Haunted Trail is now open

Prepare to be scared — the Museum of Aviation Foundation is once again hosting its Nevermore Hills Haunted Trail, which features two attractions.

“It is an outdoor trail, but it takes people through a house built in the 1850s. We have a number of barns out there and we use them to create different scenes,” said Jenny Maas, director of operations for the Museum of Aviation Foundation. “The second attraction is called The Attic, which is a claustrophobic crawl-through maze in the dark.”

Maas said this is the fifth year for The Haunted Trail and the second for The Attic. She said The Attic used to be held at the Perry Haunted Barn, which is now closed.

“We were donated a piece of property located next to the museum, and we hadn’t been using it, and we wanted to do a fundraiser to raise money for the National STEM Academy and also attract a younger generation,” Maas said of why the museum started The Haunted Trail. “We have golf tournaments and an auction but this is something inexpensive and fun and attracts a different audience for us.”

The Haunted Trail is a 15 to 20 minute walking tour in which guests will tour a house, graveyard and a butcher shop, and along the way they can expect to see several creepy figures, such as zombies and clowns.

“We’ve got a couple of great attractions at the end of the trail. There are newer attractions, and we change it up every year so every year you’re going to see something

different,” Maas said.

Work on The Haunted Trail starts only a month after the trail closes for the year. Maas said there is a year of strategic planning and then the attractions themselves are built in the last few months before opening. Ideas come from several different sources.

“The internet is a really good source. We utilize YouTube and even Pinterest to come up with ways to build props,” Maas said. “Volunteers have a lot of input, and Nevermore Hills has it own Facebook page, so we get a lot of feedback and comments on what people want to see. We love to hear what people want to see on our Facebook page.”

Volunteers are a large part of the Trail, helping to build the props, man different stations and, of course, play the different parts.

“It takes about 60 people every night, and we run it for eight nights,” Maas said. “We get most of our volunteers from Robins Air Force Base, there’s a lot of airmen. We also reach out to Houston County high schools’ beta clubs, and they help out a lot.”

Maas added that while many volunteers come from the base, there are also quite a few dedicated volunteers that have done this for several years. “We’re still looking for volunteers, and anyone interested is encouraged to reach out to us,” Maas said.

The event has grown more popular each year, Maas said.

“Last year we saw almost 3,000 people. This fundraiser has just increased every year, and we would love to have 5,000 this year,” she said.

Money raised from the attractions goes toward the Museum of Aviation, National STEM Academy programs and general operational support of the museum.

As is standard for most haunted houses, there is to be no touching of the actors, and neither will the actors touch any guests. Maas said no use of cameras, phones or lights is allowed, and if guests have any type of medical issue, such as asthma or strokes, they should inform event staff for safety reasons.

“We also encourage people to come through with comfortable shoes if they can since it’s outdoors. We don’t turn them away, but it is a recommendation,” Maas said.

The Trail and Attic is meant for teens and older individuals, so an adult should accompany children under 12.

“We do have hours from 8 to 11 p.m., but every Saturday from 7 to 8 p.m. we have a toned down version for one hour when it’s not so dark,” Maas said. “It’s the same trail, so it’s still a haunt, but it is toned down. Actors don’t get as close, it’s not as loud and not as dark.”

Maas said it’s a good introduction to haunted houses if parents want to see if their children will enjoy them. It’s also a good alternative for others who may be a little too frightened of the night tour.

“We’ve been doing that for four years. It was recommended to us the first year, and we ran with it,” Maas said.

The first two nights of the event were Oct. 13 and 14, but people still have an opportunity to view the Trail and Attic. Other dates of the event are Oct. 20-21, Oct. 27-28 and Oct. 30-31.

The cost is $15 per person for the Trail, $8 for the Attic and $22 for a combo ticket to see both. A military discount is available. Tickets are available at the event or can be purchased in advance at www.museumofaviation.org. For more information, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NevermoreHillsHauntedTrail.

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