Lakeville Haunted House
28 Precinct Road
Lakeville, MA
It's a crisp autumn night, when I pull up to the former Ted Williams Camp, to visit Lakeville Haunted House. Despite being early November, the Haunt is on in full effect: the parking lot is full, a DJ is spinning to a crowd of dancing teens and the aroma of spooky concessions wafts through the air. Delightful. I love to be surrounded by fellow haunt lovers, all dying to stretch the Halloween season a little longer.
I am really excited. Lakeville Haunted House is the first haunt we've visited that is entirely non-profit. All of the proceeds are donated to scholarships and local charities. In their '21 years of 'blood and tears,' Lakeville Haunted House has raised a monstrous $200,000 for the community.
Is It Scary?
According to their Official Website: “No matter where you turn, you can feel the eyes of someone or something watching you. A snap of a twig, the rustling of leaves, the howling wind and screams of fear fill you with fright as you travel through the twisting, turning maze of horror.”
The Raven and Black Cat says: Lakeville Haunted House explores many different themes and phobias for your terrifying pleasure. If you tremble at chainsaws, run from clowns, and are afraid to walk through the woods alone then Lakeville Haunted House will definitely scare you.
What We Love
I love that they have embraced their roots by starting out with a Crystal Lake-inspired camp section. Lakeville is a rural area and there’s nothing scarier than running through cabins and seeing Jason slowly approach your group.
The fabulously creepy clown maze had a ton of disorienting effects and hidden doors; my group got stuck on multiple occasions trying to find the exit. The troll blocking the path, was my favorite character. When I asked him what the toll was to pass, he whispered, “Your Soul!” and proceeded to 'suck my soul' with conviction. It was a fantastic touch. The drawbridge is another great and unexpected effect.
What Could Be Better
Children are absolutely terrifying in a haunt, and the little kids at Lakeville were some of the best actors we’ve seen. Unfortunately, the teenagers were significantly less intimidating, especially when they broke character to say hi to their friends that were attending the haunt. Haunted attractions that rely on a volunteer staff have to work with what they’ve got, but you can increase the intimidation factor by placing teens in a victim role and employing detailed masks or makeup.
Everyone loves a good chainsaw scare, but when there’s a chainsaw around every corner you lose the element of surprise and it becomes banal. Try exploring different power tools like drills, angle grinders, or dental equipment - they’re just as threatening, but will vary the experience and keep your audience on edge.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for a traditional walkthrough style haunt in the woods, you should definitely pay a visit to Lakeville Haunted House. It explores all the basic horror themes, features original handcrafted sets and costumes, and enthusiastic actors. There are a lot of scary elements, but you don’t have to worry about anyone touching you and it’s not so terrifying that your kids can’t enjoy the fun too. Lakeville Haunted House is a fun-filled family-friendly attraction for a good cause.
Lakeville Haunted House 2012 Season
October 19 - November 3
Ticket Information
General Admission: $15.00
(Anyone with a military ID can get in free!)
Age Requirement
No age requirements are specified.
Additional Information
A Postcard of The Shanley Hotel from 1906.[/caption]
[/caption] 
[/caption] 