Since the St. Lawrence Parks Commission launched Fort Fright at Fort Henry 12 seasons ago, 250,000 people have visited the Halloween attraction.
Many of the favourite frights return year after year, but Greg Gouthro at the parks commission says it’s the 40 live actors in costume and makeup who breathe life into the event.
New this year is a laser light swamp full of bog beats, Gouthro says.
“Essentially at about waist-height, it seems like you’re wading through this green oozy swamp.”
Eleven-year-old Jack Harris says that with its “weird lights,” the swamp was the highlight for him this year. “It looked like you were walking through water, but you really weren’t.”
Fortune telling is also a new option for those brave enough to face their past, present and future.
Keeley Kleinsteuber, who lives just outside Bath, Ont., she says her Tarot reading was on the mark. “That man knows what he’s doing, so it was a really accurate read. I quite enjoyed it.”
Fort Henry’s own ghostly past is also on display with the haunted walk, and guide Jacks Harripersad says sometimes you get more than you paid for.
She recalls one tour where a group of men called out a poltergeist who is said to haunt the bakery.
“One got really angry and he started to use some choice words, and at that point, the room got really cold and the door slammed shut and then we heard the giggle of a little girl,” she said.
Fort Fright has also expanded to be family friendly this year with a new section called Otherworld.
Gouthro says Otherworld is a magical land of Faerie folk, shimmering lights and giant mushrooms that only appears to this world as summer changes to autumn.
“We have faeries inside who make this change occur, lots of games for kids to experience and have fun with.”
Fort Fright and Otherworld continue up to and including Halloween night.