Set on Halloween Night, but within the year of 1924, the property passed from Sarah Winchester to new owners. The Festival Fright Nights are being thrown by the Maestro, a fortune teller with a desire for a unique Halloween Masquerade Ball.
While the grounds have been defiled by their actions, the veil between worlds grows thin. The Maestro’s plan involves opening a spiritual portal, digging up the evil entity under the house, a maze of stairs and pathways to discover the Maestro’s true intentions.
We attended the media preview for the event, having driven up the five and a half hours to enjoy this historical location’s massive endeavor to create the state’s next iconic Halloween festivities. As we were treated to VIP admission, we also were granted access to the “The Maestro’s Masquerade Ball” which allowed us access to the front of house lounge area, and an alcoholic, or virgin for those who do not imbibe, cocktail.
Drinks are not allowed within the house, or at least not from the VIP area, and you are given an additional area of the house to explore the history of, before entering the first maze “The Masquerade of Shadows” with the rest of the patrons who have to wait in line.
The manor is pretty much left untouched for the most part from it’s historical design and style, with the addition of a couple “scare actors” primarily playing cursed patrons of the Masquerade, and you are taken up the house to the attic where you can find the portal opened to bring the spirits to the house for the festivities. After you see the portal however, you are then taken back down again to the grounds.
Due to the design of the event, everything flows forward, there are no re-exploring prior mazes or spaces, and if you aren’t careful, you might miss some opportunities.
There is no such issue however between the first maze, and the second, The Root of All Evil. This maze takes you through a greenhouse, that I believe was built just for the experience, or at least heavily modified something on the grounds. The broken windows, fog machines, and bouncing barrels work really well with the scare actors to create a unique experience and my favorite maze of the event.
Once outside the second act, you find yourself in a general area, a place with performers, spirits, drinks, food, and axe throwing! All available for an extra charge. I recommend spending some time here, because the workers are amazing, and if you rush to the third act, you might miss something, like the extra experience, The Underhouse. This experience is available for an extra charge, but gives you a hard hat and a flashlight and allows you the chance to explore the underground portions of the house. Be careful though, because the space also hosts some “spirits” that will chase you. For tall people, be very careful. They give you a hard hat for a reason.
The third act, “The Final Descent” takes you through the house starting from the hayloft, and giving you sights of the Staircase to nowhere, and the infamous Seance Room.
If all of these experiences are not enough for you, before heading out through the gift shop, you can take part in extra option, Do Spirits Return, for a fee. The experience is a “séance” at the house, where Houdini’s assistant will have to fend off the spirit of the Maestro, and maybe get a little help from someone special during it.
All the while, I will say the experience is interesting, and if you are a fan of the history of the house, or have been yearning to visit it for yourself, then I recommend that you come for an evening of fun! Purchase your tickets for the event Here!
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