More Fun Awaits As Scarehouse Windsor Opens New Haunt

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 779 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

As Halloween creeps forward, a local attraction is prepared for a frighteningly fun time.

Having opened on Friday September 16th, Scarehouse Windsor ((located at 1441 McDougall Avenue) is back bigger than ever. With attractions from last year being improved and upgraded, the venue continues hosting an experience like no other.

This also includes a new haunt born out of pandemic-related circumstances.

“We purchased a whack of Haunted House gear from other Haunted Attractions that didn’t make it through the pandemic,” said owner Shawn Lippert. “We started implementing those products in a brand new Haunt that we are calling The FUNHOUSE.  It’s a spin on the travelling circus during the Dirty Thirty’s. We filled it with Freaks from that era and may have a clown or two.”

This 5,000 square foot attraction is also home to the Wolfboy and Bearded Lady. Running loose in the black lit funhouse, all four characters will give customers something new to scream about.

Making room for the new section, Haunted Darkness was relocated within the venue as well. This meant it received a complete upgrade in the process. In addition, the zombie maze add-on received a fresh makeover and the main attraction, the Scared Evil haunted house also got updated.

It all adds to the scale and value according to Lippert.

“I think what people will realize is the size of this facility,” he said. “IT’S MASSIVE. From beginning to end, you could spend anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes in the building depending how busy we are. The value is crazy.”

Besides these main haunts, immersive dinner experiences have also returned.   Nico’s Taverna is catering again with Chef Nico’s special four course meal : This includes fresh Bread, Charcuterie, Orecchiette al Amatriciana, Beef Brisket alla Marsala Ratatouille, Roast Potatoes and Affogato Italian Dessert. A vegetarian dish is available upon request and tickets for the 90 minute show can be purchased at Scarehouse Windsor’s website.

Taking last year’s feedback seriously, revamping washrooms was also a high priority. Beyond this necessary construction however, other practical changes were put into places well.

“We realized from last year that we needed to be able to break down the tables,” said Lippert. “Finding a table of 10 was difficult. So in the Mad as a Hatter and Cursed Dinner rooms, you can go as a table of two, four, six, eight and 10. We just arrange the tables as needed. The Cabin in the Woods has four tables of four to accommodate up to 16. Miss Fortune will remain a table of 10 because it is a round table.”

If that wasn’t enough, the owner and his crew even improved waiting in line. Using psychological tips and tricks to make time go by faster, line queues have been isolated and there’s now a break with food and drinks.

Of course, this addition has been dressed up a bit to fit the overall theme.

“We added a bar and popcorn machine for the waiting cue,” said Lippert. “We called it the Deadway Bar and Kill. The bar is made out of coffins and has an homage to a Wake feel. So now while you are waiting you can grab an adult beverage or a number of other drinks.”

Making these changes, the attraction will also be showcased on an upcoming TV series. Often on hand, director Gavin Michael Booth is documenting what it takes to run the facility. Not knowing where the show will air yet, it’s set to be distributed through Bell Fibe TV, as an eight part docu-series when filming is finished.

Having seen the business grow since its inception, the director’s been hard at work on the project.

“[Booth] has been running around setting up time lapse cameras and making sure that he is available for important builds that we had planned for opening,” said Lippert. “He has had people in here for auditions and as of today…  there were 2 new guys walking around with a camera. You tend to forget they are there over time — they are pretty sneaky. I am sure it will be all hands on deck from the time we open to the time we close on October 31st.”

Despite all the work this year, the owner always has his eyes on the future. Still, while the haunt is quickly filling up space, it’s not something that worries Lippert.

“We never stop looking to be better,” he said. “Just when we think we can take a breath, we find a way to keep our anxiety levels high and put pressure on ourselves to hit new levels of success. We are running out of space, but I’d say we have two to three years before we hit a wall. By then we will have other things that will pivot us to make HALLOWEEN so much more fun in Windsor-Essex.”

Along with a complete list of dates and times, tickets are now available at their website.