MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Features

October 13, 2011

Darkness and horror and screams, oh my

Castle of Muskogee’s Halloween Festival has something for everyone



Total darkness.  An uncomfortable chill in the air.  And somewhere up ahead, someone is screaming.  

In the eerie catacombs of the Casa Morte, only the lucky make it out alive.

Guys and ghouls looking for Halloween fun can check out The Castle of Muskogee’s Halloween Festival for three more weekends this October.  

The event offers something for everyone, including food, games, music, hayrides and many attractions ranging from “not scary” to “very scary.”

General Manager Matt Hiller said the event is entering its 15th year and the attractions are better than ever.

“We’ve increased the pumpkin patch this year and we’ve got more games and activities for teenagers,” Hiller said. “We also build and change the props around each year and we always try to add something more.”

The event has received positive feedback from guests of all ages. Hiller said a couple from Krebs took their 6-year-old daughter on her first hayride and she loved it. They came for family night with their daughter, then came back for adult events another weekend, he said.

A Checotah teen pulled a muscle running from the Domus Horrificus clowns, and was afraid of the movie characters like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger, Hiller said.

“I really enjoyed seeing my kids smile,” wrote Ty Anderson of Tahlequah. “Thanks for your hard work and efforts to provide such an excellent service.”

Besides family friendly activities, Hiller said folks looking for a good scare won’t be let down.

“We pull on different people’s ideas of what may be scary to them,” Hiller said. “If you don’t like tight spaces and lots of intense characters and clowns, then Domus Horrificus will be scary for you.”

For the most hard-core thrill seekers, terror awaits guests on the Trail of Blood through the middle of the haunted woods.

“It’s pretty freaky,” Hiller said.

If you go

WHAT: The Castle of Muskogee’s Halloween Festival.

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29.

WHERE: The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W. Fern Mountain Road.

COST: Varies by event; Fun Pack, including hayride, Ultimate Maze, Torture Chamber, Pirate Stage and Enchanted Boardwalk, $15, children 12 and under, $20, adults; Fright Combo, including Casa Morte, Domus Horrificus, Trail of Blood and Ultimate Maze, $25 per person.

HANDICAP ACCOMMODATIONS: Many of the events and attractions are wheelchair accessible.  

INFORMATION: (918) 687-3625 or www.okcastle.com.

Activities lineup

Rated not scary

• Halloween Village: You can find hot and cold drinks, food, shops, ghost stories, fortune tellers, music, games and many of your favorite monsters. Cost: Free.

• Pumpkin Kingdom: A child-friendly atmosphere with a hayride through the village, pick out your pumpkin, visit the petting zoo and hay maze. Cost: $5 per child.

• Halloween Land: A safe trick or treat zone for the little ones with a carnival of delight with no scares. Cost: $4 per child, accompanying adults do not need a ticket.

• Enchanted Boardwalk: Meander through the Boardwalk and behold over 200 Halloween inflatables. Cost: $2 per person.

• Pirate Stage: Live family entertainment. Cost: $8, adults; and $5, children 12 and under.

Rated medium scary

• Torture Chamber: See what really happened in medieval times in the depths of the dungeons. Cost: $2 per person.

• Ultimate Maze: Dare to walk the many pathways of this haunted maze. Cost: $8, adults; $5, children 12 and under.

• Haunted Hayride: A ride through The Castle grounds. Cost: $10, adults, and $7, children 12 and under.

Rated very scary

• Casa Morte: Journey through the labyrinth of the medieval castle and into the cemetery. Cost: $8.

• Domus Horrificus: Halloween spook house with characters you only thought were in movies. Cost: $8.

• Trail of Blood: A stroll through the haunted woods at night through a cemetery — not recommended for the faint of heart. Cost: $10.

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