1. Be Prepared
Wear Appropriate Clothing and Shoes
Wearing the right clothes for a haunted house will ensure that you won’t spoil the experience before it even begins! Here are a few tips on wearing the best clothes for Coffin Creek:
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Make sure to dress for the weather, as many attractions are either outdoors or have lines outside.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing and walking (maybe even running, if you’re scared enough!) for most attractions.
- The color of your clothing may get you targeted. Brightly colored clothes will stick out to our actors, so if you want a less scary experience–dress in darks.
- Glow sticks might make you feel more secure thanks to a little extra light, but it’s another way to get targeted for scares!
- Dress up in costume! If you want to dress up for one of Coffin Creek’s 5 unique attractions, we’re excited to see it. However, no masks or weapons, please!
Get your Tickets Ahead of Time–and Consider a Fast Pass
Haunted Houses are notorious for long lines. Buy your tickets online beforehand, so you won’t have to wait at the ticket booth. If you’re really hoping to skip the lines, we offer a discounted combo ticket with a Fast Pass option. That way you can experience all our attractions, and you won’t have to wait for the next big scare.
Another great thing about combo tickets? If you run out of time or need to leave early, you can come back another day to catch any attractions you might have missed!
2. Be Mindful of Your Group
Bring Your Friends
Everything is more fun when you have your friends along. Bringing large groups of friends to Coffin Creek means you’ll be able to go through attractions with people you know–so you’ll have more folks to cling to when you’re afraid!
If you have a big enough group (18+ people, in fact), Coffin Creek also offers group discounts!
Just be mindful. If you’re going through the haunt with your friends, you might not want to use your real names if you don’t want the actors to start using them. (Maybe it’s time to try out that new alias you’ve always wanted?)
Finally, with a large group of friends you’re less likely to end up in a group of folks who might not have the same enthusiasm for haunts. It’s not much fun to be stuck in a group of obnoxious people–which brings up to our next point…
Don’t Spoil Things For Others
Don’t spoil scares for people in your group. This means no pointing out potential hidey holes or actors! You’re making the experience less fun for the folks behind you who are excited for the scare.
3. Be Mindful of Yourself
Find a Good Pace
It’s important that you don’t move through a haunt too quickly! There are a lot of details in every attraction, and since they are all self-guided, it’s up to you to find them all. That said, you also don’t want to move so slowly that the group behind you catches up.
You also give the actors lots of time to set up the next scare when you’re super slow. Just saying. 😉
Choose Your Place Within the Pack
Within the group of people going through the haunt, you will be targeted differently. Typically actors like to scare the folks in the middle of the group–and not the people in the front! It’s usually the second person in line who gets the most scares.
That said, the person in the front usually has more overall anticipation or anxiety…with comparatively few scares. That may appeal to you–or it may not be what you’re looking for in a good haunt!
Haunters Can Tell When You’re Scared
And they love it. Actors love making you afraid, and the more you try to bury your face into the back of the person in front of you–the more you might be encouraging them to try to scare you more.
So, try to keep your head up and make eye contact with the folks inside the haunt. That said, you aren’t safe just because you put on a brave face. You could be targeted for refusing to be scared at all…so we recommend a good balance. Let yourself scream and be scared, but don’t let it get the better of you.
Take Care of Yourself
Coffin Creek creates haunts that are scary, and it’s possible it might be too much for you. If that is the case, please let one of the actors know and they can escort you to one of the attraction exits. Be warned, however! Once you leave the attraction, there are no refunds–so make sure you’re really ready to leave.
4. Be Mindful of the Actors
Respect
Respecting people is important, and you should remember that actors–dressed up as that scary zombie or cultist–are still a human under all that makeup! Please do not touch actors or props. Actors have been instructed to do the same for you.
5. There is no “winning.”
You’re not at a haunted house to prove something. You’re there to have fun! And when it comes to haunts, being scared is part of the fun! You’re mindset going into Coffin Creek colors the entire experience, so try to go in already excited for fear.
After all, Coffin Creek is all about Facing your Fears!
However, if you are still looking for a way to “win,” Coffin Creek offers an Escape Room experience. It’s not intended to be scary–there are no actors or jump scares–but it’s a great time solving puzzles. They’re only selling tickets for this at the ticket booth or the escape room, itself, so make sure to inquire about it when you arrive.
Good luck, friends. May you survive and have a Happy Halloween!
Coffin Creek Haunted House is a reoccurring October event at Riverview Recreation Park. Learn more and order your tickets now on the haunt’s website.