare you.
“There were some bedrooms, it was very dark in there with lots of fog,” says Reen. At Barrett’s there are different rooms once you enter either house. Some of them being darker and scarier than others.
Most of the rooms have a different theme to them. One could be a creepy gym and the next could be a hospital. Overall they all share the same scary and eerie vibe.
“They were dressed as zombies, creepy dolls, and clowns,” said sophomore Kendall O’neil. Barrett’s has different actors inside the house who will scare you.
The actors’ costumes usually go along with the theme of the rooms and of the year. For example if the theme of the room is a hospital they will most likely be dressed up as a nurse or be in a hospital gown. However, for the actors who roam around the parking lot and the lines , they will most likely be dressed in something that is more gruesome and scary. Oftentimes they also have props with them like chainsaws, or fake animals.
“They would jump up behind you and they would crawl on the ground,” said O’neil. When you are waiting in line for the attractions the actors’ job is to scare people. Many actors will do this by jump scaring people by sneaking up behind them and appearing out of nowhere.
Jump scaring someone is a tactic that is used when you are trying to sneak up on someone before scaring them. People will do this as it typically gets a big reaction out of whoever they are trying to scare. The actors will also target certain guests who are obviously trying to hide, or are screaming at everything they see.
Lynsdey Knell said, “The lines were much more packed than last year, however it was worth the wait”. Barrett’s has gotten more popular this year than in previous years. Partially because one of the themes inside the main house was based on the new movie Twisters.
“I upgraded to the VIP pass after waiting in line for 2 hours and 15 minutes” shared Siena Ryder. With many people waiting for a long time to get into the attraction, Barrett’s came up with a solution. You can purchase a VIP ticket for more money and wait in a shorter line.
“Before we went into the haunted houses we got food at Abington Ale House” said Ryder. The Abington Ale House is a restaurant that has been next to Barrett’s for a long time. Many people will go there to grab a bite to eat either before or after they enter the house.
With it being one of the most popular Halloween events, many look forward to attending Barrett’s Haunted Mansion in the fall with their friends and family to experience the thrill and fun times.
