Haunted houses came about in the 19th century and in London according to the article “A Brief History of the Haunted House” from the Smithsonian. These houses came about as a new form of entertainment, one that’s a bit more creepy. 

Haunted houses are able to gain mass following as plenty of people praise the places for excellent ambiance and amazing actors. These adrenaline inducing houses can be fun for plenty of age groups. 

“It’s shocking how many young kids you’ll see in the line,” Ryan Li, a senior at Westerville South said. “I expected a lot more teens, but it’s shocking to see younger kids and adults there.” 

“There’s a reason they only open at night; it’s the best and only time to go. There’s also a reason a lot of them are indoors; the darker the area is the more chilling the place becomes,” Izzy Balla, a senior at South, excitedly stated about her experience at the Haunted Hoochie. “If you’re not comfortable with weapons near you, then this isn’t the place for you.” She went on to talk about how the actors get up close to give you a good scare. 

“If you’re planning on going to any type of haunted house be sure to check the website with it. You get a nice summary in case there’s something you would be uncomfortable with; a lot of places have flashing lights so be weary,” Balla said, explaining the importance of knowing what you are walking into beforehand. 

The Haunted Hoochie opens at 8:30 p.m.; the close time purely depends on the crowd itself! The typical ticket costs $30 while a VIP ticket costs $50, parking will cost an additional $3. 

The VIP tickets will definitely help anyone out; the line is always long with people waiting for a good adrenaline rush. However, with that ticket you’ll be able to skip the long line and get right to the action. 

“When I went to Fear Columbus, I went for my little cousin’s birthday. The line was not long at all, maybe a good 45 minutes which wasn’t bad. I went with my siblings and my cousins,” said Nimo Abdi, a junior at Westerville South. “I did not really enjoy fear because it wasn’t really as scary as advertised. To pass the time I recommend bringing people you love hanging out with because it really makes the time go by so fast.” 

Fear Columbus seems to be a better place for younger audiences as sources say that it is less scary. 

The Haunted Hoochie is not for immature audiences or even some mature audiences according to their own website.  Don’t forget that there are plenty of other fear inducing places you can go to! Fear Columbus is another popular place along with Mohican Haunted Schoolhouse and Bloodview Haunted House. Be sure to read up on any place you plan to go to!