by Alex Lloyd Gross
Oct 29, 2022
Haunted Houses are still a place to go during Halloween. Contrary to belief and whatever marketing survey says, people do not want to just sit by a fire and see scary movies and tell ghost stories. Last year saw a trend away from the typical haunted house. Most of those attractions failed. People want to get scared. A new haunted house opened up in Manyunk. It’s at 4100 block of Main Street and it’s intense. It’s called Lincoln Mill.
This follows a story line of Viktor Kane an employer who abducted, tortured and killed his workers. The story goes that during a recent flood a crack opened in the basement and a secret room was revealed. Inside are the spirits and ghosts of his workers. People that go through the attraction get to meet them. This is way more than someone jumping out and saying “Boo”. The effects range from a short circuit fuse box to a black and white television. You are back in the 1930’s.
Hidden doors and foul smells are another part of the house. It’s a creation by Jared Bilsak and Brian Corcodilos, who build this .They designed it and built it. They swear weird things have happened inside, from temperature changes to bodies used as effects falling from the ceiling when no one is there. The house takes about 15 minutes to go through. At times you can feel like you are drowning.
This might not be appropriate for small children. In fact it might not be appropriate for some adults. The doors open about 7:00 PM. One hack to this place that we can print is to arrive early. Parking is going to be at a premium. Paid lots are nearby. There are a few food vendors that are local, in the parking lot. The doors open at 7:00 PM but if you get there by 6:30 PM you can avoid most of the line.
Parents with small children will want to go to Lincoln Mill during the day. It’s turned into a scavenger hunt and all of the scary effects are covered. The final day that this is open is November 5 2022. The entry price is $29.00 per person at night.
The worker shortage has caused some stores to close or curtail their hours. “We don’;t have that problem, we have a ton of applications for actors and we pay way more than other places. It’s not just the actors but the make up artists as well,” said Corcodilos. While other places may have a farm or someplace else to go , after the haunted house, it’s time to go exploring the area.
It’s a safe environment, with bag checks and metal detectors. They even have armed guards.