By MARIANA C. MORALES
When the sun rests for the night and the moon reveals its face, the Scream Park at Bingemans opens its doors to all those brave enough to enter. Last year, 646 people chickened out; will you take the challenge?
Scream Park features six new attractions such as Quarantine, Grindhouse, Soul Asylum, Clown Cage, and Zombie Hunt. According to Andrea Conyers, amusement operations manager for Bingemans, they change the houses every year so it’s not the same. “(They) try to scare the ‘bejeezus’ out of everyone,” she said.
When it gets dark enough, you will be able to enter one of the houses. If it rains, it makes the experience much more chilling. The signs, which are written in blood, let you know where each attraction is to get you started.
The Last Ride invites you in for a final sleep in a coffin. Feel what it’s like to be buried alive in the darkness. There is also a camera on the inside that lets viewers on the outside see your reactions. This attraction can be booked for events.
The Clown Cage is filled with flashing lights and a strange clown waiting for you to enter. However, once you enter, will you be able to get out? It’s a caged maze where the exit could be anywhere. The flashing lights make it difficult to find the exit.
The Zombie Hunt is the fan favourite.
According to the Scream Park website, it was so popular last year that they decided to extend it to every Friday and Saturday night.
You are expected to sign a waiver form in the beginning for safety reasons, and then you’re greeted by men dressed in army outfits who are the Special Task Force. They take you in an old, green army truck that can fit around 12 passengers.
From there, they drive you to the Safe Zone in “Metro City,” which is infested by zombies. Your goal is to take them all out. You are given a paintball gun with 50 rounds, and a mask for protection. The city seems quiet until screams are heard from a distance where you shoot all zombies in sight.
The other three attractions are similar in terms of trying to scare you. The Grindhouse features eerie creatures lurking in the dark waiting for you to appear. A survivor of the Grindhouse, Renata Arfeen, said she doesn’t like scary things but managed to finish this attraction. “It was really scary. I chickened out a little.”
The Soul Asylum is a dark house filled with the devil’s demons trying to steal your soul. You are only given a glow stick to help illuminate the darkness but it cannot help you with the dark forces that stand in your way.
The Quarantine, the biggest house, contains a virus that was thought to be contained and is now spreading. The patients are going crazy and have taken over the facility. They are there to frighten you and are trying to satisfy their craving for human flesh.
This year, the Scream Park opened on Sept. 30 and continues throughout October. If for any reason while you’re in a house and you are too scared, just yell “I’m a chicken,” or “I want to leave,” and one of the actors will escort you to the nearest exit safely. The actors know all the exits and safety features.
For more information on hours, prices and if it might be too much for you, visit http://bingemans.com/screampark.
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