Elysburg Haunted House
By Susan Misur
Ask anyone from the area: Halloween in the Susquehanna Valley isn't complete without a visit to the annual Elysburg Haunted House, a more than 30-year-old tradition that leaves visitors screaming and hysterical ... then howling for more. On pitch-black weekend evenings throughout October, the annual fright fest sends chills through the bones of even the most courageous "victims" who tour the spook-filled house and its haunted trail complete with a few masked madmen who leap out with eardeafening chainsaws.
The tricks and treats begin even before people embark on the terrifying tour. The Grim Reaper, evil clowns and zombies enjoy lurking behind unsuspecting guests waiting in line to buy tickets or hot chocolate at the concession stand. The Haunted House, held at the Elysburg Gun Club on Route 487, draws about 8,000 visitors per season and continues through Halloween weekend. It's the biggest and, reportedly, the best haunted house in the region. "It's a lot of fun and, to some extent, has become a family tradition for some people," said Harvey Boyer, captain of the Elysburg Fire Company, which runs the fundraising event with the Overlook Fire Company. A winding trail leads to glowing graveyards, and camouflaged creeps hide in the bushes along the way. Inside the house, around every corner, is something disturbing - a ghoul, buried bones, blood-spattered walls, a Freddie Krueger-wannabe clutching a butcher's knife. It's all so realistic - and that's why it can be so terrifying.
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