GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — It’s the time of year again to get a good scare at a haunted house.
One haunted house that may look a bit different this year is The Haunt in Grand Rapids. The Haunt has made some changes this year amid the pandemic to make sure everyone stays safe.
For example, this year they only have about 65-70 actors instead of 120 like in years past.
“Every one of our actors wear a mask underneath their mask or makeup,” explains Doug Sheldon, CEO of The Haunt. "Their mask might be painted to look like their skin type. None of them are allowed to come within a few feet of the customers coming through. We still want to make it scary, but we also want to make sure that everyone's safe."
“We have 56 cameras, plus multiple security people throughout the Haunt," Sheldon noted. "So we're watching to make sure you're keeping your mask on."
Don’t forget to keep social distancing in mind. And if you’re not feeling well, stay home, because once you arrive, you’ll answer health questions, get your temperature checked, and watch a short video about COVID safety.
Despite the safety changes The Haunt will still be as frightening as ever.
“We've done a lot of work to The Haunt; a lot of new scares are new themes,” says Sheldon. "So, even though some of the sets may look similar, the emotion and what we do in them is definitely different."
Sheldon says on a typical night in years past they could see up to 4,000 people a night, and this year it’s only about 1,000. He tells us to book tickets online now because spots are limited and filling up quickly this year.
When you arrive, you’ll be able to safely wait in your car in a virtual line before it’s your turn.
